[The Organizing of the Holy Spirit]
Acts 9:32-35
We need organizing as we have more things. Christians should be interested in organizing the inner side. Gordon Macdonald questions if one has time to organize the inner side regularly. Let us think of the organizing of the Holy Spirit.
First, we can organize our inner side through the Holy Spirit with the decision to carry out our mission. We might think that there would not be any need for evangelization once the number of the believers increases, but the more the number of the believers, the more we have to evangelize. The strength to organize the inner side comes when we carry out our mission. Gordon MacDonald introduced three ways to reclaim the time: first, we must know the daily life cycles including the most productive time. Having a purpose of spreading the Gospel is a key to focus on anything. With a purpose, we will have a life pattern abide by it. We have been born for mission, we live for mission, and we die for mission. Peter 'traveled about the country' and this meant he had thoroughly visited every area. Peter knew when to leave behind in Jerusalem and when to travel around thoroughly he obeyed. When he reached Lydda, he found out that there were Christians already. Paul was an apostle of the Gentiles, and Peter was an apostle of the circumcised. But while Paul vanished in Tarsus for some time, Peters ministry for the Gentile was mentioned, meaning that the Gospel had to go over the walls of Jerusalem.
Second, we can organize when we accept spiritless and sick person with the Lords perspective. The word 'paralyzed' in the passage indicated a person who was hurt physically, spiritually, and mentally. Peter had the heart of the Lord on Aeneas having been bedridden for eight years. Everyone matters to God. Peter met this paralyzed and spiritless man, and he had compassion for him. It is hard to have fellowship with a normal person, yet, Peter could humble himself to take care of the paralyzed because he had been organizing his inner side with a spiritual growth. Gordon MacDonald wrote that we must have a right standard on how to spend the time to regain it. It is hard to choose one out of many opportunities that look good. And in times like that, it is important to know what to give up on and what to reject to choose the best, we need the Lords eyes that see people in distress, focused on our vocation. Then, we will be able to organize our inner world and to grow spiritually.
Third, we need to organize our sickbed. The world only thinks of physical healing as a miracle. But redemption preceded before Jesus could heal a man. The biggest authority solves a problem of the sin because man cannot free himself from guilt. Aeneas knew that he was a sinner so he just needed to be healed. Jesus tells us to organize the bedridden life so He could heal us. Faith makes our life organized in Christ. Jesus healed the paralyzed and He told him to go back home with his bed. We need to carry our sickbed and walk the way giving testimonies of how Jesus forgave our sin and gave us missions. Even if we are paralyzed, with ourselves organized in the Holy Spirit, we can guide others to the Lord. The third way to regain our time is to plan so we could control it. Our QT, QT prayer online meetings, and small group meetings are appointments with God. Therefore, by doing QT, we can delicately organize our lives through the Holy Spirit and make plans.
Fourth, the organizing of the Holy Spirit makes a man to come back to the Lord. Everyone in the city saw Aeneas this indicates that he organized his sickbed and went around in the city testifying. And people in Lydda became Christians. People saw him, and they turned to the Lord. It means that they begat strong faith and had genuine repentance because Aeneas spread the Gospel under the authority of redemption. The organizing of the Holy Spirit motivates the Gospel to be spread continuously.
I think the House of Bethel, in Hokkaido, Japan how we could organize through the Holy Spirit. Many of Japanese psychiatrists pay attention to this institution for mentally disabled people. The institution insists the patients to admit that they have sickness for a start. They do not pursue for a higher level of life they rather aim for humble life. They cherish even the moments without any profits. They try to love their sickness. They make their own decisions about going to work. The essentials of this method seem to be of Christianity. They have results of recovery as the patients admit their sickness. The institution even became a help to the local economics. At Wooridle Church, we also speak honestly about ourselves, and that brings the recovery, being others guide to Jesus. Our spiritless family cannot recover from anything unless they see their sin. And to help them to see their sin, we have to give them love. The start and the end of the recovery can happen in the small groups while the group members give love and help each other to see their sin. I pray that every one of our small groups would be healthy community.
