The citizen., 1920-02-19

IE<X anu through uS.
Y " The Bible Is full
Of Illustrations Of
the truth of this statement.
For Instance. spiritual power does
not depend on mans acquired abil.
lty. ms witness Moses. lie was learned
In all the wisdom Of the Egyptians
hut this could not enable him to set
The children ~ Israel free. lie must
spend forty years In the backside of
The desert unlearning much that he
had acquired in the schools Of Egypt
before he was reudy/to be an lnstru-
nent OF Gods power All OF his ac'
qulred ability was useless In bringing
about the plaques which cursed Egypt.
Tor feeding the people IN the wilder
ness and bringing water from the rock.
But. linked with God. he had only 10
speak and the mnnna fell for the us
tennnce Of the people lie had hut to
smlte the solid rock with the rod and
the pure. fresh water came forth.
Learning Alone OF No Avail.
Again. this power il not found In
the learning Of the schools. Witness
the work of Peter. who was an "un-
learned and ignorant man." as far ms
the schools were concerned. He
pgenches with three thousand souiS
saved as the result ~ one sermon. lie
breaches 10 the confusion Of the schol-
arly leaders IN Jerusalem. making them
feel their crime Of numbering Jesus
Christ. Such power belongs not 10
mere learning which men may get.
but unto God, who stands behind a
man yielded 20 him.
Again. this power Is not found In
any special natural aptitude or fitness
of men. Most people think Samson
was giant In his physical develop
ment. They imagine him as a broad
chested, heavy -muscled man, TO whom
/ tents OF physical prowess were rs
nothing. But II such were the case,
the woman Delilah would never ave
inquired wherein lis strength lay.
Rather. Samson was a frail-looking.
effemlnate sort Of man. with his long
hair and soft smooth skin, and the
surprise 10 his enemies and the wom-
an was his supernatural strength when
there was no sign OF II In his make
up. II was Gods power, not sam
sons.
Once more. this power Is not In out
ward equipment. hut inward reliance
upon God. When Goliath came forth
TO meet David. he had all the outward
equipment and physical power to con
quer an army. David had none Of
this. but was n mere slip OF boy.
with sling and stone to match Go
liath's sword and shield. But the
event proved that an arm and hand
yielded to and directed by God were
mIghtier than the power OF the man
who by his very presence. so terri.
BILE was II. could make an army quake.
Again. there are those who think
that great numbers will accomplish
the Lords work. hut the story Of Gid
con and his small hand refutes this
Idea. As In GldeOn's case, large mum
hers sometimes tend only To steal away
the power and make human effort I'm
potent. Power. real power. belongeth
unto God. II works all unseen and
waits for the one who will obey. The
measure of the Christians obedience
will be the measure Of that Christians
power. The question Is not how much
natural or acquired ability Is pos
sessed. not how much outward equip
ment Is at hand. not how great the
number present, hut how far will they
obey7
The Power Of the Spirit.
Zecharah the prophet. says the
Lords work Is done mot by might nor
h, power. hut by my Spirit. saith thu
Lord" Jesus says the things "impos-
slhle with man are possible with God"
lie does not say they are possible to
God. that Is a self-evident fact. hut
he says they are possible with God
, Things impossible with man, linked
though he may he with all the natural
or acquired ability In the world with
all the learning and wisdom OF the
world. become not only possible but
easy Of accomplishment to the man
who is linked With God. And the hold
ing. binding and unchanglng link over
which Gods power runs Is simple ohedi-