The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-07

Something happened nineteen CEN
turtles ago that changed the worlds
calendars, overturned the ancient re-
| ligions, recast civilization and created
what has since become the largest,
most widely distributed and powerful
organization on earth. The skeptic,
the atheist and the ignoramus cannot
deny that fact There is now to be
found in every nation under the heaV-
en- the Christian church. Her mem
berS number half billion. For sew
enteen of the nineteen centuries of
her life she has been the chief factor
in the worlds life. She has outlived
thousands OF other organizations and
movements, none of which has met
with the opposition that has confront
ed her. Fire has not been able to burn
up the church, nor blood to drown
her, nor sword to kill her.
Now we want to know what the
Something was which could effect
this greatest of wonders. There is a
reason for everything. What is the
cause of that supreme revolution and
reconstruction which has resulted in,
and been caused by, the Christian
/ church
This lesson gives the answer. The
mystery of Christianity is explained by
the other mystery of the Paraclete the
Other Self of Jesus who came to abide
with the friends of Christ forever, and
whose enabling alone accounts for the
wonders of the church. Without this
Spirit, the church is both inexplicable
and impotent. Only a supernatural
Power could equip that group of hum
BILE GalileanS for their world winning
work.
The Tale of the Tongues.
How it all came about ten days after
the Ascension of Jesus, is told by that
peerless reporter. DR.. Luke. l quote a
modern translation of the Greek:
/ In the course of the Harvest
Thanksgiving day the disciples had all
met together, when a noise like that
of a strong wind coming nearer and
nearer and nearer suddenly came
from the sky, and filled the whole
house in which they were sitting. Then
they saw tongues of what appeared to
be flame, separating, so that one set
tied on each of them: and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit, and
began to speak with strange tongues
as the Spirit prompted their utter
ances.
There were then staying in Jeru-
salem religious Jews from every
country in the world; and when this
sound was heard, numbers of people
collected, in the greatest excitement
because each Of them heard the dis
ciples speaking in his own language.
They were utterly amazed, and kept
saying in their establishment:
Why, are not all these Galileans
who are speaking! How is it that
native language? Some of us are
Parthians, some Modes, some Elam-
ties; and some of us live in Mesopo-
tamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in
POntus and Roman Asia, in Phyrgia
and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the dis
tricts of Libya adjoining Cyrene;
some of us are visitors from Rome
either Jews by birth or converts, and
some Cretans and Arabians-yet we
all alike hear them speaking in our
tongues of the great things God has
done Every one was utterly amazed
and bewildered.
What does it mean?' they asked
each other. But others said with a
! sneer: They nave had too much
new wine"
The Sensational Start.
A great beginning had the Church
| While the event was startling and
sensational to the last degree, there
are certain permanent factors to be
traced in it 1t fell on Pentecost. the
harvest festival, fifty days after the
Resurrection. A coincidence? Gods
clocks all strike in tune. This great
sign" was given while the city was
full of Observation-Disclosures Jews from
the whole known world.
1t was to a united body of believers
that the wonder was granted: the
children's unity is ever the Fathers
opportunity Pentccost enwraps the
vision of one Church met with one ac-
cord.
The visitation came Suddenly" we
may always expect uneXpectedness of
God. He proceeds according to his
programme that Eye hath not SEEN
nor ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart Of man. the things
which God hath prepared for them
that love Him.
There came a sound from heaven,
Gods sandings are all from above,
where He has unirra gined reservoirs
of blessings. Christianity is a traffic
between two worlds. We have been so
busy with the greater wonders of Pen
tecOst that we have overlooked the
marvel Of the Sound of a rushing
mighty wind" with no evidences of
the wind itself.
The Tongues of Fire.
Upon each head in that mystified
company of disciples there settled a
Quivering tongue of fire, seemingly
sOurceless yet exhaustless. Men and
women, young and old, all were
adorned by this trembling flame,
strangest of all coronets.
Most ancient of religious symbols,
the fire spoke to the infant Church
of purity ard power and of service. If
some of US had Deen equipping those
first disciples we should have given
them tongues of honey. God, who
knew that only by blazing, burning.
quenchless tongues could the Good
News be procla.m med, bestowed the
symbol of fire. Down to our own day,
the men who have preached prevail
ingly have been the fearless men with
tongues of fire.
All these strange signs were but
evidences of the new enducement with
the Holy Spirit Fortunately, the
Church is dropping the archaic word
Ghost" which does not mean what
it did when the King James Version
was written; but rather conveys an
impression of the ghostliness which
has no true association with the per-
sonality of the Paraclete. Pentecost
marks the en6uement of the Church
with the power of the Holy Spirit,
who is the alter ego" of Christ.
A homely lesson-but the one Of
greatest importance-underli the
phenomenon of the Spirit-fiIIed
Church's speaking with strange
tongues IT is that Christians sbo,1Id