Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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1:
Vol.
Los Angeles, Californi&, August 26, 1909 No.9
"flhe 3hall ever be burning the altar; it 3hall never go out."
The Perpetual Fire.
''The fire shall ever be burning upol). the altar.''
The fire that God lights He can keep burning if we will
not put it out. We believe there are unintentional errors
being widely taught and believed in reference to the real
presence and work of the Holy Ghost. We hear about
"new baptisms,'' ''Baptism for power and service,'' ''new.
fillings," "the baptism of fire," and other such cries,
even among holiness people. As a result of this the peo-
ple are in a mixed-up condition, and are led to believe
: that the Holy Ghost takes Himself away, and has to be
continually recalled for special emergencies and efforts.
Now a careful study of the history of the early church in
the Acts of the Apostles will clearly prove that the Apos-
tles and Church were not constantly receiving new bap-
tisms or fillings of the Holy Ghost, but that their normal
condition was keeping . filled with His holy presence-
sometimes in great manifestations, and at other times in
abeyance- but always ready to be used when He so de-
sired. After the day of Pentecost, when they "were all
filled with the Holy Ghost,'' we read that Peter promised
all that they should "receive the gift of the Holy Ghost".
-a gift is to be retained. When this same Peter stood
before the rulers of the people, he stood there ''filled with
the Holy Ghost." And at a little prayer-meeting which
they held the "place was shaken" because they were "all
filled with the Holy Ghost." When the seven deacons
were chosen, even to ''serve tables,'' they were to be men
"full of the Holy Ghost;" and one of them, Stephen, when
called to answer for his faithfulness with death, '' being
full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into
Heaven.... And then we read that all the churches after
the persecution, walked ''in the comfort of the Holy
Ghost." 0 Pentecostal Nazarenes, the fire must be
"ever burning upon the altar," or we name.
The purpose of God and the promise of Jesus is that the
Holy Spirit "shall abide with us forever," and our part is
to so keep under the blood of cleansing, walking in obedi-
ence with the word, that the Spirit shall not be grieved,
but shall abide in our hearts, glowing, burning, 1llumin-
1ating and making our lives fruitful. In this attitude. of
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abandonment to Him and His control we shall be ready
for Him to use-us at short notice, either in flaming forth a
message through our hearts and lips or in the quieter
ministries of love among the sick or poor. We must cease
wanting to handle the Holy Ghost and have Him do our
b
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idding, but giving Him place in His temple continually,
e will drive us on and push us out and make us luminous