CHAPTER TWO: HOW ONE MAN’S JOURNEY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT BEGAN

CHAPTER TWO: HOW ONE MAN’S JOURNEY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT BEGAN
On the commencing Friday Jack woke early as he set his alarm clock to ring at 5am not realizing that he was supposed to pray only at 6am. He got up around 5.15am and thought he was late. He rushed downstairs to the sitting room which would henceforth be his prayer room. He was determined to perform his duty as committed despite the sleepiness due to attending a late night worship service the previous night.
However, he had the habit of pottering around in the kitchen a bit and by the time he emerged from the kitchen he found that it was 5.30am. So he thought he was half an hour late and rushed into prayer to make up for lost time. He read through the little booklet like a school boy doing his assignment. He could not sing any of the songs so he read some of the lyrics. He remembered that the pastor in charge told them to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and not read the booklet mechanically. But he did not know how to follow the Spirit as no one had taught him how to apply this theory. He decided to leave the subject. However, the experience was interesting to him and he felt he was closer to God this way. The next morning he decided to do the same thing even though he was only required to pray once a week on the time slot allotted to him.
After Jack had carried on for a few days, he read one book called, “Living Biblically for a year” by a non-believer. He was amazed at how an agnostic Jew not believing in a supernatural God or the Creation, for the mere purpose of writing a book, went ahead and lived out some of the Biblical teachings or commandments (mainly Old Testament) literally. The man demonstrated how one could be legalistic without God, without Jesus, and without the Holy Spirit.
The man practiced religion, through performing legalistic rituals over prayers, attending Bible studies, dressing up in old Palestinian costume, diet, tithe/charity, Holy Land, circumcision, ten commandments, controlling the mouth, anger, even inner thoughts (honesty), not watching movies or pictures with sexy scenes etc. the man did experience some religious/spiritual euphoria while performing some Jewish dances, setting free a pigeon, helping an old lady (as fulfilling his charitable work).
One morning Jack woke up thinking that if an unbelieving man who for the sake of making a living, could devote a whole year to seek God, how could a Christian believer, who purported to know God, believe in Jesus, and have the Holy Spirit, not live Biblically? He spent the whole day thinking and planning. He made out a list that he resolved to carry out as a Christian believer.
He duly recorded the following list in his journal:
“I decided to start today:
1. Pray, seek God’s guidance.
2. Read the Bible for guidance, starting with the Book of Matthew.
3. Follow guidance, practice living Christian way.
4. I will make a list of what I read and pray over them, for the Holy Spirit to guide me living them.
5. I will record down my daily finding and experience.”
He further noted in his journal as a way to motivate himself of his new quest, “I believe that God has guided me in a process progressively, through learning the Gospel of Grace, Word of Faith, spiritual realm, watchman/intercessor, overcomers etc.” He summed up what he had been exposed to during the last five years. His exposure to the last three was very recent (about three-six months ago) through seminar and reading. Reading the above mentioned book was not a coincidence, he believed.
His first day’s experience was thus faithfully recorded as follows:
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DAY ONE: A NOVICE START ON THE RED LETTERS: WORSHIP, WORD, GLORY
After reading a non-believer’s quest of living one year biblically (regardless of his motives), I got down to thinking hard about my own daily living. Am I really taking God seriously? Am I living according to my belief in the Bible being God’s words? Is my faith real? Is my God real?
I decided to start my own quest to live Biblically. Today is my first day of attempt.
I started by clarifying my goal and action plan. As an Evangelical Christian, I believe in the Bible being God’s words. In view of its size and complexity, I would start by being a Red-Letters practitioner. That is, I start by reading all those words spoken by Jesus Christ (marked in red in some Bibles) and try to follow what He said.
I shall read the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, two or three chapters daily, understand the meanings of what Jesus said, referring to the cross references if any, and pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as I read. Then I shall write down His intentions and actions required of me to practice what He said/commanded.
Today I read Matthew Chapters one-four (up to verse 11). I summarize below my understandings of what Jesus had spoken.
It is indeed no coincidence that the first sentence spoken by Jesus was relevant to what I purposed in my heart to do. Jesus said: “permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” (That is, do the things that fulfill all righteousness at the right time.) I acknowledge that Jesus has already made me righteous and reconciled me to God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) So I am not trying to earn my righteousness by acting right! My motive of living Biblically is because I want to be real.
All the rest of today’s sayings from Jesus were spoken at the time when He was in the wilderness (having gone through forty days and forty nights of fasting).
The devil came to tempt Him as the devil was not sure of what Jesus could do. The devil thought it could tempt Jesus with the usual indulgences disguised behind seemingly genuine needs like food, safety, status, power and possessions. But Jesus was outside such a paradigm. Jesus spoke the following words, all quoted from the Bible (God’s words).
1. Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Action for me: pay attention to God’s every word. (Be careful what I say too, as cautioned in the Book of Proverbs 18:21 “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”)
2. Matthew 4:7 “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.”
Action for me: really trust God and not negate my faith in God by my un-belief through action (which is an insult to God).
3. Matthew 4:10 “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.”
Action for me: give God priority in terms of my resources (especially time to worship Him instead of pursuing other interests/ambitions).
4. Matthew 4:10 “Away with you, Satan!”
Action for me: do not be distracted by or waste time in friendly discussion with the devil. Just tell it to go away by the authority of Jesus!
The above sound simple but not easy to do or follow through. How am I going to start practicing them?
My plan:
1. Wake up early to worship God (learn to seek Him, appreciate His presence and give thanks).
2. Read God’s words daily, meditate and pray (be careful what I think and speak).
3. Focus on God’s glory (stop looking at the world’s or my vain glory) (more spiritual reality).
4. Rebuke the devil.
End of day review: I spent most of my prime time (morning) reading the Bible and talking to God about my new plan and praying for His help. I spent the rest of the day providing transport for my mother-in-law (and sister-in-law) to see an ophthalmologist and controlled my tongue and thought pretty well, with mostly positive words (I think). I ended the evening by giving my wife a relatively expensive dinner treat at her favorite restaurant (after she insisted) and my thoughts were neither positive nor negative. Well, after all it is only the first day.
AAA Jack
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