The Last Great Conflict

Stephen E. Smith, General Overseer
The Church of God

Lately I have been suffering with some health problems, and at times the suffering has been quite severe. But God’s grace has been with me as sure as it was with Job during the trial of his faith; and, like Job, even in my afflictions I joyfully proclaim, “My redeemer liveth!” I thank God for the many times He has touched me in answer to the prayers of the saints and the pain has quickly subsided, even though I still await complete healing by the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank you, dear ones, for praying for me.
During this time of suffering I reread the following sermon, as was printed in the first chapter of The Last Great Conflict, written by former General Overseer A. J. Tomlinson. This message is not for the faint of heart or the weak-kneed. Those who are still sipping on the milk of God’s Word may have difficulty swallowing this sermon. It is not just meat, but strong meat, and “strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age” (Heb. 5:14). Reading this sermon has inspired my faith and strengthened my resolve to keep my body in the loving hands of God. He still says, “I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Ex. 15:26). My prayer is that this message will take us all to higher ground and on that higher ground we will attain to that faith that moves mountains, casts out devils, heals the sick, and even raises the dead.
Satan is mustering his forces and drafting every man and woman into his service that is possible for him to procure. The smoke of an awful battle is already rising from the battlefield where the skirmishers are engaged. But it is now high time for the regulars to advance with the full equipment of Pentecost and to pour into the ranks of the enemy the shot and shell, grape and canister of gospel truth and power until the roar of the cannons can be heard all over the world as they belch forth with tremendous fury their deadly discharges.
Now while so many are deserting for the want of true godly, and may I say, manly courage, when the battle has barely begun, is the time for the true and noble soldiers to take a bolder stand. Soldiers of a country enlist in the army to obey their commander, get shot and die.
Our Commander is cheering us on and is still sending out the thrilling, soul stirring command to “Go ye...teach all nations...Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
No matter about the fury of the enemy, nor the scary boldness he presents to estrange the weaker ones from their purpose, or the tremendous onslaught he is waging against full Pentecostal teachings, the command still rings out from our all conquering Captain and King—“Go ye!”
“Press the battle” as a slogan or warcry should be taken up by every lover of truth and echoed and re-echoed over every plain and hilltop until those who have had a tendency to compromise healing, tongues, the gifts of the Spirit, etc., will become ashamed, ask forgiveness of their Captain, raise the red flag of war and rush into the battle with a holy zeal such as no people of past history have ever manifested.
We must stand bravely for divine healing according to the Scriptures. Many have weakened because of a failure sometimes to see immediate results. The doctrine of “healing” is true if we all die. We had better obey God and die than disobey Him and live. “...and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection” (Heb. 11:35).
It is one thing to hear of the truth of healing in the atonement and know about it, and rejoice in it while in good health, and another thing to be delivered into the hands of Satan, as was dear old brother Job, and stand true in the test. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life” (Job 2:6). Three worlds are to be convinced that we will stand true in the severest test and the last great conflict with the enemy. The way this test is made is for the devil to settle down upon our bodies in sickness, placing his cruel fangs upon our vitals; and when we pray, or call for the elders of the church and they pray, anoint with oil and lay their hands on according to the Scripture, and we have done perfectly what the Bible says, still obtain no relief from the awful suffering. That was evidently Job’s condition. Although at that time the prescriptions that we now have in Mark and James were not given, but true men of God resorted to Him for healing just the same and used no other remedy.
God had acknowledged Job to be “perfect
and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (Job 1:1). This fact is recorded in not less than three places in the book of Job. Then he was not sick and covered “with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown” because of his disobedience to God, but rather to prove to the devil and millions of inhabitants of the three worlds that a man would stand true to God under a severe and extreme test. Job’s experience is left on record for our benefit.
I was called home from the Bahama Islands (in the spring of 1911), where I was engaged in giving those precious people the gospel of Jesus, on account of the se vere illness of my wife. She had suffered for 24 hours constantly the agonies of death over and over again, and in this awful trial and test, with husband away, she refused every remedy but the Bible way. Eight times she had similar attacks, lasting from 8 to 24 hours. The worst finally came. For about 10 hours we wrestled and fought against demon powers which caused the awful suffering and most excruciating pain. Having taken no medicine that would have a tendency to stupefy her she was at her right mind all the time, but for hours she was like a raving maniac on account of the severest suffering and pain. She endured the agony, obeyed the Word, stood the test, until our Refiner, who was standing by, saw it was enough and bade the arch-enemy release his grasp and depart. Oh what a calm! A peaceful, blessed, welcome calm! “Made perfect through suffering” comes to my mind so forcibly, that I must write it here. She lay quiet for an hour as if she would soon pass away to be with Jesus. Then with feeble voice whispered her desire to have all the church and her friends to come to her bedside as she had “a message and a blessing for everyone.” As they came, the Spirit came upon her and for 5 hours she took one after another by the hand and delivered to them the message and blessing.
