This is wonderful!


--Books are written for information;
The BIBLE is written for transformation!

Donna Miller

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pat Ferguson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 9:26 PM
Subject: My Heart Christ's Home


> My Heart Christ's Home
> by Robert Boyd Munger
>
> In Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, we find these words:
> "That (God) would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be 
> strengthened
> with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your 
> hearts by
> faith" (Ephesians 3:16). Or, as another has translated, "That Christ may 
> settle down
> and be at home in your hearts by faith."
> Without question one of the most remarkable Christian doctrines is that 
> Jesus Christ
> Himself through the presence of the Holy Spirit will actually enter a 
> heart, settle
> down and be at home there. Christ will make the human heart His abode.
> Our Lord said to His disciples, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: 
> and my
> Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with 
> him" (John
> 14:23). It was difficult for them to understand what He was saying. How 
> was it possible
> for Him to make his abode with them in this sense?
> It is interesting that our Lord used the same word here that He gave them 
> in the
> first of the fourteenth chapter of John: "I go to prepare a place for you 
> .. that
> where I am, ye may be also."  Our Lord was promising his disciples that, 
> just as
> He was going to heaven to prepare a place for them and would welcome them 
> one day,
> now it would be possible for them to prepare a place for Him in their 
> hearts and
> He would come and make His abode with them.
> They could not understand this. How could it be?
> Then came Pentecost. The Spirit of the living Christ was given to the 
> church and
> they understood. God did not dwell in Herod's temple in Jerusalem! God did 
> not dwell
> in a temple made with hands; but now, through the miracle of the outpoured 
> Spirit,
> God would dwell in human hearts. The body of the believer would be the 
> temple of
> the living God and the human heart would be the home of Jesus Christ. It 
> is difficult
> for me to think of a higher privilege than to make Christ a home in my 
> heart, to
> welcome, to serve, to please, to fellowship with him there.
> One evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He 
> made! It was
> not a spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. It was at the very 
> center of my
> life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He 
> built a fire
> in the cold hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there 
> had been
> stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful 
> fellowship.
> I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will - not 
> into eternity!
> This, of course, is the first step in making the heart Christ's home. He 
> has said,
> "Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open 
> the door,
> I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 
> 3:20).
> If you are interested in making your life an abode of the living God, let 
> me encourage
> you to invite Christ into your heart and He will surely come
> After Christ entered my heart and in the joy of this new relationship I 
> said to Him,
> "Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle 
> down here
> and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. Let me show 
> You around
> and introduce you to the various features of the home that you may be more 
> comfortable
> and that we may have fuller fellowship together."
> He was very glad to come, of course, and happier still to be given a place 
> in the
> heart
> The Library
> The first room was the study - the library. Let us call it the study of 
> the mind.
> Now in my home this room of the mind is a very small room with very thick 
> walls.
> But it is an important room. In a sense, it is the control room of the 
> house. He
> 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 enough, I had not felt badly about this before, but now that He 
> was there
> looking at these things I was embarrassed. There were some books were 
> there that
> His eyes were too pure to behold. There was a lot of trash and literature 
> on the
> table that a Christian had no business reading, and as for the pictures on 
> the walls
> - the imaginations and thoughts of the mind -  these were shameful.
> I turned to Him and said, "Master, I know that this room needs a radical 
> alteration.
> Will You help me make it what it ought to be? - to bring every thought 
> into captivity
> to you?"
> "Surely!" He said. "Gladly will I 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
> Scriptures and meditate on then day and night. As for the pictures on the 
> walls,
> you will have difficulty controlling these images, but here is an aid"  He 
> gave me
> a full-size portrait of Himself. "Hang this centrally," He said, "on the 
> wall of
> the 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 into captivity.
> May I suggest to you if you have difficulty with this little room of the 
> mind, that
> you bring Christ in there. Pack it full with the Word of God, meditate 
> upon it and
> keep before it the immediate presence of the Lord Jesus.
> The Dining Room
> From the study we went into the dining room, the room of appetites and 
> desires. Now
> this was a very large room. I spent a good deal of time in the dining room 
> and much
> effort in satisfying my wants.
> 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 - worldly
> fare. I suppose there was nothing radically wrong in any particular item, 
> but it
> was not the food that should satisfy the life of a real Christian. When 
> the food
> was placed before Him, He said nothing about it. However, I observed that 
> He did
> not eat it, and I said to Him, somewhat disturbed, "Master, don't You care 
> for this
> food? What is the trouble?"
> He answered, "I have meat to eat that you do not know of. My meat is to do 
> the will
> of Him that sent Me." He looked at me again and said, "If you want food 
> that really
> satisfies you, seek the will of the Father, not your own pleasures, not 
> your own
> desires, and not your own satisfaction. Seek to please Me and that food 
> will satisfy
> you." And there at the table He gave me a taste of doing God's will. What 
> a flavor!
