Magyar Egyház, 1969 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1969-05-01 / 5. szám
10 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ MAGYAR CHURCH Bishop Dezső Ábrahám: WALK IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD Micah 2:7 There is too much turmoil and trouble in the world today: warfare and bloodshed in Africa and Asia, rebellions in South America, insecurity and mistrust in Europe among nations and individuals alike. If we look around in our nation, there is much to he concerned about, with the racial problems growing out of proportion, the crisis in schools and on college campuses and the many questions of our everyday life waiting to be solved. More and more voices are raised within the church and interested members see the problems mounting every year. Those who easily criticize can point out what is wrong with our Christianity and point towards the way of a new Reformation. Outward customs and empty ceremonies are not enough for our time. Christians must live the life of the disciples of our Lord, and walk in the spirit of God Almighty. The first disciples of Christ were timid and weak and lost without the blessing of the Holy Spirit, but after the Spirit of God descended upon them, they became fearless heroes of the cross, full of zeal and new enthusiasm for the cause of Christ, their Master. If there is any problem in our church today, if there is any need for new vitality and vigor, we must turn to God and ask His Spirit to be poured out upon young and old, for only the Holy Spirit can quicken our churches and lead us in our Christian endeavors. 1. There are many today who do not believe in God, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, who are all united to quench the Spirit of the Lord Almighty. I would like you to read the prophecy of Micah and notice there the people who were freethinkers and free-wheelers. They agreed that they did not like the prophets and their message from God. They simply did not want to hear God’s word and could not tolerate it. It is recorded that they told God’s prophets: “Prophecy ye not!” For the servants of the Lord spoke against the sins of the time and rebuked the citizens and leaders alike. To such men and women of society, the text poses the question: “Is the spirit of the Lord straitened by you?” “Otherwise, do you think, o ye men who live today and die tomorrow, that you will straiten out the spirit of the Lord?” The question is, can human persecutions, dictators, emperors and godless systems quench the Spirit of the Lord? Can anyone silence the church of our Savior? It is possible to kill men in one country and oppress Christians in another temporarily, hut the Spirit of the Lord is free, He can revive the slumbering and fill with new life the dying and grant zeal to the weary. As Pentecost comes and goes, Christians should pray: Come, Holy Spirit, and fill our hearts and churches with new power and zeal! 2. The people in the time of Micah liked some prophets and disliked others. They tried to straiten the Spirit of God by letting their favorite ones speak and silencing the others. Certainly, we can see, that there is nothing new under the sun, and today we have similar problems; people favor some servants of the Master and despise others. Who cannot recognize the same problem in our age? You hear about ministers who clown like actors in the circus promoting all kinds of diverse laughter and other entertainments. But do not be misled by any modern substitute for the gospel. God still speaks through his servants regardless whether men like it or not, He speaks to the illiterate and educated alike, He fills the hearts with His Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is free as the wind, and it blows whenever it will and waits for no man, neither can it be straitened by men. May God save His children from the habit of listening only to prophets who utter favorable messages. Rather, you should pray in this Pentecost, that God should send His Spirit upon all people that they may endure the trials, undergo the cares and become victorious over sin and death! 3. Let me ask you the question, whose fault is it, then, that the Spirit of God is not so powerful in our Christian world today, that the Christian Church is not so active in our time, that there are many problems in Christianity? Some point their finger at the church and say, it is her fault that we have so many problems and unanswered questions. It is true that the church seemed to lose its importance and vigor and congregations are not as filled with life as in