She had endured the suffering and was left so weak she could scarcely speak above a whisper, but when the Spirit came upon her, her voice was clear and strong. He lower limbs were drawn until they could not be straightened, but as she delivered the message they became movable.
Although she was pale, and her eyes weak and sunken and apparently near death, yet as she took the friends by the hand and gave the message, her face lightened up with the radiance of heaven. Her voice assumed the unnatural. It was like heaven to be in her presence. She took the hand of probably 200 people and every one was melted under the presence of the mighty Spirit.
A revival was kindled and little differences melted away as snow under the glow of the sun. Tears, sobs, yes, all in and about the house were affected; not weeping over the dead nor the thought of approaching death, but weeping because of the mellowing presence of the Lord Himself. The room was filled with the presence and glory of God for days.
This wonderful experience came, and God’s glory revealed only after intense suffering intensified and she standing true during the test.
Suffering is a jewel, yea, a real ornament that few covet, therefore when it becomes severe people are inclined to resort to means other than taught in the Bible and thus lose the blessing and glory.
Suffering—“Long—suffering” is the fourth fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. Then we who have the Spirit need not expect to get through without it. But think of the rewards that are promised. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim. 2:12). “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf... Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:16, 19). “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1, 2). “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).
Job was rewarded by receiving back double the amount of property, coming forth as gold, and having the privilege accorded him of praying for his friends and seeing them blest, but above it all, a sweet conversation with God. Hear him while in the great battle as he wields the sword and dashes wildly into the awful bloody conflict. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25, 26).
Teach diving healing? Yes! Practice it and no other, live or die? Yes! Yes!! Amen!!! Be bolder in it than ever! This is fighting the enemy on his own territory, bearding the lion in his den, in the last great conflict. “...it is appointed unto men once to die,” then bravely die for the truth, as men by the thousands have died for their country, marching right up to the roaring cannons as they belched forth their deadly carnage, merely because they have sworn to obey their captain.
Dear friend, haven’t you sworn to obey the commands of your Lord? Doesn’t He tell you what to do in case of sickness? And does He say if that fails to call for a physician? Answer for yourself. You surely know the Bible on this point. If you do not, then you are a very poor soldier. In the army, and the battle likely to overtake you any moment, and you don’t know the tactics of war? You had better learn them quickly. He would make a poor soldier who enlisted in the army and would not learn the tactics of war.
Poor Christian! that has enlisted in His service and will not accept, learn and practice divine healing, but will resort to other means, and just as really disobey God as Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. Remember we are now in the last great conflict. Now is the time to press the battle and wage a strong warfare against the devil and all his allurements and devices. Die rather than go contrary to the plain teaching in God’s Word! If you should die for the truth it would be no more than thousands have done before you. Then you would obtain a better resurrection. (Heb. 11:35).
Intrepid faith and undaunted courage are the great needs of these stupendous days that are now upon us. The devil is against us. The world is against us, and the popular Christian religion is against us; but we are in the conflict and must fight or die and fight if we do die. “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26). We must conquer him. The battle is to be fought for and in the name of Jesus. If we should fall in the struggle, lose our lives for the sake of being obedient to our Captain in this awful conflict, we shall save them. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24).
Live by the Bible or die by the Bible, yea, whether we live or die, if we obey Him we are true soldiers of Jesus Christ: and we are His for service because we have enlisted in His army. “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether
we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8).
Another source of the enemy’s onslaught against us is the “tongues” as evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost. We must courageously press the battle on that point, and become bolder and bolder in teaching this truth, for there is a great temptation and tendency to compromise, or at least quiet down on that particular point.
The religious press is against us. The world’s press is against us. The ministers of all denominations, of hundred millions strong, are in opposition to this truth. The independent holiness press and ministry are all against us, but the conflict is on, and we dare not retreat and forsake our Captain, and leave him to fight on the field alone. The red flag of truth and uncompromising boldness and undaunted courage and holy zeal must float over every nation and clime, declaring emphatically that no one ever has or ever will receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost without the speaking in other tongues accompanying as the evidence.
Let the enemy raise his war whoop and turn his Gatling guns of false teaching and a hireling ministry against us, we must and will march right up to the ramparts and over the breastworks, snatch the sword (Word of God) out of the giant’s hands, and with it cut off his head. Glory! In God is our strength. We do not fear men nor devils with God at our side and Jesus, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” as our “King Emmanuel.”
He, whose name is “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace,” He who rides the “white horse” down from the skies with the “sharp sword” in His mouth as He orders the battle; He, who is the all conquering King and Lord of lords, tells us to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28;19, 20).

