Walking with the Holy Sprit: Study, Workbook and Reference

When I was a young boy at Christmas time, one vivid memory I still remember is when I saw the baby Jesus in the manger. At the time I thought I wanted to give a gift, much like a children’s show called “The Little Shepherd Boy”, where the main character wanted to give the infant something but was not sure he had anything to offer, I was like him, as I felt I had nothing to present either. I, in fact spoke this to Pastor Theo at a meeting in Chicago in September of 2013, where I was first introduced to Jesus Center Ministries and he smiled as I told him: “now I know all He wanted was me! This is where I started looking and wanting to approach God and the Holy Spirit. You see, as a young boy I did not believe that God was involved in my life. Back then, I saw God as being up in Heaven, somewhere, but not directly involved in my life. My understanding of God was through fear, and I thought God was ready to strike me down for my sins. I considered Him as lacking in compassion and only concerned with passing down judgment. I did not see Him as loving, or caring at all. I believed He had left me as my birth mother had as a young 3 year- old, and I was convinced He was just as absent in my life as my paternal father, who had forsaken me before I was even born. I was adopted at age 3. Coupled with my limited knowledge of the Holy Spirit, as I had learned about Him at Church or some references made in the private grammar school I attended. Yet, much later, about twenty years ago, after reading the first book of the Bible, Genesis, I remember walking purposely on a nature center pathway alone, and I started with the thought that I was like Adam when he walked with God. I took my time to enjoy the fresh air, flowers, trees and birds that usually there within view, as this helped me picture possibly what Adam did as he went to meet with God. This brought me the peace that I much needed, as I was having the struggles of my life that seemly pressed upon me at times.
I am certain that it is always our choice as well as to whether we will seek Him, since Adam knew when God was nearby it suggests he heard and seen Him before. I have begun to realize that it was Adam’s choice to do this daily. Further, this is recorded within in Genesis 3: 8 (NIV): Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. An added thought is; There are written references to our decisions and the direction they will bring us to within God’s word as the above scripture refers to. Later I attended gatherings at Notre Dame University, 1983 – 1981, with a group of friends from a Catholic Charismatic prayer group where we met at as we would sing praise and worship songs, it was at these moments that I would sense the Holy Spirit’s presence so intense and close. Now I have made that commitment anew to seek the Holy Spirit daily after going to the first and then my second meeting in December of 2013, for people to make Jesus the center of their life, meeting Pastor Theo, his lovely wife Evelyn and his ministry team at these “Jesus Center” conferences as I encountered His very presence again and yet to another dimension that I have ever experienced that before. I will begin the first Chapter with “Who is the Holy Spirit?” Possibly like me you have had some teachings concerning Him. I was aware but really did not understand nor realize His importance to me.