Erős Vár, 1934 (4. évfolyam, 7-15. szám)
1934-05-01 / 8. szám
8-ik oldal. ERŐS VÁR 1934. Májusa fékevesztett önzés vadul ízlel bele az élvezet minden csillogó poharába és eszeveszetten tépdesi minden színes, bóditó virágát. Azért, mint a félelemnek és az önzésnek, úgy a mámornak is csak egy vethet gátat: pünkösd felvirradása, az áldott Léleknek tisztitó tüze. A józanság Lelke térítheti csak észre a vágyak örvényébe kerülteket, amikor a szent Isten színe elé állítja őket és megnyitja füleiket a kérlelhetetlen isteni parancs meghallasára: “Szentek legyetek, mert én, az Ur, a ti Istenetek, szent vagyok!” (3. Móz. 18, 2.) Bünbánatra való józanodásra van szüksége ennek a nemzedéknek, a pünkösdi tűz fellobbanására van szüksége, hogy megemésszen tisztátalanságot, szennyet és ennek hamvaiból diadalmasan támadjjon fel uj élet szentsége. Ezért könyörögjünk meg-megujuló pünkösdért, az erő, a szeretet, a józanság Lelkének mind teljesebben való eljöveteléért! Ezért kívánkozzunk nagy-nagy vággyal a pünkösdi tűz magasralángolása után! Ezért szálljon ma buzgóbban, mint valaha ég felé imádságunk: “Jövel, Szentlélek Úristen! Jövel, oh jövel!” Budákéi' Oszkár. ---------------ooo--------------Bőm üigljt fantwoHt Bappen Again? “They wvre all filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:4 Ezen pünkösdi beszédet Dr. Shoemaker new-yorki lelkész irta az ERŐS VÁR számára. Dr. Shoemaker az amerikai oxfordi mozgalomnak irányi't,ója. Az oxfordi mozgalmat, melyet Dr. Buchman evangélikus lelkész kezdett, az ERŐS VÁR jövő számában ismertetjük. We are remembering now the experience of the early church at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured forth upon all those who were gathered together, assuming visible forms; and from which they went forth in new end hitherto unrealized power to capture the world for Christ. What about Pentecost for us today? Can we possibly experience it again, and how may we fit ourselves for it? It is so easy for us to pass through the Whitsunday with a little meditation about the Holy Spirit, or with a mild increase in appreciation of what He stands for, but yet with none of the characteristic power being generated which was the heart of the original Pentecost, the fire which melted the Christians into unity, and the wind which blew clean through their lives, cleasing and refreshing, and set them out like a blast upon the world about them. It seems highly unlikely that Pentecost could ever come upon a whole communion at once. They cannot be “with one accord in one place”, for this requires time, proximity, cooperation, and fellowship with one another which is impossible upon a wide-spread scale. Pentecost came locally and would have, I think to come locally again. It must come to a relatively small group of Christians, but. this might spread, as it did in the first place,, through undiminishing contagion into other places. So might come the new awakening for which earnest spirits today are fairly panting. It must find us again “of one mind” towards: Jesus Christ. This is not primarily a theological question, I believe, but it has a theological imlication. They belived that Jesus was the divine Son of God and the Saviour of the world, because He had saved them and their companions. There is a section of the church which cannot share in that attitude, and which would therefore block Pentecost. But there are many more of us who are perfectly “sound” on the divinity of our Lord who are not nearly so “sound” when it comes to our own consecration to Him. I heard a man say but a few days ago that he was a Christian in name and a church-officer, but he knew that he was not surrendered to Jesus Christ. That kind of a man short-circuits Pentecost. Christ came first in the Church’s experience, then the Holy Spirit. What are you making of your own relation to Jesus. Christ? How committed are you? For the measure of our commitment to Him is part of the measure of our making Pentecost possible. Again, Pentecost can only come upon a church deeply conscious of its own spiritual need- Is our church like that? Or are we going merrily along, quite content to carry out our man-made, man-executed plans for winning the world, happy if our rolls are increasing and there are sings of outward success? There is only one success for a church, and that is to be making people who think and live like Jesus Christ. Are we like that? And if not, are we ashamed of not being like that? And do we recognize our shame for only a brief moment, and turn again to our old ways, despairing whether there really be any other? I declare my belief that we shall never get Pentecost into the church till we get penitence first, penitence for our worldliness, for our easy imitation of a strenuous Gospel, for doing so many things and getting so few lives changed, penitence for our spurious success! No church will wait long enough on God to receive the Holy Spirit which has not first searched its own soul and repented of its unChristly ways. And again, Pentecost must come only upon a church which is in the world and not of it, which
