Can you imagine that in a time of urgency to go and teach all nations and hasten the coming of Christ, Jesus told His disciples to wait? “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). We also need to understand during our urgency the need to wait. “We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today. Moral darkness, like a funeral pall, covers the earth. All manner of false doctrines, heresies, and satanic deceptions are misleading the minds of men. Without the Spirit and power of God it will be in vain that we labor to present the truth.”3

But why wait? There is a clear correlation between the return of Jesus and the preaching of the gospel into all the world. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14). Therefore, why wait? What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit? We are going to focus on only a couple of points as the rest of this special edition will cover more of them.

1. What is it that brings conviction to a soul? “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8, NKJV). Without the work of the Holy Spirit to convict or convince someone that they are sinners in need of a Savior, we can preach all we want and nothing will happen.

2. We need the Holy Spirit because He is to give us special gifts from God. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; . . . But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Corinthians 12:7, 8a, 11). We are in need of all these gifts in the church in order to accomplish the work of evangelism in a balanced way.

3. It is also true that they needed to wait to be “endued with power from on high.” The Holy Spirit would give them Divine power by their partaking of Christ’s nature. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). And what happens when we partake of the divine nature? What are we privileged to witness as we marvel at God’s grace? “Through cooperation with Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they are enabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence.”4

What are these deeds of Omnipotence in this context? They are clearly not human deeds—so humans would not be able to take any credit, as these actions do not actually originate from them.

“All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind. The grace of God enlarges and multiplies their faculties, and every perfection of the divine nature comes to their assistance in the work of saving souls.”5 The deeds of Omnipotence are not for personal aggrandizement. They are for the salvation of souls.

And what action of the soul makes a person a believer? “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). We know that the act of submission brings about conversion. For this reason the devil will never flee until we submit our will to the will of our Creator and Redeemer. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). This saving surrender stems from the genuine belief that Jesus is the Messiah Whom we are to confess.

Now Jesus preached for three and a half years and they could see that He is the Messiah. Why did so many wait till the day of Pentecost? Why were there no mass conversions under the ministry of Christ? They all had the same opportunity as the disciples, and easily could have testified: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). But they did not. Why wait for the disciples to baptize 3,000 on that one occasion and 5,000 on another? (See Acts 2:41; 4:4.)

Why is it that only then were results seen? “The disciples were to begin their work where he had sown the seeds of truth. Multitudes had heard his words, and believed them, but they did not have the moral courage to acknowledge him as their Saviour, lest they should be turned out of the synagogue. When the Holy Ghost was poured out, the seed that Christ had sowed blossomed and ripened into fruit. Courage and hope inspired the disciples, and they were ready to go to the uttermost part of the earth to proclaim a risen Saviour.”6

Jesus was the God/man, as His name signifies: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Divinity needed to touch humanity so “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He had to become man and overcome as a man. “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:16, 17).

In that Divine-human nature He was spotless: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold,…But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18, 19). This means He was sinless and gave us such an example to follow. “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:21, 22). This gives Him the right to be our Intercessor and helper. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

People could see all this in Christ. He showed the way to victory over sin. Why then did they wait? What else did they want to see? People are naturally looking for something scientific—and salvation is no different. “The Bible is God’s great lesson book, His great educator. The foundation of all true science is contained in the Bible. Every branch of knowledge may be found by searching the word of God. And above all else it contains the science of all sciences, the science of salvation. The Bible is the mine of the unsearchable riches of Christ.”7

But what truly defines science? The apostle Paul warned against “science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20)—that is, knowledge that claims to be scientific but lacks genuine foundation. Real science is based on observation, demonstration, and repetition. Scientists document their methods, record each step, and then test whether the process can be repeated with the same outcome. A result becomes truly scientific when another person can follow the same steps under the same conditions and arrive at the same conclusion. In this way, salvation likewise must be more than theory—it must be demonstrable and reproducible in the lives of God’s people.

