Before I share my experiences with the Holy Spirit through our love relationship, let me first share the following scripture about Paul:-
Acts 20:24 NLT But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.
Friends, after having deep roots and true (nonreligious) relationship with God, you can love God more than yourself. At this stage you start " doing everything as unto God" and " you die and let Him live" ; you yield to the will of the Lord. This is not done by effort like religion would teach you; it is through relationship. At this stage, you (the bride) are able to submit to the will of the head, your Husband (Jesus).
Galatians 2:20 NLT My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Paul had reached that stage and all his work was a sign of loving God. But friends, we shouldn’t love God because we are born again; that wouldn’t withstand the storms of life or help us grow. We first gotta know God personally in His love as shown in the previous offerings. Don’t be religious and jump on to do stuff:- how can you possibly love God or your enemies out of your natural ability? come-on!
When you know God, you don’t do dead works of the flesh (in vain) in attempt to please God; you are led and empowered by the Holy Spirit like Paul (Acts 19:11,21; 13:2-4, 16:6-7), and Jesus (Luke 4:18). I always believed that the biggest thing about being born again is the Holy Spirit; everything else is vanity, or another religion. A person who loves God like Paul, is not intimidated by other gods or religions or threatened by any powers, in fact they are worried by ignorance (Acts 17:16). I have two friends who follow these conspiracy theories of Satanists and their musicians or cults e.t.c. Yes, it could be true and we have to know the schemes of the devil but I am not moved by them, I am led by the Holy Spirit and if they come my way, then I would crash them!
Over the years, I told you that people who defend Christianity don’t know God. I watch some preachers in Christian TV, I get disgusted! Personally, I have sat down in many occasions with people of other religions and faiths to listen to their beliefs; Muslims, Hindus, Rastafarian's, Jewish, African beliefs, Mormons e.t.c. I always give them a chance first to share and would even take some of their material to read at home. When I listen or read, I realise that they are referring to the same God I serve. There is only one God. I would tell A Muslim that the same Allah is the same God I serve and to the African, that the same Nwali is the same God I serve but He has provided a better way to serve/know Him rather than through the ancestor or works. I never oppose them because most of the stuff is true but I share about my practical relationship with God. As I speak, I always see the Holy Spirit opening their eyes into something new, there would be a spark and desire in their eyes. After sharing, they all always want this Jesus of mine who is the better way than what they are used to. Everyone of them always iinternally fall down on their knees in desperation and submission to Christ and that humbles me when they ask me to bless them. And lastly they usually end up in church. The last one was a very devoted Muslim guy that I ended up prophesying to as the Spirit led, he came to church the following day and the prophesy came to pass in few days. But it always irritate me when I hear people arguing non-sense about which religion is right or muslim country this or what nots!Non-sense! I only found out in the recent years at Bible School that Paul took similar approach to other religious believers in Acts 19:16-32. To get a chance to speak and to be listened to, it would cost you listening attentively with interest to others and then you can give them something they don’t have but want i.e. The Holy Spirit.
I don’t relate to God through the laws. I don’t gossip, and not because it’s a law but because I’m not comfortable when the Holy Spirit leads me to ask forgiveness after speaking bad about someone. Few weeks back, I was with my friend when I gossiped this big Afrikaner cigarette-smoking guy and God told me to go apologize to him later. I couldn’t believe that I had to go to him without a helmet and all other cricket gear including a bat for protection but I know and trust the Lord’s voice. I’m glad that God even used him that day to bless me with help in getting all my Christian channels that I have been battling for months to get. But you see, I didn’t obey “do not gossip”; I obeyed the Spirit of love whom I trust. We must chase God and not the laws, in God we find ability to fulfil the laws or serve Him = loving Him. That’s relationship’s power over the law, you get blessed for obeying God not the law. You cannot obey the God who is foreign to you, you can pretend for some time but you will burn out and the real angry you would pop-up.
I had problems at one of my previous jobs with my one of my seniors who attempted tormenting me. People ( including other seniors) , came to me one by one daily to advise me that the man is trying to “kill” me and that I gotta do something. I was only worried about his health because some of the things were ridiculously obvious that there was an external influence (it was not normal behaviour). I remember one senior amazed at me saying, “and you are still here laughing and joking after what he has done to you, what’s wrong with you?”. Those who know me, know that naturally I pray for someone step on my toe so I can enjoy slicing them into pieces of rice and it doesn’t matter who they are. But it is no longer I who live and the Lord gives me power that even I don’t understand. My medical results always show zero stress and I am thankful for the power of the Spirit that overcomes the natural, I’m never worried or affected by the world’s weapons. That senior is one of the guys that called me into the office to shake my hand telling me how much he learnt from my character. It was easier to confess back to him that I am not naturally like that but it was the Christ in me. So in that way people honour the Lord Jesus. I couldn’t have read a scripture in the Bible that says, “Submit to your authorities even when they are harsh” to follow it without reasoning/questioning. Naturally to me, that would be rubbish because I know intellectually that the Bible has been used in many occasions to steal, oppress and destroy people. I only follow the Holy Spirit that I love and trust because He loved me. If He says "fight" I fight, " be quite" , I become quite, " kill", I kill, " give" , I give!
I just learnt last year or so in Bible school that the “thing” I have been practising for years has a name. It is called solitude but I was only led by the Spirit over the years into quite places to pray and I had never heard or seen somebody do it. Some other days, I would just get into a quiet place to sit, doing nothing and sometimes I slept. I only learnt few weeks ago that it is called “centring prayer” in Roman Catholic practices. “Silence is God’s first language”, they say. Guys, my confidence is not in what I read or learn as they teach in church but it is in the relationship with God. All other things are just confirmation of what God has been teaching me in my private room. I enjoy my time with God alone, if God do something through me externally then it is good but I am called to love Him privately. Try to tell the above to the Charismatics, yo! Prayer to us is only true if we are shouting in tongues in public places. Guys, allow the Spirit to lead you, don’t be confident in your own knowledge and works.
Throughout my journey with the Lord, I have learnt (still) to give up my ways for His, because I love Him. For instance, my friends would testify that I am a very secretive person and I love privacy, I hate publicity. So, sharing my life with the world like this is not my preference but I yield to the higher power. I also don’t believe in taking responsibilities for others. I study the scriptures for myself without any plan to share with anyone or any ambitions but to enjoy myself. Most of you know far better than me anyway, what can I teach you? Sometimes I get misunderstood or scorned for it or betrayed by people that I love but I always come back to my private room and cry on His arms and He comforts me.
So guys, I believe the biggest thing in Christianity is the Holy Spirit that we receive through Christ. He is the power to do all good things including loving God, which is usually demonstrated in loving people. Religion would rush you to love God/people externally but Christianity is all about love (God) and if we insist in our way (laws and works of the flesh), we are fooling ourselves. So, allow God to love you and nourish the relationship with Him and as the Spirit lead start loving Him.
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