CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: BE ALIGNED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The last thing that Jack wanted was to be a judge. He never wanted to umpire anything. This does not mean he does not judge people. Being judgmental and critical of others was part of his character and professional training. He now found that he had to imagine himself being judged too. He did not like being judged. Jesus said, you choose. Judge not and you will not be judged. There was really no choice, he admitted. Ether he chose to follow Jesus or he chose to go the opposite way and be judged! He was learning fast through being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Judge not, reflects God’s heart. Who is he to judge if God says not to judge?
Jack is now learning to apply what the Holy Spirit has been teaching him in his daily living.



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Journal Day 20: Only God can decide the acceptability of man.
Matthew 7:1-2 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

This requirement is cross referred to two seemingly contradictory passages. In Romans 14, we are asked not to judge our brothers in Christ (fellow Christians). The Apostle Paul used a number of examples to illustrate this requirement. Eating/not eating specific foodstuff, the behavior of another (including other’s servant/worker), observing a holiday, fasting etc. whether they impress man or not, external shows of piousness in physical living style, do not necessarily impress God. Besides, when one is preoccupied with finding fault with others he would not have time to rectify his own mistakes, and mend his own way, thereby resulting in a worse off scenario when the chips are down. (Often we project our own problems and mess onto others!)

However, God has received the weakest as he is. God is able to make the weakest stand before Him. Why? God is sovereign over all creations. He calls the shots. He wants us to accept His sovereignty.

In short, as Paul said, we live to the Lord; we die to the Lord, we are the Lord’s.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul has shown his authority over the church members in Corinth. He stipulated a severe sentence on an erring and unrepentant member. He stated his reason, that is, he did not want the others to be polluted morally and socially. Here Paul is exercising the delegated authority entrusted to him. Paul later forgave that member and urged the church to welcome him back to their fold when that man repented. Paul is clear about God’s concern, that is, the matter of the heart. Repentance means a change of heart. Paul has demonstrated that in godly justice there is mercy and forgiveness, reflecting God’s heart.

My application: Read the Bible with the goal to know God and to change myself to be more aligned with the spirit. Stop thinking that the verses refer to so and so (thereby judging others). Start thinking that the verses apply to me. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the plank/telephone pole in my eyes. Also be comforted that God loves me and has accepted me through His Son Jesus Who has died for me. Let God decide my standing. He calls the shots for my life.

AAA Jack
March 15, 2009

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE INNER EYE

It had been a month since Jack started this quest of seeking God. He had learned to look at things from an inner eye - spiritual perspective. He realized that God is asking him, “Are you controlled by the spiritual realm or the physical realm?” So far he had done two important things: seek God through worship and prayers, and listen to God through reading the words of God and meditating. Both endeavors had produced results.

The following is his Journal record.
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Journal Day 19: No One Can Serve Two Masters. Who is in control? The Physical or the spiritual?

Further to what I found out yesterday, that Jesus is more concerned with where I place my heart, on earth/the worldly system or on heaven/the godly system, I realized that Jesus is also concerned with what I put in my heart.

The things of the world are all subject to the natural law of aging, decay, corruption, depreciation of worth and usefulness, loss of attraction…etc. Even when the things (or even your wife, your husband, your best friend, your best pastor or other human support etc.) are new and fresh and interesting and useful, they are subject to uncertainties like theft, accident, destruction, sudden losses, and are here today and gone tomorrow. The circumstances, the devil, man-made errors or even a simple swing of mood could cause the losses overnight.

The only safe place is heaven. The safe treasure is Jesus. No natural disaster. No man-made mishaps. No depreciation of value. No losses. The treasure is guaranteed by God. Heaven is not subject to the world’s system. No wonder God keeps telling us to be separate. Come out.

Matthew 6:22-23 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of darkness.”

Here Jesus wants me to analyze my locus of control. Who or what controls my body? My physical senses? By what is seen, heard, smelled, touched and thought of? If this is the case, then I am subject to the worldly trend of perspective. All that I can see is dictated by the whims and fancies of the world. Someone has pressed the panic button and every body panics. Someone has pressed the commercial button and every body buys. Someone has invented a new toy and everybody plays. Someone has pressed the stress button and everybody is stressed out.

Jesus wants me to see with my inner eye, the eye of the spirit. The spirit sees into the spiritual realm and knows about the truth. The spirit draws wisdom and insight from the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ). Despite the physical darkness outside, the spirit sees the light inside, the Light of God. With His light I can see better and more accurately and form the right decision and make the right move.

