McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-01-07
LESSON FOR JANUARY 9
THE COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Nooo eSoSuiu6 uSudHub tuo use vi
the concrete; objective teaching IL
fundamental and essential. The incar
nation is Gods objective teaching
God manifest" (a) tn reveal him
self, John 1879; (b) to lake away sin
! John 3:5; (c) to destroy the works
of the devil, John 3:S. So likewise
Pentecost is great objective lesson
This chapter has been divided as fol
lows: ~ Tho Coming of Power wv
1-13), (2) The Empowered Witness
wv. 1886, (3) A Powerful Result wv
s7-47).
!. Power, IA. At the end of our
last lesson the disciples were In
prayer. The Lords promise Q:5) was
conditioned upon obedience. At las,
the day" arrived (Lev. 23:15-21)
Their hearts were fused and the fun
damental requirement for service, the
baptism of the spirit, came upon them
There has been no need since then to
larry any time at all to receive 9
like blessing. Lack of unity has much
to do with our not receiving the spirit
now and the consequent lack of power
Suddenly from out Of heaven came Q
mighty sound ". p and 1t Is such o
wind that the church needs today
There were three manifestations a,
this time and one other subsequently
(see 2:44, ABA, 35: 5:4). ID Wind
Let US keep clear the difference be
tween symbol and spirit. The mani
festation was "as wind" Wind is mys
FERROUS, universal and mighty, but like
Elijah on the mountain God Is not
alone as a mighty tempest. The
sound filled the whole house. Wind
is figurative Of judgment (Jer. 1922
Hos. 1879 of the Spirit John 3:S),
also of heresy (Eph. 41S). This last
suggests the vagaries and limitations
suggested or abetted by Satan to keep
us from the truth. (2) Fire. This
symbolizes power. light, heat and puri.
flying, but the fire was not the spirit
nor do we recall another such mani.
festation since (3) Tongues. The fire
took the form Of tongues which parted
or portioned themselves out to leach
one Of them" though Peter is alone
subsequently more prominent. The
blessing was individual, each one;'
1t was also for "all;" and was a full
fillment of the fathers promise. This
passage emphasizes that the disciples
were in complete possession, all oil
their faculties being given over to the
spirit. Therefore the absurdity of say
ing that the spirit can only have been
received by those who pass through
q given experience or evidence q
given manifestation. (Read Cor 14)
Every manifestation of the spirit is
always that of some new power for
Christ Il Cor. 14:2-19).
The disciples spake not In their via
dom but as given utterance, so ought
we.
II. PerpIexity, w. 5-13. The ques
tion may arise, had the spirit been
seen before? and the answer is yes
Matt. 3:16, Jno. 1922. What then
was new? The answer to this is the
program of power. The first evidence
Of power was the gathering Of the PEG
pie ". 81. The disciples at once testi
fed to each of the sixteen classes men
toned OLD of the mighty works Of
God" Not of the gift, but the giver
different sort OF testimony than that
given by many who today profess tc
have the gift Of tongues. The second
result was an amazed people, per
plexed," for them as now the world
cannot understand the spirit-filled
man. These spirit-filled men forget
self and were lost In their testimony
". III.
It is of interest to note that they did
not even say much II anything about
the spirit himself. Their testimony
for which many later gave their lives
was regarding Gods mighty work Of
the resurrection of Jesus from the
dead tvv. "a, 32).
The spirit-filled man Is sure to EN-
phasize this mighty work and the evi
dence of the spirit In a mans life IL
his loyalty to crucified, risen and
assembled Lord.
The work of the spirit is thus tc
testify John 1925. 1910.
A third result was that people mis-
understood and charged drunkenness
fact seized upon later by Paul tt
teach us the truth (Eph. 5:18). The
only sure cure for intemperance. Oh
any ether evil, Is an milling of the
holy spirit. The final and complete
fulfiliment of the prophecy (vv. 1921
Joel 2.28, 29) of which Pentecost wa'
a partial fulfillment will be in the DAY
of the Lord" But then, as now. al
who call upon him shall be saved "
10. Rom. 1919. Some Knocked.
even as today ridicule or parody arr
the enemy's choicest weapons. Pente
cost is an event we'll attested, tina
marked the ushering in of new dis
pensation, that was misunderstood, bu
one that can be verified by experience
Pentecost was revelation. a mani
festation of a new spiritual kingdom
distinctly Christian. that exposes siI
and exalts the son.
Pentecost Is a prophecy OF rea
Christian unity. of spiritual admins
tration, of Christ's intercession and al
evidence of an abiding presence.
When we are spirit-illed the LORI
Jesus Christ viii occupy the who'll
horizon OF our experience, our test
mony and will control our service. Tn
spirit-flled servant can exclaim 9TH
Lord (Jesus) is my shepherd" he 1
Lord. he is my shepherd; he Ia. no
has been or will be. but he is my sher
herd.
The gift of the spirit must not b
confused with the spirits gifts" {