"Filled with the Holy Spirit."
WHEN Queen Victoria was celebrating her fiftieth year as queen of England, everyone wanted to do her honor. All kinds of gifts were given to her from the people of her realm. Among these gifts was one that she admired very much. It was a gift from the papermakers of London — a box of very fine writing paper for the queen's letters. She liked the gift so well because she was told that this fine paper had been made from dirty rags that had been picked up in the gutters of London. When she was told this the queen said, "Only a master workman could have changed such lowly rags into such fine paper."
Something like that happens to our souls when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Look at the change in the Apostles. He came upon them as parted tongues of fire and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were cowards, hiding behind locked doors before He came. After He came they rushed out to proclaim to everyone the wonderful works of God.
While the three Persons in one God are equal, yet each has His special work. The special work of the Father is creation; of the Son redemption. The special work of the Holy Ghost is to make us holy. He fills our souls with His grace and they become wonderful, just as the master workman was able to take rags from the London gutters and make them into beautiful paper for the queen to write upon. Our souls, so selfish, so proud, so fickle, He can take them, fill them with His grace, and make them new and bright and precious.
We should always have the greatest reverence and love for the Holy Ghost. Just because He is mentioned third in the Trinity does not mean that He should be neglected. We are His special care. He broods over our souls as the hen does over her chickens. He calls us back with His gentle inspirations when we have wandered too far away. His whisperings are like the song of the nightingale which pierces our ears, even though the bird itself remains unseen. From the beginning to the end of our spiritual life, He is beside us watching and guiding. | Dedicate your studies to Him. Pray to Him for light for your mind. Dedicate your hearts to Him. Dedicate! your whole lives to Him, so that He can take the rags of your life, and make them pure and white, ready for the finger of God to write upon.
- Heirs of the Kingdom, Imprimatur 1949 -
WHEN Queen Victoria was celebrating her fiftieth year as queen of England, everyone wanted to do her honor. All kinds of gifts were given to her from the people of her realm. Among these gifts was one that she admired very much. It was a gift from the papermakers of London — a box of very fine writing paper for the queen's letters. She liked the gift so well because she was told that this fine paper had been made from dirty rags that had been picked up in the gutters of London. When she was told this the queen said, "Only a master workman could have changed such lowly rags into such fine paper."
Something like that happens to our souls when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Look at the change in the Apostles. He came upon them as parted tongues of fire and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were cowards, hiding behind locked doors before He came. After He came they rushed out to proclaim to everyone the wonderful works of God.
While the three Persons in one God are equal, yet each has His special work. The special work of the Father is creation; of the Son redemption. The special work of the Holy Ghost is to make us holy. He fills our souls with His grace and they become wonderful, just as the master workman was able to take rags from the London gutters and make them into beautiful paper for the queen to write upon. Our souls, so selfish, so proud, so fickle, He can take them, fill them with His grace, and make them new and bright and precious.
We should always have the greatest reverence and love for the Holy Ghost. Just because He is mentioned third in the Trinity does not mean that He should be neglected. We are His special care. He broods over our souls as the hen does over her chickens. He calls us back with His gentle inspirations when we have wandered too far away. His whisperings are like the song of the nightingale which pierces our ears, even though the bird itself remains unseen. From the beginning to the end of our spiritual life, He is beside us watching and guiding. | Dedicate your studies to Him. Pray to Him for light for your mind. Dedicate your hearts to Him. Dedicate! your whole lives to Him, so that He can take the rags of your life, and make them pure and white, ready for the finger of God to write upon.
- Heirs of the Kingdom, Imprimatur 1949 -
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