force rechanneled into a relentless, unsurpassed mis sionary fervor. Which of us is so concerned about the Christless throngs about us that he would gladly sur render his own sure hope of heaven that they, like Paul’s Israel, might be saved? But, you may exclaim, the great deeds of these men were all miracles! They seem so to those who lack the power of the quickening Spirit of God. But they are the normal experience of all too few choice souls in all ages — completely surrendered, filled to overflowing, and fully used by our blessed Lord. The Holy Spirit visited Zacharias, and Mary and Simeon, as He comes to others willing to meet the con ditions. These were waiting for the “ consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon (them)” (Luke 2:25). The Old Testament stalwarts looked ceaselessly for the first coming of the Lord’s Christ, and His Spirit ordered their lives accordingly. He will do likewise for all who look for Him the second time, meantime invit ing Him to control and direct every purpose and detail of their lives. At Pentecost the disciples waited with one accord in one place for the promised Comforter who would teach them all things, and bring to their remembrance what Jesus had said unto them (John 14:26). “ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both at (home) . . . and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). GOD’S OWN REMEDY We urgently need a return to early church condi tions following Pentecost. Every believer must per sonally search the Scriptures, as the Bereans, “whether these things (are) so” (Acts 17:11). Many pastors and missionaries follow up their con verts with a systematic teaching ministry as Paul recommends in Ephesians 4:12. He consistently prac ticed what he preached and the results outlined in his epistles more than establish his Spirit-led wisdom. A veteran preacher living in Vancouver,* a dear friend of the writer, makes yearly pilgrimages to Brit ain, grounding in the faith the converts o f previous preaching missions. While older Christians are often cold, he consistently finds young people eager — nay, seeking him out to be saved, for counseling, or to be filled with the Spirit, with truly remarkable results fol lowing. He has a similar effective ministry in Canada and the Pacific Northwestern States. From reading God’s Word it may be that our meth ods are wrong. The writer is not judging — simply raising certain points for prayerful consideration. In Acts 8:15 and 19:2 the Apostles prayed and laid hands on the converts, with the immediate result “ they re ceived the Holy Ghost.” If this practice is proper and important in ordaining pastors and in praying for the sick (and it certainly appears to be,) why neglect it when “ordaining” wit nesses into Holy Spirit service? Yet rarely is this done. Let us leave such modern “ vain conversation re ceived by tradition from your fathers” (I Peter 1:18) as we may have, and seek zeal for God, His compas sion for lost souls, the Gospel preached by such as Paul, and the methods used and taught by him and other New Testament writers. Then, without doubt, we shall yet see God work in us and among us in dynamic Holy Spirit power, as He did in the infant church. "Name and address available from the writer on request.
could handle the enemy as he always had, but “wist not that the Lord was departed from him” (16:20). Blinded, he was brought from prison that the Philis tines might make sport of him. Finally we find this vacillating man of God calling upon Him once more: “ 0, Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strength en me . . . only this once, 0, God, that I may be avenged of the Philistines . . . and . . . let me die with the Philistines” (w . 28, 30). How woefully pathetic! As if God had forgotten Samson! Rather, Samson had forgotten his vows to God. King Saul was another whom the Spirit forsook because of sin. How we should pray God that we will never suffer this inestimable loss. Well does the Apostle Paul warn, “ Quench not the Spirit” (I Thess. 5:19). Two other heroes: God said, “ But my servant Caleb, because he had another Spirit (rather than fear of the giants), and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land . . . and his seed shall possess it” (Num bers 11:24). “ Take thee Joshua . . . in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand upon him” (27 :18). Moses the Lawgiver* could lead the people to the river, but it needed a Joshua (meaning “ Jehovah is salvation” ) to lead them through it! UNQUESTIONING FAITH REWARDED Elisha received a double portion of the Lord’s Spirit which was on Elijah, because God found him meeting Elijah’s conditions and watching. He kept his eyes on his spiritual mentor, who was “as God” unto him, as Moses was to Aaron (Exodus 5:16). “ Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching” (Luke 12:27). Daniel steadfastly sought God in prayer thrice daily at the risk of his life, a definite evidence of Holy Spirit leading, and had this witness to Darius from the lion’s den: “ My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths; that they should not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, 0 king, have I done no hurt. Then the king was exceeding glad for him. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God” (Daniel 6 :22, 23). Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Daniel’s three companions, willingly faced death in a fiery furnace rather than bow down to the graven image of Nebu- chadnezzer. This faithful, fearless trio, like Enoch, walked with God. Released unscathed when the king saw four rather than three, and the fourth like unto the Son of God, these spiritual young men (else the Son of God could not have companied with them), heard this testimony of the king: “ Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God” (Dan. 3:28). A FORETASTE OF HEAVEN Stephen, so filled with the Holy Ghost that he wit nessed a thrilling confession when being stoned to death for his Lord, had the unspeakable privilege of seeing the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:56), brought to His pierced feet by His great love and admiration for the dear one who suffered gladly for His dear sake! Saul, that high-born, carefully educated and most arrogant young man who had a zeal for God but was so very wrong, as the Apostle Paul by the dynamic power of the Holy Ghost had this same undaunted
JANUARY, 1965
15
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker