Our Help ComethFrom the Lord by David R. Risch

Our Help ComethFrom the Lord

David R. Risch, Cleveland, TN

 

A few weeks ago one of the first things I thought of when I heard of Brother Smith’s death was “What a fearful day for The Church of God,” and quickly it seemed the Spirit kind of rebuked me and this thought filled my mind: “Not a fearful day, but an awe­some day!...a day for the Church to show herself strong with a deep faith that God doesn’t forsake His children when dif­ficulties arise; and so it is not a ‘fear­ful day,’ but an awesome day.” Faithful Church of God members can expect God to come to their rescue! If the Church fails in anything, don’t blame God, for He has given us a divine promise in Phi­lippians 4:19: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 6:18 tells us it’s impossible for God to lie. You can’t make God lie. I can’t make God lie. If we meet His conditions, our needs will be met!

 

Paul said, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:20). In Christ, all the promises of God are true; and in Him we have the power to claim these promises for ourselves!

 

What an awesome time for The Church of God to do as David said in Psalms 121:1, 2: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” David didn’t expect help to come from the physical hills or mountains around Jerusalem. He saw their great­ness, they represent strength. I’ve per­sonally seen mountains so high, so great, they were breathtaking. No, David was looking for something else. Note verse 2 (where our thought for this message comes from): “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” A God so great He formed those moun­tains. He not only formed those moun­tains according to His will, He is also able to move them!

 

I thought of the day Christ’s feet will land on the Mount of Olives, one on each side. Half will move to the north, half to the south, leaving a great valley for the Battle of Armageddon. When I need help, this is the kind of God I want to go to! The first part of verse 2 literally stuck out to me: “my help [David’s help] cometh from the Lord.” Yes the Overseer’s office is vacant, but there’s help available to fill it when you go to the Lord and God will help fill it. Amen. Amen! Can we say, “There’s help on the way!”? How many came to this Assembly believing there’s help on the way?

 

Who is David reaching out to? The Creator of the heavens and earth! The only mountains Satan made were moun­tains of trouble and sorrow, filling our world with darkness, or sin that opposes God’s divine plan for man. But our help comes from God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. And Paul said it like this in Ephesians 1:19-23 (Think of God’s greatness, His ability and His glory in these verses): “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

 

Paul expresses God’s gifts to Christ here so wonderfully—raised Him from the dead, set Him at His right hand far above anything and everything, gave Him a name above all names, put all things under His feet, and placed Him as Head of The Church of God. And all of this is just part of our inheritance. Christ will share what we need to fulfill His will in The Church of God!

 

“Brother Risch, do you really mean that?” Yes, yes, yes, for Revelation 19:7 tells us “his wife [The Church of God] hath made herself ready.” It’s as good as done folks, as far as God is concerned. Nothing can stop her! And I wonder if it could not come within this genera­tion! Listen folks, this is an awesome time for The Church of God! And no one has the answers but the Lord. Please don’t go to the denominational system for the answers. Their answers won’t fit The Church of God. I’m not saying there aren’t good people, even “other sheep” there. Please don’t go to the world for answers. They don’t have any, period. The world will only take you away from God’s Divine Plan. Don’t go to the Internet for answers. Don’t go to famous theologians for answers. Why go to those outside the Church when we have Christ, Head of the Church, avail­able? We must believe as David, “my help cometh from the Lord.”

 

I know the situation at the Solemn Assembly was different, in a sense, but its success was when people went to the Lord for help. The people relied on the Lord to lead them through that difficult time. And He did! That’s why we are here today. Church, I believe He already has present and future plans made for The Church of God. He is an Omni­scient God—knowing all things, the end from the beginning! There are no surprises before God. He is never late. He is always on time! He’s never out of control. Think of how He keeps this uni­verse running!

I think you know where I’m going this morning. We need God’s help in giving us a General Overseer. And where will we go for help? Will we say, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth”?

 

A few weeks back the Overseers met to find God’s will for an Interim General Overseer until the General Assembly. I feel we were doing our part to pray for them to become of one mind. Yes, just like we were at the Solemn Assembly! We became a partner with them even if we were not present. But this week, this “multitude of counselors” must become as one if we are to leave this Assembly feeling good in our soul!

 

I lay no claims on being an authority on this subject. I was 14 years old when M. A. Tomlinson was installed as Gen­eral Overseer, and also, as many of you, I was there when Billy Murray, Robert Pruitt and Stephen Smith were selected. This has only made me more sensitive to the importance of this office and future of The Church of God.

How important is this selection of the General Overseer? It’s important enough that none of us can make the appoint­ment! (I’m not trying to be arrogant, and not trying to belittle anyone). I thought of how the Holy Ghost came to the aid of the Early Church, as recorded in the book of Acts, over circumcision. The devil was trying to divide The Church of God but some in The Church of God touched the throne of God and James proclaimed, “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things” (Acts 15:28). But notice: the Holy Ghost had to be pleased first. Their decision had to first please the third Per­son of the Godhead. How can one please the Holy Ghost? By and through open­ing our heart to God for His will. The government of The Church of God is theocracy—or God ruled. We’re under the immediate direction of God. Folks, Holy Ghost filled people should be able to discern the Spirit! I believe that’s what happened at the Solemn Assembly.

 

You may say, “But Brother Risch, I think ‘so an so’ is the perfect one” and no doubt you are honest in your thinking. But listen to what Isaiah said in Chap­ter 55: 8, 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heav­ens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

 

If there is any Scripture that will help keep our ego in check it’s this Scripture: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts.” One could say, “But Lord, I know this man; he is honest, has a good personal­ity, good preacher,” and on and on. But God is saying “My thoughts are so much higher than yours. You see him as he is today, and rightly so, but I already see him in the tomorrows. I know if he is the one who can complete the work required in this office.” It’s one thing to be a good Pastor, or Overseer, or General worker, and another to actually fill the General Overseer’s office. Not belittling anyone, we need God’s man. We need God to give us direction. And I believe He will!

 

Who of us could compare with God’s knowledge for “as the heavens [not heaven] are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

 

I thought of how high the heavens seem to be from the earth on a clear day or when looking down from that airplane from thousands of feet. Then think of Paul who said he knew a man caught up to the third heaven. I’ve got a big imagination, but when I compare my thoughts with One whose thoughts are three heavens higher, it seems sensible to take advice from the Lord when He said “heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isa. 66:1). This is why we must trust in the Lord and follow theoc­racy—for He already knows the person we need to fill this Office, and I believe He will reveal him to the Church!

 

We use this Scripture so much in evangelistic services: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Matt. 7:7). But it is also the way to get other answers from the Lord. Verse 8 promises this: “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh fin­deth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” If The Church of God will follow these instructions of Jesus the answer will come!

 

Let me say something about the power of prayer. Not since the Solemn Assembly have I heard so many encour­aging others to pray—setting times of prayer, times to fast. And God heard our prayers and blessed the Overseers with a great meeting. I feel in my heart God heard prayers like James wrote about in Chapter 5, verse 16: “The effectual fer­vent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” The dictionary tells this about these two words: Effectual is “to produce a designed effect.” Fervent means “to produce heat and heat produces energy.”

 

What does this kind of praying pro­duce? It can bring powerful results. Why? Because they get the attention of heaven. I believe some righteous people have been praying this kind of prayer these past several weeks. How many of you believe God will answer your prayer?

 

Going back to James 5:17, 18: “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

 

If historians are correct, it is said when James died they found his knees calloused like a camel’s knees from hours of prayer. But James preferred to write about Elijah, calling him a man with like passions as other men. Yet when it came to prayer he was not ordi­nary, for he actually believed God would answer his prayers.