> There is no food like it in all the world. It alone satisfies. Everything 
> else is
> dissatisfying in the end.
> Now if Christ is in your heart, and I trust He is, what kind of food are 
> you serving
> Him and what kind of food are you eating yourself? Are you living for the 
> lust of
> the flesh and the pride of life - selfishly? Or are you choosing God's 
> will for your
> meat and drink?
> The Living Room
> We walked next into the living room. This room was rather intimate and 
> comfortable.
> I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet 
> atmosphere.
> He also seemed pleased with it. He said, "This is indeed a delightful 
> room. Let us
> come here often. It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship 
> together."
> Well, naturally 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 intimate 
> 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 and He would take a book of the Bible from the bookcase. He would 
> open it and
> then we would read together. He would tell me of its riches and unfold to 
> me its
> truths. He would make my heart warm as He revealed His love and His grace 
> He had
> toward me. These were wonderful hours together. In fact, we called the 
> living room
> the "withdrawing room." It was a period when we had our quiet time 
> together.
> But, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this 
> time began
> to be shortened. Why, I'm don't know, but I thought I was just too busy to 
> spend
> time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand; it just 
> happened that
> way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss a day 
> now and
> then. It was examination time at the university. Then it was some other 
> urgent emergency.
> I would miss it two days in a row and often more.
> I remember one morning when I was in a hurry, rushing downstairs, eager to 
> be on
> my way.
> As I passed the living room,  the door was open. Looking in, I saw a fire 
> in the
> fireplace and Jesus was sitting there. Suddenly in dismay I thought to 
> myself, "He
> was my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as Lord of my home. 
> And yet
> here I am neglecting Him."
> I turned and went in. With downcast glance, I said, "Blessed 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." Then
> I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my faithfulness. 
> I asked
> His forgiveness and He readily forgave me as He does when we are truly 
> repentant.
> "The trouble with you is this: you have been thinking of the quiet time, 
> of the Bible
> study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you 
> have forgotten
> that this hour means something to me also. Remember, I love you. I have 
> redeemed
> you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Now," He said, "do not neglect 
> this hour
> if only for my sake. Whatever else may be your desire, remember I want 
> your fellowship!"
> You know, the truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He loves 
> me, wants
> me to be with Him,  wants to be with me 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 some time when, with 
> your Bible
> and in prayer, you may be together with Him.
> The Workroom
> Before long, He asked, "Do you have a workroom in your home?" Down in the 
> basement
> of the home of my heart I had a workbench and some equipment, but I was 
> not doing
> much with it. Once in a while I would play around with a few little 
> gadgets, but
> I wasn't producing anything substantial or worthwhile.
> I led Him down there.
> He looked over the workbench and what little talents and skills I had. He 
> said, "This
> is quite well furnished. What are you producing with your life for the 
> Kingdom of
> God?" He looked at one or two little toys that I had thrown together on 
> the bench
> and held one up to me. "Are these little toys all that you are doing for 
> others in
> your Christian life?"
> "Well," I said, "Lord, that is the best I can do. I know it isn't much, 
> and I really
> want to do more, but after all, I have no skill or strenghth to do more."
> "Would you like to do better?" He asked.
> "Certainly," I replied.
> "All right. Let me have your hands. Now relax in me and let my Spirit work 
> through
> you. I know that you are unskilled, clumsy and awkward, but the Holy 
> Spirit is the
> Master-Worker, and if He controls your hands and your heart, He will work 
> through
> you." And so, stepping around behind me and putting His great, strong 
> hands over
> mine, controlling the tools with His skilled fingers He began to work 
> through me.
> There's much more that I must still learn and I am very far from satisfied 
> with the
> product that is being turned out, but I do know that whatever has been 
> produced for
> God has been through His strong hand and through the power of His Spirit 
> in me.
> Do not become discouraged because you cannot do much for God. Your ability 
> is not
> the fundamental condition. It is He who is controlling your fingers and 
> upon whom
> you are relying. Give your talents and gifts to God and He will do things 
> with them
> that will surprise you..
> The Rec Room
> I remember the time He asked me about the playroom. I was hoping He would 
> not ask
> about that. There were certain associations and friendships, activities 
> and amusements
> that I wanted to keep for myself. I did not think Christ would enjoy them 
> or approve
> of them, so I evaded the question.
> But there came an evening when I was on my way out with some of my 
> friends, and as
> I was about to cross the threshold, He stopped me with a glance and asked, 
> "Are you
> going out?"
> I replied, "Yes."
> "Good," He said, "I would like to go with you."
