“Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”—Acts 1:8
This is the first of a series of messages from the book called “The Acts of the Apostles.” My purpose is not that we should study the early missionary career of the church of the New Testament, but that we should discover the secret of her power. From many angles this book is of great value to us. It has a historical value because, as a book of history, it is authentic, but as such it is merely a fragment.
There are multitudes of sins from which we would flee as we would flee from Satan himself: those more obvious and crude, with which any true believer will have no part. Unfortunately, there are other kinds of sins that seem not quite as recognizable, which are in some ways more destructive and dishonoring to Jesus Christ than some of the so-called sins that are easily recognized.
The sin that we are talking about just now is that sin of fretful anxiety, of untrusting care: the sin that we are not afraid to commit. And we have the mistaken notion that …
I want to talk to you about “The Fight for Light” and I take two peculiar texts that came to me in reading over a passage in Exodus. They are in the tenth chapter of Exodus, the twenty-first and twenty-third verses. These two verses bring forth a very miraculous fact:
“Stretch out thine hand toward Heaven,” the Lord says, talking to Moses, “that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt—even darkness which may be felt.”
Then the twenty-third verse:
“They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days—but all the children of …
(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of February 29, 1920; 1 Peter 2:1–5, 11–12; 19–25)
“Laying aside.” How necessary is this first step in Christian living. Many people quote another part of the Scripture that says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” but they forget the words of that injunction, which are, “Submit yourselves to God.” Now before there can be Christian living there must be a laying aside. How few Christians consider this cleaning up that is necessary, this pruning that must take place, this going down before there comes the going up and the bearing of …
(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of February 1, 1920, Acts 8:4–39)
“Scattered abroad.” This sounds like a calamity; but what looks like a calamity to the world is God’s method of sowing the seed. Men who knew nothing about seed would say the farmer is throwing it away as he reaches into his bag and scatters it abroad; but it will come up if it die and bear much fruit. Persecution has always been followed by power in the Church. They put Jesus to death, but fifty days from His death one hundred and twenty were filled with Him and …
(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of February 8, 1920, Acts 9:32–43)
“Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.”
The Acts of the Apostles might be called also “The Acts of the Risen and Seated Christ,” or, “The Acts of the Holy Spirit.” The things which Jesus had done as He walked on Earth are in this lesson done through faith in Him since the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. It is the same Jesus who is working, the same Jesus who is able to heal today; for He is “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”
“My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”—Psalm 73:26
Among the many wonderful things in the book of Psalms, there is nothing in my mind more wonderful than the fact that this book is such a transparent account of the inner dealing of a soul with God. You have history books and prophetic books in the Bible, but here you have a book which just seems to draw the veil aside to let you see something of the inner conflict of the spirit as the man talks with God. This …
(Excerpts from an address delivered at Watch Night meeting at the [Moody] Tabernacle by Mrs. J.D. Williams of C. & M.A. Bible School, St. Paul)
“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”—Philippians 4:6
Just two thoughts stand out in this verse for us in these few moments as we look into the Word: BE CARE FREE: BE PRAYER FULL. I believe as you have gone on in your Christian life you have found that nothing hinders prayer so much as anxiety; fretting and anxious care. Then, …
None of the Above: When There is No Candidate You Want to Support
“What do you do when you cannot support either candidate in an election?”
This question came after a lecture I gave on the history of freedom of religion in Europe and the United States. It’s a question I’ve been asked many times in recent months. Of course, I’m sure the questioner was thinking of the presidential election, but his question also applies to other political races where we might be tempted to simply sit out the election and say, “No thanks. None of the above.”
(Helpful to Sunday School Lesson of February 22, 1920, Acts 12:1–19)
“Was kept in prison.” How wonderful is the contrast between these words and the words in the 9th verse, “And he went out.”What a contrast of power is here. In the first place poor little puny government officials, needful as they are, honored as they must be by every Christian and obeyed as God has commanded them to be, yet how little is their power when God says, “Open the door and let them out.” It is so with every door that shuts against us. We are under …
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