Full of Faith and Full of The Holy Spirit

J H Schilling 

"IF there is anywhere a man under the sun who should observe the words 'pray without ceasing,' it is the Christian minister." 

"If you as a minister are not a real praying man, then you are to be pitied."

"We grow, we thrive strongly and mightily if we are much in the chamber of prayer."

"The prayer chamber is the best study." 

"Prayer is a crane whereby heavy truth can be lifted." 

"It is through prayer that the Gospel minister becomes full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way to power and efficiency in the ministry. It was the way Christ took, and all the holy men of the past and of the present. '' 

 "The way to the pentecostal blessing in Jerusalem was a ten-days' season of prayer mingled with making wrong right, confessing sins to one another. Peter confessed to John, John to Peter, so that finally, when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." The result of this we know. The Holy Spirit came upon them "as a rushing mighty wind".... "and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Peter began to explain the situation. Without doubt he spoke with a deep and powerful conviction. "Now when they [the people] heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' " Peter answered them very decidedly, and the result was the conversion of 3,000 souls in one day—a most remarkable work of a Spirit-filled heart, also of a Spirit-filled sermon. This was the first wonderful result in the beginning of the Christian era of the fullness of faith and of the Holy Spirit in the soul. 

Peter (filled with the Holy Spirit) said unto them: "Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known.....that by the name of Jesus Christ....doth this man stand here before you whole." There was a wonderful definiteness in the words of Peter. It was the result of the fullness of power in his soul. His examiners were surprised to hear him speak. They wondered how it was possible for him to speak in such a way knowing that he was only a fisherman by trade. He was released. He had gained the victory. 

Another result of the fullness of faith and of the Spirit was a certain boldness in answering the judges when "both Peter and John said: "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." There was no fear or compromise in these words. Shall we have this power, too, brethren? What would be the result? Would the result not be greater success in our ministry and in soul-winning and soul-saving work? 

Then we find these brethren relating a wonderful experience to the rest of the believers who at once instituted another prayer service. Part of the prayers that were sent up to God at this meeting were as follows: "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word." "When they had prayed,the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word with boldness." 

This was the second filling. The results were marvelous: "Believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." Do you think, brethren, that we too, could have such success if we were full of faith and the Holy Ghost? Is it not written that such experiences could have been the lot of God's people all through the centuries if the fullness of faith and of the Spirit in the church had been faithfully encouraged? Why do we have such little fruit? 

The apostles admonished : "Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost.....and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost," also others who possessed the same fullness of power. Great wonders and miracles were done by these men; powerful sermons were delivered such as the learning of Judaism could not gainsay. It of course meant death for the men, but, on the other hand, a mighty progress and growth to the Christian church. May we not get this power? Shall we not see heaven open as Stephen did? God grant it. 

GOD reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.—"Desire of Ages," page 123.