 

Paraphrasing from the 17th and 18th chapters of 1 Kings, Elijah prayed that there would be no dew or rain for 3 ½ years. And it didn’t rain. He prayed that the widow woman’s meal and oil would not fail, and it didn’t. The widow wom­an’s son died and Elijah prayed and life returned to his body. Elijah prayed and fire came down from heaven, burnt the sacrifice and wood, even the 12 stones around the altar, and the dust, and licked up 12 barrels of water around the altar! Elijah’s faith was so great that God would answer his prayer for it to rain that he sent his servant immediately to look from the mountain top for signs of rain. When the servant returned saying “There is nothing,” Elijah said “Go again” seven times, and on the seventh time the ser­vant returned saying “There’s a little cloud the size of a man’s hand.” One hand-sized cloud (in a clear sky) and Elijah knew his prayer was answered. “Servant, go tell Ahab to get off this mountain while he can!” Folks, that’s believing God will answer your prayers!

 

Remember what was said of Elijah? He was a man with like passions as we are. After all the miracles he did through Almighty God, he became discour­aged and wanted to die. But God wasn’t through with him. He and God had a meeting. (Read chapters 19 thru 22 of 1 Kings; also chapters 1 and 2 of 2 Kings).

Elijah anointed Elisha and they came to the Jordan River. Elijah smote the water with his cloak and they crossed on dry ground. Soon he was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire and a whirlwind.

Listen Church of God, the Church has faced many trying times since A. D 28 but this is not the time to be discour­aged. Now is the time to believe God will answer our prayers just as He did for Elijah! I trust we have many Elijah's here today tho believe God will answer their prayer! Let us rise to the task of believ­ing there’s victory in Jesus!

Arise, go over this Jordan by Bishop Oscar Pimentel

Since I’ve been attending General As­semblies I have often heard people say, “This may be the last time we see each other on this earth”, or “Some of us may not be here next year.” We may even say, “If I don’t see you again, I’ll see you in heaven.”

Heaven certainly has gained a lot of good men and women this year—I believe I can say, “of whom the world was not worthy” (Heb. 11:38).

The last 9 years of my life I have had the honor and privilege to travel, work and be received as a friend by some of these great men. One in particular was Bishop Stephen E. Smith.

I want to take this moment to give honor to whom honor is due. As with many other individuals that God has brought into my life, I noticed special things in Bishop Smith’s life that un­doubtedly served as an example and have helped to mold me in some way. Of course, time won’t permit to tell of the various things that I saw in him day after day at the office that encouraged me, and also challenged me in my walk with the Lord, but I will say that those things provoked me to desire a closer walk with God.

Often times I noticed by the sound of his voice and the words he shared with me as he drove me to the airport on different occasions to head out to the mission field, that Bishop Smith worried about me and my family, about me being away from them so often and for weeks at a time. Bishop Smith had a big heart! Bishop Smith loved God, and he loved The Church of God!

To Sister Vicki Smith and her entire family, I just want to say: “Thank you so much for sharing Brother Stephen Smith with us.” I want to encourage Sister Vicki Smith and her children and grandchildren by reminding them that your husband, your father, your grand­father—died in the faith.

To this great Assembly of The Church of God, I believe we understand that our final destination really is heaven—that is our Promised Land, but if the Lord tarries we will have to cross the frigid waters of Jordan. But not alone! The Bible says, “it is appoint­ed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Whether men plan to meet death or not—and all too often the men of this world don’t—if the Lord tarries this is a meeting we will not miss. It is an appointment we cannot reschedule or cancel.

This is true of good men and evil men, of just men and the sinner, of the rich men and the poor men, of the “av­erage Joe” and the man of exceptional capabilities, of the men that speak Swahili and those who speak Arabic— we can be sure that when death comes it is no respecter of persons!

Even so, it is not all “doom and gloom.” The fact that we are aware that death WILL come affords us the oppor­tunity to prepare for its arrival. We are not aware of the manner in which we shall die, and we are not aware of the date and time. But though death may catch an individual unaware; that is, it may arrive at a time least expected and shatter dreams, steal away tranquil­ity, and not allow men time to achieve goals they have set—even though it may come in a way not expected, death can be met with EXPECTATION!

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:32, “The wicked is driven away in his wicked­ness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.” Upon his death the wicked man’s hopes, desires and expectations are no more—they cease and exist no longer. He is cast down in the grave never to rise in the congregation of the saints. He is an outcast and will not stand in the presence of God any longer than it takes him to be judged and sentenced; then he will be thrust violently into the lake of fire and everlasting torment. What a horrific and fearful thought!

But the righteous hath hope! He can expect with confidence! Hope is to desire with expectation of obtainment, it is to expect with confidence. And so in death the righteous can expect to obtain the fullness of all of God’s prom­ises. You see, for the righteous man, death is not “the end of the road,” but the start of a walk down the streets of gold and an eternity with God. To him death signifies the beginning of an eternity in the presence of the One who rescued him from his hopeless circum­stances and pitiful sinful life that he was once in. That One is Jesus Christ who enabled him and counted him worthy and called him to a life and work of faith and righteousness (cf. 1 Tim. 1:12-15.)

When death stands before the righteous, the Bible indicates that this shall be a short and abbreviated meeting with he who is called “the last enemy” (1 Cor. 15:26)—because death must give way to life!

At that Jordan’s crossing the righ­teous will be able to glance over to the other side with glorious expectations of entering into the joy of the Lord. The frigid waters of Jordan will only be felt momentarily and will promptly be forgotten when that first step is taken on heaven’s shore. Death IS the consequence of sin that came into the world, but our glorious Savior Jesus Christ defeated death and the grave— that mortality might be swallowed up of life! (2 Cor. 5:4).

Righteous men and women of the Bible, and thousands upon thousands of saints, have died throughout the centuries, and millions besides them have died through the ages—but the righteous, “These all died in the faith,” and they lived by faith, “…not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and con­fessed that they were strangers and pil­grims on earth” (Heb. 11:13.)

Jesus spoke of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke chapter 16. We know the story. I have often wondered what was said about him by the people who were at the rich man’s grave side. Then I wonder if anyone even cared or knew of the poor beggar’s death. One thing is certain though—God was aware of both men! The rich man was buried, and Lazarus was carried by angels. I like the thought of the latter.

Saints, if we continue to fight the good fight and finish our course, and keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7), it will not be said of us that we were merely buried, but rather “These all died in faith”! How about it brothers and sisters, don’t you think that this is a wonderful tes­timony to leave behind to the coming generations?

GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL

“Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel” (Josh. 1:2). His ser­vant Moses was gone, yet God was not dead. He was alive and well! God was still in control of His holy nation. It was He who called this man Joshua and commanded him to arise with all the people and go over the Jordan. The promises of God did not hinge on any one mortal man, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:20).

God’s promises to His people are contingent upon His people being obedient to His Word and submissive to His will. We must be strong and cou­rageous to stand up to the world and the devil. The Lord has promised to be with us—never failing us, nor forsaking us! Church of God we are not alone, the Lord shall fight for us. There are chal­lenges before us. There is the unknown. Whatever we may face in this pilgrim­age—every foe, every battle, every weapon forged against us—we must not compare ourselves to those things. Instead we should compare those things to our great big God.

God says, “Be strong, believe on Me, observe to do according to My Word that I have commanded and you will prosper and have good success.” We are not after the prosperity that this world offers. We have our sights set on spiritual prosperity of the Spirit and power of God and the good suc­cess of winning souls for Christ and His Church. Now, more than ever, we should press toward crossing this spiri­tual Jordan into the full blessings of God’s Spirit and power because the Church has the task of conquering the world for Christ.

“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan...” (Josh. 1:1, 2).

I would like to say something here—our God is not harsh and un-compassionate. Not way back then and not now. He doesn’t treat His children like the world and the devil treat their captives—the world uses you, the dev­il gets the best years of your life out of you, chews you up and then spits you out and doesn’t care what becomes of your life or soul.

Young people listen to me; the devil and the world are not your friends! They are ruthless and brutal and they don’t care one bit about you. They may look right and entice you and lure you until you have fallen into their grasp, and once they have come upon you like a lion upon its prey they will drag you off into a world of lament, anguish, sin and sorrows!

If you listen to the devil and follow after the spirit of this world and forget about God you will regret it when you come to the end of your life, you’ll look back upon your life and it will be full of regrets and you will have nothing to show for it—and nothing to look for­ward to. The devil’s ultimate goal is to drag you to the eternal flames of hell’s fire! He doesn’t care what becomes of you in this life or in eternity after this life—you will descend into the pit and be forgotten.

But not so with God! God’s work does go on uninterrupted. But that in no way means that God chews you up and spits you out. God cares for us, saints, in this life and in the one to come! We belong to Him in life and in death. Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

Now, can you imagine the conso­lation and comfort that Joshua must have felt upon hearing God say, “Mo­ses, my servant”? God, by these words, recognized his faithful labor—He had not forgotten about Moses—and Joshua could be sure that God had rewarded Moses. We can be sure that God has rewarded those who have come before us!

It must have been so encourag­ing to Joshua to know that God was still with him and the people of Israel. This portion of the Scripture reveals that God was still guiding the affairs of His holy nation for He was still in con­trol even after the death of His servant. God lets us know that when it comes to His people—His Church—God’s work does not depend on any one worker; this is a “work together” program! This is a “pull together” program!

God commanded Joshua, “arise. go over this Jordan.” God did not leave it up to the people to choose Moses’s successor. God did not leave it up to the elders to choose a new leader. God did not leave it up to Joshua, who may have been considered the obvious choice or person to signal someone out to replace Moses. God chose the man! I’m encouraged knowing that God is with us and that He is still direct­ing the affairs of His Church today.

THE CHURCH OF GOD IS STILL INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY GOD.

He works through holy men and wom­en of God; we are only instruments in God’s hands! She doesn’t do her own thing or whatever she pleases for “the church is subject unto Christ” (Eph. 5:24); “he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:18); and “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Eph. 5:30). Jesus said “with­out me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We are subject to God’s will, Spirit and Word. At all times we are bound to consider what our Lord and Savior would have us to do.

History reveals that nations, king­doms and their rulers have come and gone. Many of those kingdoms and nations have remained only as long as their founders and rulers were alive. But the Church of the Bible is alive and well today because her King lives for­ever! You and I may come and go, but our sovereign God has chosen Zion as His habitation and dwelling place for­ever. He is not going anywhere. He’s here to stay! He is still alive and com­manding His nation to advance. Our work is not yet done!

Today, we are only a few years re­moved from a time when big car es­tablishments have gone under water, enterprises crashed, cities and states of the greatest nation on the planet had to file for bankruptcy, banks and financial institutions once thought to be strong, powerful, and worldwide in scope, crumbled. But isn’t it wonderful that God has placed the Church on a higher plane? She isn’t built upon con­sumer confidence. She isn’t built upon the stock market. She isn’t built upon tax payer’s money. But the Church is built “upon this rock” (Matt.16:18) of divine revelation—that mutual under­standing that God knows us and we know God! It is “built upon the founda­tion of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20).

She’s not plunging into a recession or depression, NO! Today she is striving to advance to greater spiritual heights! There is no question in our minds and hearts about the Church and where she is going. We have seen in the Scrip­ture that she will one day soon be rap­tured out of this world “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white” (Rev. 19:8). “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). There is no better time to serve God than the present.

To be independent means: to be free from the influence, control, or de­termination of another or others;

a). Free from the rule of another

b). Free from the influence, per­suasion

c). Not adhering to any political party or organization

d). Not connected or related to another, to each other, or to a group, separate

He who is the Head of the Body said in John chapter 14, “for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” So too must the Body of Christ be in that place in Christ where it can proclaim, “He hath nothing in us! The prince of this world, Satan, and his en­tire hosts have no influence in us, no rule in us.” We cannot allow the devil or this old world to influence The Church of God!

Jesus said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them [separate them, keep them apart, cleanse them] through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:16, 17). We are not of this world even as He is not of this world! The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (cf. 1 John 2:16) should have no rule whatsoever over the Body of Christ. She answers to no one except Christ the Head of the Church!

Jesus is the sole Proprietor of this Divine Institution. He alone has legal and exclusive rights to that Church which He Himself purchased with His own precious blood on Calvary.

