Learning to Live by His Life

     When my wife, Judy, and I were in our twenties (way back in 1973), we were introduced to the fact that more than anything else, God desires to be real and present in our lives in a very practical way.  The thing He wanted most was to pour out His love, joy, and peace on us. 

     We discovered that when Jesus Christ died, rose from the grave, and went to be with His Father, He then became available as a life-giving Spirit, making those riches available to us who believe in Him by becoming one with our spirit.  We found that His life, the very life He lived by in communing with His Father, was now living in us!      

     Learning how to live by that life that lived in us became all important to us.  We found that turning to Him, calling on His name, resting and trusting in Him, activated that life that lived in us, filling us with His riches and changing us in ways we could never change on our own.

                                        Times of Refreshment

     When Jesus lived on this earth, He often retreated off by Himself to pray.  Later, after Peter healed a lame man, in his address to the crowd, He told them to repent and turn back to the Lord so that they might have "times of refreshment in the presence of the Lord."   (Acts 3: 19)  A very important part of a Christian's life is to have these "times of refreshment".  It is a time to bask in His presence and let Him smother us with His riches.

     For most of us believers, stopping everything, especially our busy minds, and simply resting in Him, is not easy. It takes time and persistence.  For most of us, tasting of His riches comes slowly and needs nurturing.  These books were written to help lead you there.  I would encourage you to do what I was encouraged to do years ago when I was trying to understand what an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ was like and how to experience the riches He had in store for me.  Persistently tell God that this is what you want.  Keep asking, seeking, and knocking and He will deliver. 

     You will find that spending time in the Lord's presence will change your life.  You will begin taking the resting and trusting in the Lord you experience in your special times spent with Him, and extending  the resting and trusting to the rest of your day.