3 minute read
Alberta Adventist News June Issue
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
I’m eagerly looking forward to our Alberta Camp Meeting this year! Our theme for this 50th Anniversary Celebration is, “But By My Spirit Saith the Lord.” Please join me in praying for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit at our upcoming Camp Meeting.
We’ve been told, “Christ, the Great Teacher, had an infinite variety of subjects from which to choose, but the one upon which He dwelt most largely was the endowment of the Holy Spirit. What great things He predicted for the church because of this endowment. Yet what subject is less dwelt upon now? What promise is less fulfilled?” (1 Selected Messages, p. 156)
Years ago, there was a young man who wanted to become a great philosopher. So he went, one day, to a philosopher who was considered to be truly great. He told the philosopher of his desire. “Well,” the man replied, “if you want to be a great philosopher, just stay with me. Watch me. Go where I go. Do what I do. Say what I say.” So, the young man became the philosopher’s apprentice. He watched him carefully. He went where the man went. He did what the man did.
He said what the man said. One day, the philosopher walked out into a lake. The young fellow thought this was a little strange, but he followed. They waded out into the water until it was almost chest deep. Then the philosopher suddenly grabbed his apprentice, thrust his head under the water, and held it there. At first the young fellow didn’t resist. He just held his breath. He wasn’t certain what the philosopher was doing. But when he began to run out of air, he started to struggle. He fought to free himself, but the philosopher held him tighter. It seemed that he was trying to drown the young man!
Finally, the apprentice pushed with all his might against the philosopher, and managed to break free. He jumped up and gasped for that life-giving breath of air. After catching his breath, he yelled in anger, “Why did you do that?! I could have died!!” The old man replied calmly, “Until you want to be a great philosopher as much as you wanted that breath of air, you will never be a great philosopher.”
Friend of mine, are you hungry to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Please join me in praying that the Spirit of God will be poured out with power at Camp Meeting. Jesus promised, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13 NIV)
Jeff Potts President Alberta Conference