Matthew 6:24 “no one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and mammon.”

This verse gave me headache previously. I thought it meant not to love money or have anything to do with money. On the other hand I have been given the resources and am expected to be a good steward of God so how can I not handle money? Reading this today I saw that it relates to all that Jesus has said in the context. He is asking me, “Are you controlled by the spiritual realm or the physical realm?”

Jesus said that God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. Jesus also said that eternal life is to know God and Jesus. For this purpose, God has put in me (and every believer of Jesus) the Holy Spirit so that I could relate to the spiritual realm and connect to Him through the spirit.

Matthew 6:25-31 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.” “Look at the birds of the air…are you not of more value than they?” “Consider the lilies of the field…will God not much more clothe you?” “Therefore do not worry.”

6:27-28 “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” “So why do you worry about?”

Do not worry about my physical life. Accept the fact that I cannot control it completely. I am not in complete charge. Stop worrying in vain!

So who is in complete control? The answer here is God. In verse 32, Jesus reminded me that God is the One Who created and sustained life. Surly He knows our needs.
How do we let the Spirit take charge? Jesus has given us the one essential key. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) In short, seek first Jesus. How do we seek Jesus?

Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Yes, read His words.
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow.” Jesus thus assured us. The physical body has its limitations. It can only take care of the present moment. It cannot go beyond its present senses. Why waste energy and ruin health? The uncertain future lies in the realm of the spirit.

Yet, future is important to everybody. That explains why everybody worries about the future. It is frightening to think that no one takes charge. On the other hand, as Christian, I believe that God takes charge. I believe in what Jesus has said. I would also like to know as much as my spirit knows.

The Lord says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

My application: continue to rise early, spend time worshipping God, reading His words, meditating on His words, praying, and waiting in His presence. I am still not good at worshipping God and singing praise songs. I need to practice more. The waiting part needs improvement too. I am too easily distracted. Today I slept late and did not get up early. However, as I drove I sang praise and worship songs, and prayed in tongues (a habit while driving). I managed to read ten psalms aloud at night. I look forward to tomorrow’s early morning session.

AAA Jack
2009-03-14

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SEEING GOD IN MY HEART

After a spate of seeing God in visions, Jack went back to reading and focusing on the words of God, the Bible. Indeed, the Word of God is life and Spirit.
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Journal Day 18: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…put your heart in the right place!

Matthew 6: 19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Again I am reminded of my heart today. In the past when I read this passage I always thought it meant I needed to donate more money or make less money and spend more time serving in the church etc. Over the years as a Christian, I had indeed tried to comply with this requirement. I enjoyed such activities for a long time. Yes, I enjoyed giving freely, chauffeuring neighborhood children to Sunday school and church camps, forgoing all comforts (washing church toilets, sleeping on hard wooden floor in hot stuffy mosquito infested rooms with no air-conditioning in camps), teaching and training young and old believers, serving God’s people in a number of roles voluntarily.

Yet, however much I thought I gave or served, there was no way I could match the righteousness of the religious Jews in Jesus’ time. So where do I stand in God’s kingdom? What hope do I have serving God even through my best efforts? Not a bit.
Man tends to look and focus at self because it is a survival instinct. It is also because of ignorance. We look at the world which has us at the center. We even look at God that way. For example, previously when I read what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, I thought of God being a God who asked me to do this and do that or not to do a lot of things.

Thank God for changing my perspective. I now realize that Jesus is concerned with the condition of my heart. Yesterday I touched on the issue of debt cancellation. It was not the physical cancellation that Jesus was interested. He was more concerned with the state of my heart. Is it still harboring hurt as a result of loss? Is my heart not being free to trust and love again? Is my heart filled with doubt and anxiety? Is my heart full of worries and heavy burdens? In short, is my heart filled with unbelief?

Today I am again reminded to put my heart in the right place. Anchor my heart on the solid rock of Jesus and His kingdom of heaven!
Again and again Jesus is saying, “Look away from yourself, look at Me!” “Look away from your things, look at My things!”

Indeed, when I start looking at Jesus and the grace (undeserved favor) of God, I realize that the matter of the heart is what counts.
“Christ in us, the hope of glory!”

My application: I am determined to put my heart at the right place. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) By Jesus’ authority, I cast out the workaholic spirit in me!

AAA Jack
2009-03-14