Magyar Egyház, 2005 (84. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2005-04-01 / 2. szám

MAGYAR EGYHÁZ

3. oldal

The Holy Spirit

In many people’s minds there is a vagueness about the Holy Spirit. When they read of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove upon Jesus at the time of his baptism, some people began to regard the Holy Spirit as a “mythological pigeon”. Or, in the story of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit seems to be associated with flames of fire, rushing wind, and speaking in unintelligible tongues. These things are so foreign to normal Christian experience that, if they are the marks of the Holy Spirit, most of us are like some persons of Paul’s day who had “not so much as whether there be any Holy Spirit”. (Acts 19:2.)

The Holy Spirit is found in many parts of the Bible. In the Old Testament, he is a power occupied doing God’s work and God’s will. In the story of Creation, “And the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters”. (Genesis 1:2.) The prophets felt that they did their work under the direction of the Spirit. The psalmist pleaded, “do not take your holy Spirit from me”. (Psalm 51:11.) But it is in the New Testament that the idea of the Holy Spirit is more fully developed. He is peculiarly related to Jesus and is seen at work in those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He continues and guides the work of Christ. He is the power of God in Christ actively at work. “But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power”. (Acts 1:8.) Through him miracles are performed. The Holy Spirit selected Barnabas to work with Paul, and told them where to go. He fortified sound judgment “The Holy Spirit and we had agreed...” (Acts 15:28.) He even said no upon occasion, “... because the Holy Spirit did not let them preach the message in the province of Asia.” (Acts 16:6.)

There are several ways in which this Holy Spirit can be seen at work today. He is God at work in each of us. When a person takes Jesus Christ as his Lord, the Holy Spirit comes to direct his life in new and better ways. Haven’t you heard the Spirit calling you to new paths of love and service ? Has he not guided you in judgment, lifted up your heart when you were downcast ? Has he not made it possible for you to fulfill responsibilities which seemed too great for you, or closed your lips when unkind words were about to come out ? Has he not made it possible for you, a person of few talents, to say a good word for Jesus Christ, or to teach the love of Christ to little children ? No dove or flame of fire may have appeared, but the experiences have been just as real.

The Holy Spirit as the power of God in Christ at work can be found in the world at large. God does not leave the world to flounder along by itself anymore than he leaves individuals to live and die by themselves. He is always at work in the world through the Holy Spirit. You can see this in forces which move across the face of the world like “the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees” (II Samuel 5:24.) - the emancipation of the serf, the Protestant Reformation, the freedom of slaves, the coming of democracy, the independence of subject peoples, the rising demand for the basic necessities of life for all, the burning desire of all peoples for peace. The course of history is directed by God, through the Holy Spirit working in people and movements.

The Holy Spirit is God at work in the life of the Church, the whole company of the followers of Christ. Wherever the Church is strong, it is because of the Spirit. Wherever the Church is weak, it is because of lack of him. The Holy Spirit must have been present is the Church across the centuries, or it could never have survived the heresies, corruption, narrow-mindedness, weak ministers and half-hearted members with which it has been afflicted. The Church may seem like a weak reed in a gusty world, yet God chooses “the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty”. (I Corinthians 1:27.) That is possible because the Holy Spirit helps them to be great.

The Holy Spirit moves with all his “quickening powers” on human hearts, on our world and on the Church.

Born on the 4th of July

A DAY OF OUR INDEPENDENCE

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,

Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free! It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

2.Corinthians 3:17.