Jesus demonstrated how to live a holy life. Now that must be reproduced by someone else following exactly that same method. That is what makes the world believe. Theory may be great; we can talk about it and evaluate it all we want. But to reproduce it—that is scientific. And what is being reproduced? Christ showed us that different nationalities, different cultures, different personalities, different mentalities becoming one. “The world needs today what it needed” 2,000 “years ago—a revelation of Christ.”8

That is impossible from a human perspective. What is natural from a human perspective is: “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Luke 21:10). This is not only in war. Just see what happens when there is a soccer match or some other international competition. To be a Christian means exactly what Abraham had to do. “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee” (Genesis 12:1). That would be miraculous—something completely foreign to humanity—and that is the genuine article. That demonstration is where the power of Christianity lies. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). This is what makes a believer. “Harmony and union existing among men of varied dispositions is the strongest witness that can be borne that God has sent His Son into the world to save sinners. It is our privilege to bear this witness. But, in order to do this, we must place ourselves under Christ’s command. Our characters must be molded in harmony with His character, our wills must be surrendered to His will. Then we shall work together without a thought of collision.”9

If we were to receive the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit without understanding this demonstration and reproducing it, the power would be used for wrong intents and purposes. This is the reason why the Early Rain came upon the disciples when they were ready. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1).

Does this oneness mean that we all think alike on every subject? “Many things which have reference to outward forms are not all defined in the Scriptures, but are left unsettled; and personal preferences have often been urged too strongly over these matters. When every item is not in accordance with the practice of some other of the body of believers, let not little variances swell into grievances and cause disunion. The methods and measures by which we reach certain ends are not always precisely the same. We are required to use reason and judgment as to how we shall move. Experience will show what is the fittest course to pursue under existing circumstances. Let not controversy arise over trifles. The spirit of love and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will bind heart to heart, if each will open the windows of the heart heavenward and close them earthward.”10

The root of oneness lies in the act of surrender—fully emptying our vessels. The crucifixion was the most inhumane way to execute someone—always by force. When they were placed on the cross, there was no way out. Your will is gone, your reputation is gone. Your self-respect is gone. It was the worst thing that could happen to anyone. And yet Jesus says: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Yes, that most horrible, inhumane way of execution we are to embrace because it is the very avenue to salvation. It is worth it all. What is death to the world is life and power to the believer. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

We are to embrace that very cross. “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).

“To Paul the cross was the one object of supreme interest. Ever since he had been arrested in his career of persecution against the followers of the crucified Nazarene he had never ceased to glory in the cross. At that time there had been given him a revelation of the infinite love of God, as revealed in the death of Christ; and a marvelous transformation had been wrought in his life, bringing all his plans and purposes into harmony with heaven. From that hour he had been a new man in Christ. He knew by personal experience that when a sinner once beholds the love of the Father, as seen in the sacrifice of His Son, and yields to the divine influence, a change of heart takes place, and henceforth Christ is all and in all.”11 And what happens when we embrace that very cross? “As we lift this cross we shall find that it lifts us.”12

What is this cross? Why is it the centerpiece of true religion? Jesus says: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23, 24). Cross bearing and self denial are one and the same. Many people who deny themselves are no better off than before. That is because we are not speaking here of just any kind of cross bearing. We are to take up the cross of Jesus and make it our own. In other words, we are to unite to Christ in this cross bearing. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). We find that rest for the soul only when we yoke up with Christ and “that yoke signifies entire submission.”13

What naturally happens when we voluntarily surrender to that cross? “He says his yoke is easy, and I believe it. He says the burden is light, and I believe that, too. When you are wearing Christ’s yoke, all your complaining and dissension will cease.”14 This means that the conditions for the Latter Rain are fully met because we are fully empty of self and full of Christ. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

We need power to finish the work given us individually and as a church. “To take His yoke is one of the first conditions of receiving His power.”15 After the crucifixion, the disciples met together for ten days in the upper room and subsequently they were full of power. Why? They were able to replicate the union that Jesus and the Father have in humanity among a group of people that were each vying for supremacy. How? “The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now.”16

Why are we as a church still here after 100 years? Many individuals were faithful to what God had called them to do and now rest in their grave waiting for that special resurrection so that they can hear the everlasting covenant and finally see the Saviour coming in the clouds of heaven.

We are here because another work is to be done—not just individually, but as a church. The disciples had to meet together and unitedly surrender their lives completely to God and to one another, as they had to be empty of themselves and confess to each other. How is that even possible?

“The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God, and as they did this they realized what a privilege had been theirs in being permitted to associate so closely with Christ. . . .

“These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls.”17

Have you emptied your vessel to such a degree that you are willing to forsake everything for the Master’s service? As we go through this special week of prayer commemorating 100 years of our existence as a Movement, may the Lord inspire our hearts to experience the cross personally so that we can unite collectively, have the needed power to finish the work and finally go home to be with our Saviour.