SUNDAY READING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 24 February 1912, Page 6

SUNDAY READING.

POWER. Extract from sermon preached by Rev. R. J. Liddell, in .the Queen Street Primitive Methodist Church. Text: "But ye shall receive power." Act. 1, 8. , Power, that is what we want, that is what we lack, that is what we have got to have. It is the first conscious hunger of an awakened soul. It is the continual prayer of the pastor of every church who has the welfare of his church, and of his people and of his fellows at heart. The self-denying Sunday School teacher toiling on amid discouragement, and apparent failure for the conversion of the boys and girls of the class; every social reformer who in the face of ridicule, slander and misrepresentation stands against the social evils of our day; every Christian man intelligent enough to realise his own relations- to the tumultous energies and treacherous currents of our times, turns his gaze upwards in many an agony of conscious weakness and cries "Oh, God give me power." There is a most pathetic unanimity of confession that the Church has not sufficient power. I do not undertake to define power, to tell you how it comes, and what its sources are, hut on the word of Jesus Christ I dare to say to you people "Ye shall receive power," if that is what you want. Don't go for it unless you want it. It is an awkward thing to have sometimes. But if power is what you want "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." The gift of Christ to the Church is a gift of power, not intellectual power only, though that is not withheld. Nor did he give merely social power, the power usually associated with the idea of kingdom, rule and authority. What is the power then referred to here? Thr power of holiness. So we may know ourselves to be powerful by the measure of our holiness, or weak if our souls do not burn with the ardor of God's own purity. Now let us notice what His power will influence. It will mean for ug POWER IN PRAYER. """"'' That i 3 power with God, a power that prevails. The greatest service anyone can do for God or man is to pray. It it not the only thing, but it is the chief thing. If a man it to pray right he must be first right in his motives and life, and if a man is right in this respect, and puts the practice of praying in the right place, then his serving and giving, and speaking will be fragrant with the pres--1 ence of God. The greatest people of th» 1 earth to-day are the people who pray. Not those who. talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can enter into fine explanations about prayer—but those who take time to pray. These are the people who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving problems, in awak-, ening churches, who are keeping fresh ; and strong those lives in sacrificial ser-; vice away on the foreign field where the j thickest fighting is going on. We do not know them very often. They are among the silent and secluded ones in God's field. The woman who quietly steals into the church service and quietly steals out again. You scarely give her a passing thought, yet she is one who it doing far more for her church, for the world and for God than hundreds of other* who claim attention, and thought, by their loud profession, because she pray*, truly prays, as the Spirit inspires and guides. Now does prayer influence God? No question has becu more discussed. Sceptical men of fine scientific training have with great positiveness said "No," and Christian men of scholarly training and strong faith have with equal positivenesi said "Yes." Prayer does not influence God's purposes we admit, but it does influence His actions. The power of prayer routs Satan. Cowper in his wellknown hymn says truly— Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees. And yet another great poet (Stowell) says:

Oh, whether could we flee for aid When tempted, desolate, dismayed, Or how the hosts of hell defeat Had suffering saints no mercy seat. That was a pathetic incident that transpired at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration. A demon possessed boy is in the hands of the disciples. The disciples had endeavored to cast the demon out, but failed dismally, amid the jeering 0 f the crowd. Then Jesus came upon the scene, perhaps with some of the transfigured glory still upon His face. His presence changed all. At the command of Jeflus the evil spirit left the tormented one, and he was perfectly restored. The question wrings itself out of the disciples "Why could not we wist him out?" and Jesus replied "This kind goetli not out but bv prayer and fasting." Yes praver, real intelligent prayer, is that which routs Satan and his demons, overcomes him, defeats his plans, he cannot successfully stand before it. He trembles when some man of simple faith in God pravs. "More things have been wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." ' POWER IN WITNESSING.

Turn to the, record we have of the Acts of the Apostles and read the gist of Peter's great sermon preached after the miracle at the gate of the Temple. The sermon follows that greater sermon preached by the Apostle on the Day of Pentecost. It is declared that "when the people saw the boldness of Peter and John they marvelled." A great change had come over Peter. A little time before he had declared he never knew Jesus and backed up his lying assertion with oaths and curses. At that time he had not sufficient moral courage to witness for his Master. But now he tells out the story of the cross, and charges the men of Israel with the crime of crucifvingthe Messiah. How do vou account for such • a change? Peter had received power, and that power had enabled him to courageously witness for his Lord. Now turn to the fourth chapter of John's Gospel It is a sort of advance page of the Bonk of Acts—a sample of the power of Pentecost before Pentecost had really arrived. It is the story of a woman. She was ignorant, prejudiced, and without social standing—a woman of evil reputation. But she came in touch with Jesus Uinst, she yielded to that touch and therein lies the secret of what follows. Uiat contact radically changed her- she then went back to her people and 'commenced speaking about Jesus. She could not preach, she simply told plainly and earnestly what she knew and believed about Him. The result was startling A revival began "and many believed on Him because of the word of the woman " She bad received power. Now what Jesiwi did with her He long to do for you *™ fi J r more you will permit Him. , VVny do we lack the power? Because of , timidity, cowardice, fear of what people think or say of us. It may be some of I us are in the same condition spiritually ai Lazarus was physically. We are tied up tightly hands and feet. Some sin some compromise, some hushing of that inner voice, something wrong, some little* thmg you say, as though anything could hj« little that wrong, for sin is never little. POWER IN SERVICE. You will 'observe the power given was to be used. When Jesu* gives vou opportunities He means you to 'use them, when He entrusts you with the custody ot time you must improve it. So this ' power bestowed meant service—advancing with the banner of the cross to Jerusalem, .India. Samaria and +o the uttermost parte of the earth, until there , i was no more ground to he covered, until 1 he men came back again to their own I * Footprints. It is constancv that sur- < prises the world. It is not some great v

brilliant, dashing triumph that strikes consternation in the hearts of beholders. It is that subtle, quiet, imperceptible growth that proceeds day and night that tells in the end. Where there is power there is passion for souls, a passion I say, I can use no weaker word than that. A passion for winning—not driving, or dragging, but drawing men up to God. Paul had this passion and so intense was it that he could wish himself accursed for His brethren's sake. Our great need is this power. A church may be magniflcient, and learned, and rich', and yet 'useless. But if the church is holy, and devout, with one aim, one heart, one speech of love, she would go forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as the army with banners. S. D. Gordon in his "Quiet talks on Power" tells the story of a clogged channel, how the water supply of a town was completely cut off by the insertion of a small plug in the pipe leading to the reservoir. It was not a large plug—just sufficient to fill the pipe —yet the great reservoir of water was kept back by it. When the plup was discovered and removed the water a »ain flowed freely. The writer goes on to ask, "Why is there such a lack of power in our lives? The reservoir up yonder is full to overflowing and the connecting pipes are there. Why then do not the refreshing waters come rushing down? The answer is plain. You know why; there is a plug in the pipe. Something in us clogging up the channel and noth- v mg can get through. How shall we have power, abundant, life-giving, sweetening our wn lives and changing those we touch? Bv getting rid of the thine that is hindering. Then ye shall' receive power and be witnesses for Christ.