> "Oh," I answered rather awkwardly. "I don't think, Lord Jesus, that You 
> would really
> want to go with us. Let's go out tomorrow night. Tomorrow night we will go 
> to prayer
> meeting, but tonight I have another appointment."
> He said. "That's alright. Only I thought that when I came into your home, 
> we were
> going to do everything together, to be close companions. I just want you 
> to know
> that I am willing to go with you."
> "Well," I said, "we will go someplace together tomorrow night."
> That evening I spent some miserable hours. I felt wretched. What kind of a 
> friend
> was I to Jesus when I was deliberately leaving Him out of my associations, 
> doing
> things and going places that I knew very well He would not enjoy? When I 
> returned
> that evening, there was a light in His room, and I went up to talk it over 
> with Him.
> I said, "Lord, I have learned my lesson. I can't have a good time without 
> You. From
> now on we will do everything together."
> Then we went down into the playroom of the house and He transformed it. He 
> brought
> into life real joy, real happiness, real satisfaciton, new friends, new 
> excitement,
> new joys. Laughter and music have been ringing through the house ever 
> since.
> The Hall Closet
> There is just one more matter that I might share with you. One day I found 
> Him waiting
> for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He 
> said to me,
> "There is a peculiar odor in the house. There is something dead around 
> here. It's
> upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet." As soon as He said this, I 
> knew what
> He was talking about. Yes, there was a small closet up there on the 
> landing, just
> a few feet square, and in that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or 
> two little
> personal things that I did not want anyone to know about and certainly I 
> did not
> want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead and rotting things left 
> over from
> the old life. And yet I loved them, and I wanted them so for myself that I 
> was afraid
> to admit they were there.
> Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor 
> became stronger
> and stronger. He pointed at the door. "It's in there! Some dead thing!"
> I was angry. That's the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to 
> the library,
> the dining room, the living room, the workroom, the playroom, and now He 
> was asking
> me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, "This is too much. 
> I am not
> going to give Him the key."
> "Well," He said, reading my thoughts, "if you think I'm going to stay up 
> here on
> the second floor with this odor, you are mistaken. I will take my bed out 
> on the
> back porch. I'm certainly not going to put up with that." Then I saw Him 
> start down
> the stairs.
> When you have come to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can 
> happen is to
> sense His fellowship retreating from you. I had to surrender. "I'll give 
> You the
> key," I said sadly, "but You'll have to open the closet and clean it out. 
> I haven't
> the strength to do it."
> "I know," He said. "I know you haven't. Just give me the key. Just 
> authorize me to
> take care of that closet and I will." So with trembling fingers I passed 
> the key
> to Him. He took it from my hand, walked over to the door, opened it, 
> entered it,
> took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it 
> away. The
> He cleaned the closet and painted it, fixed it up, doing it all in a 
> moment's time.
> Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life!
> Transferring the Title
> Then a thought came to me. I said to myself, "I have been trying to keep 
> this heart
> of mine clear for Christ. I start on one room and no sooner have I cleaned 
> that then
> another room is dirty. I begin on the second room and the first room 
> becomes dusty
> again. I am so tired and weary trying to maintain a clean heart and an 
> obedient life.
> I am just not up to it!"
> So I ventured a question: "Lord, is there any chance that You would take 
> over the
> responsibility of the whole house and operate it for me and with me just 
> as You did
> that closet? Would You take the responsibility to keep my heart what it 
> ought to
> be and my life where it ought to be?"
> I could see His face light up as He replied, "Certainly, that is what I 
> came to do.
> You cannot be a victorious Christian in your own strength. That is 
> impossible. Let
> me do it through you and for you. That is the way. But," He added slowly, 
> "I am not
> owner of this house. I am just a guest. I have no authority to proceed, 
> since the
> property is not mine."
> I saw it in a minute and dropping to my knees, I said, "Lord, You have 
> been a guest
> and I have been the host. From now on I am going to be the servant. You 
> are going
> to be the owner and Master and Lord."
> Running as fast as I could to the strongbox, I took out the title deed to 
> the house
> describing its assets and liabilities, location and situation and 
> condition. I eagerly
> signed it over to belong to Him alone for time and eternity. "Here," I 
> said. "Here
> it is, all that I am and have forever. Now You run the house. I'll just 
> remain with
> You as a servant and friend."
> He took my life that day and I can give you my word, there is no better 
> way to live
> the Christian life. He knows how to keep it in shape and deep peace 
> settles down
> on the soul. May Christ settle down and be at home in your heart as Lord 
> of all!
>
> Robert Boyd Munger (1911-2001) was a Presbyterian minister who wrote this 
> timeless
> work exactly 50 years ago. As vividly compelling a read then,  I have 
> found no other
> essay on the ABC's of the Christian life, other than Scripture itself, so 
> impacting
> as Munger's wonderful work here.    RDM