The personal testimony of a young Christian believer. Part I.

Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 2/2012
I would like to share with you a personal experience I had with the Lord right after my spiritual new birth which has taught me 4 basic principles which have served to strengthen and sustain my faith. In his goodness and grace, the Lord demonstrated his care and loving-kindness to me by giving me what I call a shot of colostrum in my first steps as a baby Christian along with the spiritual milk of his word. He was preparing me for the weaning that happens as a natural stage in the baby´s growth and the long walk through the desert that was awaiting me.
These principles are:

• We might be doing a good, spiritual, church related activity or service, but actually Jesus-Christ our head may have something different and better that he wants us to do, that is his will for us at the present time, no matter what the circumstances look like to our human eyes.
• Listen to the inner guiding voice of the Holy Spirit in you. With time you will recognize it just like you are able to recognize the particular tone of voice of your loved ones.
• Do not be ashamed of your Lord and Savior Jesus-Christ. and of the Gospel he commanded us to proclaim.
• The Bible is the true revealed word of God. You can trust it as God will speak to you and guide your walk through its pages with the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

Just a few weeks after I was born again -twenty-two years old at the time - I had been going to a Baptist church and joined the choir as people encouraged me to participate in activities. I was giving my testimony on a Christian radio show, enjoyed reading and learning from the Bible, going to church and being fed by My Father´s providential hand.

I had the same exhilarated feeling as when I first put my foot on the US soil just to celebrate my first Christmas with my American sponsor´s family, that of an immigrant who is starting a new life in the land of freedom where nobody knows or cares about your past and where you can look forward to a new exciting life full of opportunities.
One Thursday afternoon as I was walking to the church for choir rehearsal, I felt an inner prompting to turn around and go to the bar in a seedy part of town where I had been drinking a few weeks ago with a friend of mine before I became a believer. This thought left me confused as I stopped in my track not understanding what was happening.

I had barely started reading the New Testament, was not aware of the Holy Spirit as a teacher, a guide and all of his ministry in the believer´s life. I was afraid of being late for practice and went on a few more steps when the impression got stronger. I thought it strange and a temptation to prevent and sidetrack me from doing my service to my new found God. So I walked on until the third prompting was so intensely felt that I just had to turn around and walk back to the bar.
To be continued.