River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-07-23

~ and important.
They should all
be used for Christ. But influences
are not sufficient for the needs of
the church. The word Influence" oc-
ours only once in the Bible, and that
in the question of Jehovah to the
patriarch Job: "Canst thou bind the
sweet influences of the Pleaides z"
Job 3S:31) "The sweet influences OF
the Pleiades" which bring the spring
with it's bloom of flowers and song of
birds are to be welcomed and priced,
but for the most effective Christian
service we need more than genial inf1u-
ences The need of every Christian
is in the New Testament word pow
err" which has in it the omnipotence
OF God.
Power Is God at Work.
The power which came on the day
Of Pentecost was God himself in the
person of the Holy Spirit, who like
a rushing mighty wind filed all the
house where they were sitting" and
as tongues of fire sat upon each of
them" (Acts 2:2, 81 Power is God
at work. He uses the word as a
sword and the Christian as an agent
Power, however, is not in the sword,
but in the arm that yields it. Nor is
it in the agent, but in the Master
whose servant he is. God delegates
power to no one. Jesus said: Go
We and disciple all nations, and 10,
am with YOU" Matt. 2S:19, 20.) In
other words: 81 will go with you and
do the work myself, provided you full
fill the conditions l impose. You are
to pray, trust, preach and live the
truth, while you depend on me for
power"
The redeemed in glory sing:
worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power" (Rev. 5:12) And
every Christian, however weak in him
self, has no right to give weakness in
his service to Christ, for power is
within the reach of all who believe.
AT Pentecost the Holy Spirit, the
Comforter" the "Paraclete," one who
comes to our aid when we call, came
to stay, and he has been with the
church ever since He is often grieved,
and, like Jesus, unable to do mighty
works because of our unbelief, but he
is never absent.
Transmission Wire of Faith.
The power house is built once for
all, and the motorman on the trolley
uses the power furnished by the com.
pany according to the capacity of the
wire for transmitting and the ma
chinery of his car for utilizing it. At
Pentecost the coming of the Spirit
was like the building of the power
house once for ALL We have not 10
pray the Spirit out Of heaven; he Is
with us all the time, but the meas
wire of faith and conservation through
which he may work the machinery of
our lives and bring things to pass
The city builds the reservoir once for
all, but the supply of water for every
house depends on the pipe which con-
meets with the reservoir, and the water
will do the people no good unless the
channels are open through which IT
may flow into their houses. Pente-
cost was the building of the reservoir
once for all. The Holy Spirit is to be
ever with the church, but his power
depends upon the channels Of faith
and faithfulness through which he
flows into our lives.
The Spirit-FiIed Life.
The Spirit-filled life is the Chris.
tian's normal condition, and we should
be satisfied with nothing less than the
best God has for us. In John 1888,
80, we read: "He that believeth on
me, as the Scripture saith, from with
in him shall flow rivers of living
water. But this spake he of the Spirit
which they that believed on him were
to receive, for the Spirit was not yet;
because Jesus was not yet glorified."
In chapter 4, verse IA, Jesus tells us
that the water he gives becomes ga
well of water springing up into ever
lasting life" Now, well is foun-
tain curbed in. There is no overflow.
The life in us is living water, spring
ing up, but not OVERLOOKING The
Spirit-filled man, however, is a foun-
tain of blessing to others. The well
overfiows it's curb and sends out re-
freshing and life-giving streams. This
takes place only when Jesus Christ is
glorified. "The Holy Spirit was not
yet, because Jesus was not yet glori-
fed" and the Holy Spirit is always
not yet when Jesus has not been glori-
fed. He testifies of Jesus; he takes
the things of Christ and shows them
unto as. None of those, therefore,
who take from Christ the glory OF
his deity or refuse to enthrone him
in their lives need expect the fullness
and power of the Holy Spirit. Christ
must be glorified if we would have
the Spirit in power for service.