Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-01-07
DIR. MARION MICH. HULL.

THOR ten days the disciples waited
in the upper room in obedience
to their Masters command, for
the promise of the Father, the gift OF
the Holy Spirit Mosaic law required
that on the fiftieth day after the presen-
tation of the Passover offering, the
Feast of Weeks was celebrated by the
presentation of two barley loaves, which
represented the first fruits of the har-
vest. Jesus was seen during forty days
after His death and resurrection, ana
when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, on the fiftieth day after he had
been presented as the. Passover offering,
God gave the Holy Spirit, and through
Him the 5000 were won into the church
that day, the first fruits of the great
harvest which was to come during the
years that were to follow.
WAITING AND WITNESSING.
With one accord, in one place, and in
obedience to their Master, they were in
n receptive mood. God could give them
the Spirit under those circumstances.
Had there been discord, had there oeen
disobedience, the conditions would not
have been such that the Spirit could
have been given in His fullness. sud
denly they heard a sound, ana slgnt
greeted their eyes! 1t seemed as II
some mighty wind was blowing in the
parting asunder were resting upon each
one of them. There was really no wind,
nor was there any fire. These were out
the physical manifestations of what mad
occurred That something was the ue-
scent from heaven of the Holy spirit
of God; the third Person in the TRINITY
who could only come after Jesus went
back into heaven, and whose coming
made possible the abiding presence or
he rf
God in human form could be present
in only one place at time, but God In
the Spirit can be in every heart all the
time This was the birthday OF the
church. This began new dispensat1on
a new age, which shall continue until
the bride of Christ shall have been
gathered out and made ready Tor the
Bridegroom's coming, and until until
that has been effected will the Holy
Shirt leave the earth He is here to-
day in Just as great fullness as He was
on that day He has never been With
drawn. He is seeking to gain entrance
into your heart, to make your lire all
that God intended it to be, to be your
guide and your strength, your helper,
the revealer of truth to you, your con-
slant companion, the one VINO walks
alongside to help you when the road Is
rough. that you may know how to go
comforted when discouraged; and that
YOU may daily grow into the likeness or
Christ who is the image of God. IL
YOU are not experiencing in your life
the blessedness which comes from the
abiding presence of the Holy Spirit 1t Is
not Gods fault. He has made the gift
it is your fault for not taking 1t. IL
YOU choose to live in poverty when the
wealth of heaven is at your disposal
may possess all of the riches of God II
you will.
When the spirit came on those 12O
disciples. they were enabled to do the
thing that was most needed at that
time. There were in Jerusalem men
from every nation. They had come TO
Jerusalem at this time as worshippers
| or God to celebrate the feast OF the
Passover and the Pentecost. They spoke
| many languages. In order for them 10
know the fullness of the truth of what
these two feasts meant and which they
| bad been celebrating merely in type,
if was necessary for these 120 disciples
to be able to tell them so that they
could understand. So the holy spirit
enabled them to speak in Languages so
! that every man heard the gospel In his
own language Some have thought that
unless the disciple is able to speak IN
another language than his own native
! tongue. he has not received the gift of
the holy spirit, but the unreasonable
ness of this is very readily seen when
YOU appreciate the reason for the gift
/ Of tongues at this time. Gods spirit
| is given us that we might do the nee
essary thing which we are otherwise
unable to do, and when He comes into
our hearts and controls our lives lie
does enable us to do that. 1t may be
healing; it may be witnessing; 1t r1ay
be working; it may be helping. All of
these are manifestations of the indwell-
ing spirit.
The waiting disciples now were wit
Messing with power, resulting that day
in the salvation of 5000 people, and in
the spreading of the gospel, through
those who were gathered at Jerusalem
| and heard the good news proclaimed in
their own language, to the whole known
world.
| INSULATED, BUT NOT ISOLATED.
Some have felt that the gift of the
holy spirit was only for few, and
indeed it might seem as if their thoughts
were true for in a great number of be-
levers today the holy spirit does not
abide in His fullness. Yet on that day
He was given to every one of these III
His fullness. God intended that every
believer should have the holy spiri4 in
His fullness. AS one has said, Il used