Jesus Christ referred to her as “my church” (Matt. 16:18). The apostle Paul said, “Take heed therefore unto your­selves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, WHICH HE HATH PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD” (Acts 20:28). Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25, “even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

NO! This is NOT a partnership with Jesus! No other blood was shed but His own to purchase The Church of God! The Psalmist David declares, “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psa. 100:3).

The Church of God continues to be governed by the immediate direc­tion of God through the General As­sembly, under God, by the Holy Ghost and the Word of God. She is operated by Theocratic Government. Under theocracy the Church recognizes God as the Supreme Lawgiver. In Him and His Word reside all the spiritual laws by which we are governed. “It is not a gov­ernment of the people, by the people for the people.” Rather, it’s where God rules, where God reigns! It is not a leg­islative or representative government, but judicial only and seeks to interpret the laws of God found in the Holy Book and passes them on to the Church.

God is still in control!

ARISE AND GO OVER

(Our Efforts Are Demanded)

“…now therefore arise, go over this Jordan…” (Joshua 1:2).

Israel had not yet reached the land that God had promised to give His people, but it was within sight now! They were on the brink of entering into the land that flows with milk and hon­ey. Would they press forward, or turn back? Would they let fear grip their hearts, or trust and have confidence in God’s command? Would they face the challenge that was before them and move forward regardless of what their natural eyes could visibly see?

There is a Jordan that we, The Church of God, must cross! Amen? God’s command is for His people to ARISE AND GO OVER! This is a Divine command! God help us to press for­ward and not permit fear to grip our heart in these last days.

God help us to come together in PERFECT UNITY that we may pull to­gether, work together and face what­ever opposition that is before us to­gether. We are going to need one an­other saints! I need you, and you need the person sitting next to you—we will need each other!

But arise and go over what, you ask? I realize that I don’t know what Jordan represents to each one of us, but perhaps to the Church today this Jordan represents disappointments, discouragements, sorrows, despairs, adversities, unbelief, misunderstand­ings, worldliness, strife, division, un­godliness, contentions, distrust, and a variety of other things that we may face, and if we will only cross over be­yond these things and leave them be­hind us we will enter into the greatest blessing we have ever known.

God demanded an effort on the part of Joshua and the people of Israel. God was calling them to GET UP and move. I feel as though He is telling US, “You’ve mourned long enough, you’ve traveled through the wilderness long enough, now the time has come to “Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck” (Isa. 52:2).

Shake thyself from discour­agement! Let not any of us ever give over or yield to discouragement or despondency. That’s what our Ad­vice says! Don’t get discouraged and throw your hands up just because somebody did you wrong—pray for them! Don’t get dispirited when some of our people do wrong—pray for them! Instead of disappoint­ments for the Church, instead of withdrawals for the Church, instead of setbacks for the Church—there is victory! God will always cause us to triumph in Christ! (2 Cor. 2:14). He will cause us to have forward movement and conquest for the entire Church. When the battle is hard, dear saints, let’s not give over to defeat. Accord­ing to the Scripture the battle is ours, we are more than conquerors in Him. Let’s press right into the fight against the enemy of our souls!

Shake thyself from divisions! I know there is love in The Church of God. I have felt it in a greater measure these last few weeks. I don’t believe that you can find this same love—the love of The Church of God—in any or­ganization outside the Church. Yet we are not perfect in that love. From time to time we have disagreements. But it doesn’t mean we don’t love each other. Many times as a child living at home I and my siblings had our dis­agreements and we seemed to get upset with one another, but we still loved one another! We worked things out—we stayed brothers and sisters. At times we find a few differences in the WAY (I didn’t say WHAT) ministers teach. There is a wrong way to teach what is right. Sometimes folks preach rough and harsh, but we want to pres­ent the truth in a way that edifies. I say tell the truth and preach the gospel, but let us not beat and demean folks.

Saints, I believe that as long as we stick to the Bible teachings as God has revealed them to us, and which we have agreed on, there will be no room for disagreements. When people be­gin to preach some doctrine outside of the bounds of the Assembly, that is what brings disagreement and di­vision. But if we stay within those bounds we will speak the same thing and find no divisions among us.

