In the Message paraphrase, 2 Corinthians 4:9 records these words, "What they did to Jesus, they do to us - trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us - he lives!"
I was struck by that phrase and the truth of it. Everything that Jesus went through his followers have gone through and will go through. Now maybe we won't get physically assaulted or put on trial, but if we are faithful in our walk with Christ we WILL be persecuted.
At the same time, however, Jesus lives in us just like he did in them. The full reality of that cannot be described. It can only be experienced and shared with others. We can live our lives in any situation because he LIVES in us.
My hope for you is that you ask for and receive the power of the living Jesus in your life each and every day. I hope your relationship with God is not a set of well thought out doctrinal beliefs and a finely articulated set of spiritual theories. I hope you come to know the real thing.
I believe we all can know, experience and live the real thing if we open our lives up to receiving Jesus each day and committing to do what Jesus did and say what Jesus said in every circumstance of our lives.
The reason many of us have yet to experience it isn't because Jesus isn't real and alive, but because we haven't received him, asked him to lead every area of our lives and followed him in obedience.
Where have you sensed the living presence of Jesus in a real, clear way recently? What was it like?
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