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The Holy Spirit. Heart and Mind under the direction o f the Holy Spirit will make no mistakes. With unerring
F/e. 8. shoulder as he warned me about an unwise thing he saw me doing. I would have been offended, had it not been for the kindly, fatherly way in which he placed his hand upon me. A current came through it from his heart, and I appreciated it. But here again, the matter can be overdone. A vigorous handshake urged by zeal to crushing power is a terror to a prospect’s arthritis! The executive Mind must direct prudent handling o f all these splendid factors. The Ear. W e might overlook the importance of this servant in personal work; indeed, the Ear is often overlooked, causing delay, and pos sibly complete failure, in the effort. One must be a good listener—yes, to many irrelevancies and to much that is simply “ beating the devil around the bush.” Sometimes it is necessary to listen to outright abuse, or to words o f scorn and skepticism, maybe to angry words. I f one has a patient Ear, which also means a restrained Tongue, an Fl« 9- advantage is being gained. Let your prospect spend himself; it clears the deck for action. Nine times out o f ten, if you can listen out the tirade, your prospect will make himself sorry; then in the calm that follows, your op portunity is wide open for the effective word. There is a sympathetic Ear, too, which must share a real sorrow through patient listening. O yeS, the Ear can do much to prepare the way for the message that carries the Remedy. The Tongue. Last o f the five, and of
impulse and wisdom they will send the five ser vants, Eye, Foot, Hand, Ear, and Tongue forth upon the divine mission with all the defi niteness, promptness, gentleness, incisiveness, and patience necessary to success. Only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction to the heart o f a sinner; only the Holy Spirit can regen
FIG.IS-
h inating power o f the presence o f the Holy Spirit. He has made Himself very accessible and very approachable in the simplest o f terms. The promise comes through the lips o f the Lord Jesus: “ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Lk. 11 :13). It is just that simple. The other great Resource, powerful yet easily available, is the Word, “ the sword o f the Spirit.” It is invincible, and, as already shown, cannot fail. Personality is vastly en riched, strengthened, and inspired by an intimate knowl edge o f the Word o f God. In a very wonder- m ful sense, the W ord is Jesús Christ Himself. Not the leather-covered volume, nor the pages or the printer’s ink, not even the language itself, but the Truth, who is the L ife and the Way, “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. A ll things were made by him ; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life ; and the life was the light o f men” (John 1 :l-4 ). Thus, when you go with the W ord— in Mind, in Heart, and upon the Tongue, you confirm to yourself the fulfillment o f His promise: “ Lo, I am with you alway” (Matt. 28 :20 ). No personal worker need be left to speculate as to whether the Lord is with him or not, if the Word is in his heart. In this sketch, we have simply been taking a brief look over our resources for the highest service, as they exist in personality, which is the possession o f each one o f us, plus the two great factors God has made available to us. May the review o f .this wealth inspire us with fresh confidence and larger faith in our Lord as we set forth to make con quest for Him, going in His precious name. fig I4-. Honoring Sunday School Teachers F rom the office o f the American Sunday School Union, word comes concerning a plan to set aside Saturday, October 6, as a National Recognition Day for Sunday School Teachers. “ It is a simple, obvious, and timely idea,” writes Arthur M. Baker, editor o f publications— “ this one o f setting aside a day to be nationally observed in recogni tion o f the great work done . . . by the more than 2,000,- 000 Sunday-school teachers. . . The part that the Sunday- school teacher has played in shaping the character and ideals o f the nation has never before been formally and publicly recognized.” The suggested local parades, mass meetings, and sermons are commendable as a tribute to the army o f faithful and often obscure Sunday-school workers. But the extent o f the influence o f these devoted men and women can never be “ formally and publicly recognized” until it is seen in the light o f eternity. ■ fig i3. erate a lost soul. Yet He chooses to employ a yielded per sonality in doing that amazing work. The Holy Spirit gave us the W o rd ; He it is also who makes its meaning plain to us, and through us makes it plain to the one we would seek to win. N o personality need ever lack the illum
course not least, is the Tongue. The min istry o f this servant, as is generally un derstood, is to make the message vocal. It must be told in spoken words. None can ever hear the name o f Jesus, except from a Tongue. There are some who say, “ Live right, be merciful, generous, and kind; be
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loyal and regular in support o f your church; and then your life is a sufficient witness, without words.” The theory is correct, as far as it goes. These things ye ought to do, but the spoken word o f witnessing is necessary, too. God gave us the Tongue, and its supreme mission is to “ tell the story.” The Tongue must be backed up by the right use o f other factors, but it is to be used. Much could be said about the method o f using this member, but for the lack o f space, let us dismiss it with just one other suggestion. Make sure that the Tongue
speaks God’s words in soul-winning. “ The word o f God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword . . .” (Heb. 4 :12 ). One may be ever so witty, ever so eloquent, ever so logical, and yet fail to make an impression; but the W ord of God does not fail; it does not return uilto Him void, but accomplishes that which He pleases,
FIG.II.
and prospers in the thing whereto He has sent it (Isa. 55:11). It is the only statement which is guaranteed— the statement o f Scripture. Therefore, see to it that the tongue carries the unerring and invincible blade which goes down into the “ thoughts and intents o f the heart.” Thus We are naturally endowed with factors which are capable o f making a personality with wonderful possibili ties o f the highest service to the Master, in winning souls fo r Him— and' saving souls to blessed eternal life. S upernatural R esources For the enrichment and use o f this personality, God has provided two great Resources, namely: The Holy Spirit and the written Word.
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