The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-09
somebody at tIne Helm.

Il
The simple truth is that Christianity
| istelf, with this Somebody left out. Is
more Of an incredible miracle than
the most wonderful acts that have ever
been ascribed to the Spirit or Jesus
There is no other explanation possible
for the rise and power of the religion
of Christ except the irresistible power
of an omniscient, omnipresent, super
natural Spirit.
The coming of the Somebody whom
Jesus sent was at once the baptism.
confirmation and ordination or the
disciples. This was the seal of real
succession to the apostolate. Not all
the hands of bishops or presbyters can
make a man a minister of the Gospel
who has not shared in the Pentecostal
enduement. He who came on that
great day, riding a chariot OF wind
has never left the church Beneath
my hand lies a book, THE Future
Leadership of the Church." which is
greatly concerned over the dearth or
candidates for the ministry, That is
not the real problem: the future
leadership of the church, on which
alone her work depends, is the accept
ed leadership of that Somebody who
has been her leader since ever Jesus
assembled. The peril of modern organ
lied christendom is that this supreme
truth will be overlooked, and depend
ence placed upon theological semi
naries and scientific learning for the
creation Of a ministry Except that
Breath which filled the Upper Room
in Jerusalem on the Day OF Pentecost
breathe upon a mans spirit. not all
the wisdom of man can make him an
appointed successor to the apostolate-
Everybody knows how empty are
words without power-~soundinS brass
and tinkling cymbais," the apostle
happily calls them. SO Is the message
of Christianity without the help of the
Somebody who came at Pentecost. The
historical facts and moral teachings
of our religion would have no more
influence upon the hearts OF men than
the story Of the Roman empire or the
PHILOSOPHERS of Plato, were it not for
this supernatural reinforcement 1
have seen hundreds of men, yellow and
brown, who have been lighted out of an
old life that was heather, and made to
shine with the virtues that are Chris
tian-and all this without temporal
to themselves, but real sut-
of the power of the
Gospel which this Spirit makes alive.
speaking with other languages which
amazed the many-tongued multitude
at Pentecost.
The Great Day, and Today.
The backward look upon the great
dav of Pentecost is profitable; but only
for the sake of today. All truth is
worth considering only in relation to
present life. It means much that the
who came in Jesus stead
entered in sovereignty the church in
j
abides in the church and in the world
today. All the beauty of saintliness,
all the power of preached word, all the
of Christian service, are
due only to his might. Whether he
speaks through tongues suddenly and
systematically given, or whether ne
speaks through the hundreds OF. ma
tive languages into which the Bible
has been translated, whether by the
voice of Peter on Pentecost, or by the
stumbling speech of the nilsson work
er, 1t is the same Spirit doing the same
work of the same Jesus.
The profound present meaning OF
this great Pentecostal lesson is that
the Spirit who descended after Jesus
had assembled appears to be moving
upon the life Of the nations today with
unusual mower. There are Wondrous
coming from all quarters or
the church The mind of Jesus seems
to be Ieavening the world The apos-
tolic conception of a gospel to be
preached to all men is once more
gripping the will of christendorn. The
spirit Of unity which marked Pente-
cost is again being shown forth by
believers And the hungry spirit or
mankind is waiting, cropping, praying
for a visitation of vital, powerful reli-
gion which can come only in the pres
enee and person of the Paraclete,
Christ's other self.