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

THE HIGHEST TRIBUNAL OF AUTHORITY
FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
Gary Graves, Sr.
Elizabeth, IN
The first General Assembly of the last days Church of God was held on January 26 and 27, 1906, in the home of J. C. Murphy in Camp Creek, Cherokee County, North Carolina, during a fierce snowstorm. It was held in January “because [the ministry] did not want to take the time off in the summer from [their] revival and evangelistic work” (Eighty-two General Assemblies, p. 8).
What prompted the call for a General Assembly was two-fold: the growth of the Church since its arising in 1903 and that many members had not yet gotten acquainted with one another and the ministers felt the need of an Assembly of some kind to consider questions of importance and matters of general interest to all and to search the Bible for additional light and knowledge. The decision to have a General Assembly was not made overnight, but only after “a careful and prayerful search was made of the Bible to determine if such an Assembly was in harmony with the teachings and practices of the apostles and elders of the early Church” (History and Polity, p. 25).
As host pastor, A. J. Tomlinson called the meeting to order after which he was unanimously selected chairman, following the pattern of how James was the moderator of the Assembly of the early Church as recorded in Acts 15. “The Lord had not at that time given us a General Overseer… We only knew that James presided over the Jerusalem council (Assembly) as recorded in the 15th chapter of Acts” (Eighty-two General Assemblies, pp. 7, 8).
One of the first things the 1906 Assembly adopted was a motto that became the precedent for future General Assemblies: “‘We do not consider ourselves a legislative or executive body but judicial only’… [making it] clear they were not there to make laws... but to seek God for the correct interpretation of the laws already stated in the Scriptures” (History and Polity, p. 121). And because the General Assembly still sits “as a court of justice deciding and determining the laws of God given to the Church by the Word of God (God’s law book) and though the Spirit” (p. 134), it makes the Assembly rulings “decrees for to keep,” not its own laws; neither are the Assembly Minutes considered laws but records of the Assembly’s findings. (cf. History and Polity, pg. 120).
“Since the Assembly is the highest tribunal of authority for the interpretation of the Scriptures (for they are not “of any private interpretation”), its purpose is to search the Scriptures for additional light and knowledge on the Church, to give prayerful consideration to all necessary business matters, and to recommend practices relative to the administration of the Church’s commission. It must strive to keep everything in harmony with the Word of God.” “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us” (the entire General Assembly in unanimous agreement). And being “the final authority in interpreting the Word of God through the Spirit [the Assembly] stands at its rightful place as the voice of authority in… ‘matters of doctrine’… ‘Church discipline’… [and] in all ‘general practices.’ With the fundamental purpose of the General Assembly being to interpret the Word of God, then the Word of God itself becomes the authority of the Assembly. The Word of God (written and incarnated—Jesus Christ, the Head and Supreme Ruler of the Church), through the ministration of the Holy Ghost, is not only the final authority of the Assembly but the final and supreme voice of authority in the Church of God as well” (History and Polity, pp. 134, 187). The General Assembly, is under the authority of the Word of God.
The Church of God is a theocracy; it is the place where God rules. Theocracy is government by God, through God, and in God. Under His immediate direction, God rules the Church by the means of the Bible and the Holy Ghost. When the General Assembly finds God’s perfect will in the Scripture, it has found that which God rules and governs the Church by. “Only when God’s perfect will is done in [the Assembly] is theocracy in its purest sense at work. If the Assembly does not transmit God’s will, God’s rule, then it is not pure theocracy. Theocratic government is the rulership of God. If God does not rule, it is not pure theocracy but some lesser form of government” (History and Polity, p. 134).
“The Church of God is the greatest, wisest and most glorious government that has ever been inaugurated on this earth. To be called upon as is this honorable body and sacred assembly, to search out and apply the laws of the greatest, wisest, and most glorious government that has ever made its appearance on this earth should certainly be considered the highest honor conferred upon men … It should be approached with all seriousness and much trembling before the Word of God, for the decisions will affect untold millions. The very realization that no people on earth have ever been called upon to occupy such an exalted position should move the Assembly to be very careful in all its decisions to make sure
the will of God is being performed, thereby insuring pure theocracy for the Church of God. All that is said and done on the floor of the Assembly ‘should be for the building up of God’s Church and the salvation of souls’” (History and Polity, pp. 122, 140).

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant...” (Heb. 12:22-24). “And he said… put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5).