“wind” and “spirit” are the same in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Only a Wind from elsewhere will clear out our theological and spiritual smog. The Lord said, “The wind bloweth where it listeth.” The problem is, we are trying to work up something in our churches that isn’t there. We have all kinds of bellows these days blowing hot air into the assembly. All our puffing, however, cannot clear the smog; it only adds more. We must bow to the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit who divideth severally as He will. “We cannot kindle when we will, the fires which in the heart resides; the Spirit bloweth and is still, in mystery the soul abides.” This doesn’t mean that we are to sit with folded hands. While we can’t produce or con trol the natural wind, yet we can set our sails and put up our wind mills, getting in the path of the power. Even so, we cannot produce the winds of God but we can pray for a visitation of the Holy Spirit on the Church, as well as on our own lives. One reason why a lot of people don’t go to prayer meeting is that because most of the things we are doing today we feel we can do anyhow without God; why bother Him ? When we come to the place where we will cast out all and look in desperation upon Him, we will pray. To pray down the winds of heaven will take more than some little formal day of prayer where everybody mumbles the same worn phrases and has no urgency or concern. Listen to the average church member’s prayer and you will see there isn’t much agonizing there. The trouble is, the situation is desperate today, but the saints are not. Then there needs to be preparation so that men will ask the Lord to re move the sin from their lives. Too many revival prayers these days are not accompanied by revival prepara tion. There is no repentance, confes sion and forsaking of sin. This in cludes restitution and reconciliation with separation from the world and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. After this, there is the need to par
ticipate. One must believe and receive. Those are two of the hardest words to learn how to spell. It is “ie” in one of them, and “ei” in the other. These are hard words for Christians to learn. Everything we get from God comes by believing and receiving. This is the law of the new birth. We are filled with the Spirit to over flowing from within. Too many people “enjoy” revivals who never try to bring anybody else to share the bless ings. This is selfishness of the very worst sort. When the church began at Pentecost what a smog-bound world it faced because of the Roman Em pire. The winds of heaven lifted the haze and brought spiritual victory. The Wesleyan revival found England in a polluted fog. The fresh breath of heaven cleared the atmosphere. No social reform could ever do it. Today, we are trying to air condi tion this age with education and legis lation. How foolish this is. No wonder there is deadness and dryness in mod ern Christianity. It is not enough to deplore the smog besetting the church. We need to pray, prepare and partici pate. What we need is a supernatural visitation from above. We must meet the conditions. The Lord has prom ised to bless a praying and prepared people who are willing to participate.
Dave Bancroft (right) interviews Dr. NicholasKur- tanek, Biola Collegeprofessor, as the students present him a check to help pay expensive sur gery costs following his recent cancer operation. Mr. Bancroft is vice president of the Asociated Student Body. Dr. Kurtanek was totally surprized at the students'generosity and expressionof Christian love.
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