First Posted September 2017

It was her first time away from her parents, her freshman year in college, finally, she was free. In the beginning, she felt a little homesick, so she called her parents every weekend. But, eventually she got busy making new friends, classwork, and enjoying going to the football games with her friends; she stopped making contact. Her parents still called every weekend but she spoke briefly to them on the phone. They continued writing her emails, but she just left them in her inbox and never responded. Her parents were very concerned and decided to write her letters. She never opened their mail and left them on her dorm room dresser thinking, “I will read them later.”

Thanksgiving was in two weeks; her friends prepared to go home for the holiday. The young lady decided she would surprise her family and sneak home to celebrate the holiday with them. The day she arrived home to her tiny little cottage where she grew up, she anxiously jumped from the car to run to the porch and stuck her key in the keyhole, but it wouldn’t work.

She ran around to the back door and stuck the key in the door, nothing happened. The young lady sat down on the back deck baffled of why she couldn’t get in the door. Finally, she decided to knock on the door. “Mom, Dad, are you in there?” she yelled. No one answered. She decided to look through the windows and to her surprise the furniture was different. She went around to the front porch and peeked in the windows and she said to herself, “That’s not my parents’ couch and those are not our pictures on the wall. Who lives in our house?” The young lady panicked and knocked harder on the door. An elderly man came to the door and asked, “How may I help you?” The young lady explained, “I live here, but what happened to my parents? Why are you in our house?” The man replied, “No young lady, your parents sold this house to me two months ago; they moved to a larger and more spacious new home in the hills.

Didn’t they tell you?” The young lady said, “Maybe they did, but I didn’t read their letters, or their emails, and I spoke briefly to them on the phone.” So the elderly man replied, “You know, sometimes people we love are communicating with us, but are we listening?”

The God of the Old Testament told us where He lived. We believed He was the God who lived in the heavens or the sky somewhere up there. He was the fearful, majestic, and unapproachable God. He only made Himself known to a few saints, prophets, or priests in the tabernacle, and in the temple. Some of us felt safe and comfortable with a God who was far away and who didn’t get into our business. We preferred a God on our own terms so that if we needed Him, He would come to our rescue; kind of like a superman who swoops in and save the day. It is very interesting though, some of us still prefer that kind of God at a distance yet still long for Him to be close and near when our life is falling apart or when those we love are in trouble.

Today, in case you are not aware, God, Our Heavenly Father, who lives in the New Testament, lives in a more intimate place. He is the one revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the one Jesus told us about and shared with us. This God who lives in and above the heavens came to live IN US and THROUGH US! We call Him Lord, ABBA (Papa, Daddy) and Father. OUR GOD HAS MOVED, NO LONGER AT A DISTANCE… HIS NEW ADDRESS IS… IN CHRIST, IN HIM, AND CHRIST IN US.

In John’s gospel, chapters 6:56, 14:20, 15:5, and John 14:3, Jesus invited us all who love Him and accept Him as their Lord to “Come, Live in my NEW Home, WITHIN where I abide. Come inside and stay, remain with Me, as I will always remain with you. I have gone and prepared a place for you so that WHERE I AM, THERE YOU WILL BE ALSO.

This NEW place where He lives is called, “IN HIM.” Have you ever done a word study of the scriptures IN HIM? The New Testament has over 100 scriptures related to the address of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit… IN HIM and IN CHRIST. I will share a few:

I Corinthians 1: 5… so that in everything you were [exceedingly] enriched IN HIM, in all speech [empowered by the spiritual gifts] and in all knowledge [with insight into the faith].

Ephesians 1:11 – We were chosen to LIVE IN Christ.

Acts 17:28 – For IN HIM we live and move and exist [that is, IN Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

Have you seen the NEW furniture in our NEW Home in Christ? Or are you still staring through the window at the Old?  Look how our Home IN CHRIST is decorated. It is filled with love, life, wisdom, joy, peace, freedom, grace, patience, and every fruit of the Spirit because it is filled with Christ Himself who is LOVE. He has brought our spirits and souls to live in this place. Our souls must choose to remain (abide) in His love or wander away after other things.

Colossians 2:3 – IN HIM are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [regarding the word and purposes of God].

Colossians 2:10 – And IN HIM you have been made complete [achieving spiritual stature through Christ], and He is the head over all rule and authority [of every angelic and earthly power].

2 Peter 1:4 – For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.

There is so much to share concerning this beautiful place our Father has prepared for us to live in now and through eternity… this amazing life found IN HIM. Turn inwardly and ask Father to open your eyes to behold and experience the life He has prepared for us to enjoy… IN CHRIST.

Prayer: Papa, you said, “Eyes have not seen nor ears heard, nor have they entered into the hearts of man all the beautiful things you have prepared for those who love you.” BUT YOU ARE revealing them, opening our eyes to them, by your Spirit. Thank you!!