Full Impartation of the Spirit

When the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost, it was like a rushing, mighty wind. [The Spirit] was given in no stinted measure; for it filled all the place where the disciples were sitting. So will it be given to us when our hearts are prepared to receive it.

Let every church member kneel before God, and pray earnestly for the impartation of the Spirit. Cry, “Lord, increase my faith. Make me to understand Thy word; for the entrance of Thy word giveth light. Refresh me by Thy presence. Fill my heart with Thy Spirit that I may love my brethren as Christ loves me.”

God will bless those who thus prepare themselves for His service. They will understand what it means to have the assurance of the Spirit, because they have received Christ by faith. The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means that sin is taken away, and that the vacuum is filled with the Spirit. It means that the mind is divinely illumined, that the heart is emptied of self, and filled with the presence of Christ. When this work is done for church members, the church will be a living, working church.

We are to seek most earnestly to be of one mind, of one purpose. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, and nothing less, can bring us to this place. Let us by self-renunciation prepare our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit that a great work may be done for us, so that we can say, not “See what I am doing,” but “Behold the goodness and love of God!” …

We may talk of the blessings of the Holy Spirit, but unless we prepare ourselves for its reception, of what avail are our works? Are we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward the mark set before us—the perfection of His character?—The Review and Herald, June 10, 1902.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 318
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for E and children. R
—-My family are sick with a virus. The cough is horrendous. Lord heal us to Thine honor and glory. Also my cousin Cheryl had her hip replaced a couple weeks ago. She now had to have it redone and has sepsis. God I’m praying for Cheryl’s complete healing as Thy will. Thanks for praying. Debra
—-Prayers for my mother in law who is in the hospital and to be (or has been) sent to a sister in law’s home for hospice care. Her kidneys are shutting down and she cannot have dialysis. She is also 91. Aleta
—-Please pray that God will give me the strength to do the things that I need to do. My life is so hard. Thank you so much for your prayers. Connie
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Dear Friends,

Some years ago, when Ronnie Jay came home after college, he got cable television so he could watch his favorite channels. We all found a few favorite programs that we enjoyed as well. On one such program, it showed the experience of people who had bought homes that had been built long ago. Most were built in the 1800’s or slightly before or after that time period.

As the people remodeled their homes, they found such interesting items hidden in the walls or some long-forgotten nook or cranny. These items started the new owners on a search for information about the house’s original inhabitants. Sometimes the search revealed that some long-ago person had sins to hide and had secreted the evidence where they thought no one would ever know. Yet, years later they were being broadcast to the world.

So it is with us today. We may try to hide our sins, but they do not stay hidden long. Sometimes circumstances cause our sins to be evident fairly quickly, sometimes they are not known until the time Jesus spoke of in Luke 12:2, 3: “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

As we view our life and think of all of the things we have done that we do not what to have proclaimed to all, our hopes sink. We exclaim in sorrow, as did David, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. . . .Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Ps 37:4; 51:1-12

Praise God! We can get the forgiveness we need! He assures us, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” Isa 44:22 What a wonderful Saviour! “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps 103:10-14

May we remember to “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecc 12:13, 14 May we heed Solomon’s words that we may be ready for that day, “he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Prov 28:13 May we be ready for that great examination day when our names come up in the judgment is my prayer.

Rose