Magyar Egyház, 1969 (48. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1969-05-01 / 5. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 times past, or in the age of the apostles when the Holy Spirit made many signs and wonders. Some even regard the church as outdated and antiquated. But no matter what the critics say as to why we are weak, can we say that it is the fault of the Holy Spirit? If we are negligent in our prayers, can we blame God's Spirit? No, instead of blaming someone else, we should turn to our Heavenly Father with humble penitence and ask Him to send to us His gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us not blame the world either for the faults and failures of man. There always were people who lived in sin and committed violence, and knew war, misery and poverty. But what causes all these? Certainly not the Spirit of God, but man’s disobedience and rebellion against law and order of Almighty God. In our churches, let us turn to our Lord God and ask Him for the pouring out of His Spirit upon people everywhere. Let the Spirit of the Lord bring new zeal into the hearts which are weary, new fire where the old burned out. Come all who are faint and weary and God will give you strength. Just walk in the Spirit of the Lord; He will be with you forever. Tibor Toth: REQUIREMENTS OF GOD A Message for Pentecost Micah 6:8 The prophet Micah observed the rulers and people of his time trying to win hack God’s favor. And he questioned, “What shall I give the Lord my God? Burnt offerings of fat calves; a thousand rams; ten thousands of rivers of oil; my first horn son, the fruit of my body?” The prophet knew that a relationship based on such gifts was not what the God of creation wanted from His children. Therefore Micah clearly set forth a powerful answer to the question which should be raised in the lives of all of us, “What shall I give to the Lord, my God?” We are to give God nothing more, nothing less than a positive response and expression of the beautiful relationship which he gives to each of us. Micah says, “God has shown us what is good and what He desires — to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.” To be just means to be fair, to be right in our relationship with our fellowmen. Too often there are people who do what is wrong, but their intentions are really very good. On the other hand, there are many people who do what is right only because they want to stay out of trouble and really have no feeling for the purpose of being just. To do justly is not only to do what is just, but to do it because it is just and with an earnest desire to be right with God. What then is our obligation to be just? A mother is often upset, and feels, “I might be better off without having it done,” when a grumbling teen-ager finally carries out a task after a severe argument. Those who receive their rights from a grumbling, a reluctant giver often feel the same way. That is why God asks us not only that we do justice, but that we also love mercy and kindness as well. Pity is not the same as mercy. We can feel sorrow or pity for someone without expressing mercy. We even have pity toward our enemies. The statement is made, “He had it coming to him, but it is a pity he has to experience it.” This is not an expression of mercy. Mercy implies an identification with a man and his situation, a willingness to take his place if it were possible and suffer for him. But since that cannot be done, at least to take his hand. A man can be a morally upright person and still not have mercy in his heart. In fact, he can be as upright as a marble column and be just as cold and hard. God also asks, that we walk humbly with Him through each day of life. The word walk says a great deal about our relationship with our Creator. You do not walk with a stranger. Today you do not dare. You walk with a friend or a loved one, and that is what God wants with us. He deserves more than a nod of the head, a mere acknowledgement of His existence. He wants more than our belief in Him as an infinite power. He wants and deserves our faith and trust in Him on a personal basis. It is not always easy to follow the directive of God to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. Too often our own selfish interests and desires get in the way and block communication, and God realizes this. This is why the Holy Spirit was sent to the lives of men on that first Christian Pentecost. In the Upper Room on their own, those disciples were a terrified, cowardly group. However, when the Spirit of the living God came upon them and they responded, they became a powerful band of committed witnesses, and they went forth and boldly proclaimed the truth of God in Christ. Christianity makes it possible for a man to give himself to God in a positive relationship based on justice and mercy. The Holy Spirit working in us shows us how. The relationship with Almighty God, our Creator, should be the most prized possession of our lives. Face the future with confidence in the power of His Spirit working in your lives, helping you give the Lord what He wants from you: to do justice and to love mercy in your everyday dealing with your fellowmen, and to walk humbly each day with God, your personal Friend.