Shake thyself from worldliness! Isaiah, the prophet of God, declared: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips...” (Isa. 6:5). He came to the realization that the things he saw and heard— the environment he was in—did af­fect him. He was still the prophet of God—he had not forsaken God—He was not backslidden, but the things around him had a way of attaching themselves to him like barnacles on the hull of a ship in the water. The way you prevent barnacles from clinging to ships is by treating the hull with a toxic paint; and the only way to keep this world from clinging to us is by keeping our hearts coated with the crimson blood of God’s Son Jesus! When our heart is kept under that crimson flow of His precious blood it will repel sin, it will repel worldliness, and it will make us whiter than snow!

Saints, we are in the world, but not of the world! We must be careful with what we see and with what we hear, where we go and what we allow into our lives because they will not only get on US—THEY WILL GET IN US! We must stay close to God! If we see ourselves drifting off and away from God we need to cry out to the Lord for help. I’m not saying that we are back­slidden, I’m simply saying that from time to time I have to take my suits to the dry cleaners to be washed and get the spots and stains off—I don’t get rid of them, I get them cleaned. And maybe the possibility exists that we need to take our life and heart to the Champion Cleaner and allow Him to clean us up!

Shake thyself from distrust! We must pray the minor breaches of confidence repaired and we must be welded together again. To dis­trust means that I, as a person, have a confident expectancy that another individual’s motives—in this case my fellow brother’s—intentions and be­havior are threatening and harmful to my own. You know what that does; it will induce a competitive positioning that kindles and intensifies conflict. Distrust has and will impede coopera­tion in the Church! If I know my broth­er is living right for God, if I know that my brother is faithful to the Church, if I know his profession among many witnesses I should have a healthy amount of confidence in him. I had rather trust you, and if you’re go­ing to prove me wrong, let you do it than to believe that you have ulterior motives. We must shake ourselves of distrust and pursue unity and a com­mon interest to reach the lost and to encourage and edify the Church.

“Bind us together Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together Lord, bind us together Lord, bind us together with love”—is to be our song. O, that we would be lost in God’s “River of Love”— that we would not think evil of one another, nor allow the enemy to put thoughts in our minds that are not so. (to be continue)

Personal Faith and General Assembly Guidelines

Personal Faith and General Assembly Guidelines

Personal faith applies to that which an individual believes, observes, or practices before God in a personal individual relationship with Him which does not necessarily apply to any other individual. This faith is also one which does not violate or contradict any principle or standard of Holy Scripture. It is strictly between the individual and God and is not necessarily intended to be imposed upon others, or to be used a standard for judgment against any other person.

The 14^th chapter of Romans is very explicit and clear on this matter; however, although the General Assembly has repeatedly not seen fit to make a guideline on some of these things, even after earnestly seeking God for guidance, they tend to crop up.

The Church of God is guided by the fact that the Bible, the inspired Word of God, applies to mankind universally and was not given to favor or accommodate any particular individual or group over everybody else. Yet, there continues to surface from time to time the attempt by individuals and sometimes groups of individuals who share a faith meant to be personal on everyone else. These attempts are often so intense that the individual upon whom they are made feels intimidated or condemned to the degree of misery and confusion.

Personal faith may be just what the individual needs to have a happy and fulfilled relationship with God, but would not be that with another person. What one eats and drinks, with the exception of strong drink and gluttony, is strictly a personal freedom which God does not condemn and no one has the right to deny the individual that right.

Usually, but not always, it is the weaker member who is most affected by being condemned for his personal faith or intimidated by someone attempting to impose their own personal faith upon him. God takes a very dim view of this action with the words of Paul, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way”.  Romans 14:13.

When personal faith is promoted as applying to everybody then trouble begins in the Church. Since it is not promoted by the General Assembly it becomes a take-it-or-leave-it thing by the general membership and the devil has a fertile opportunity to bring division by forming “for” and “against” groups. This invariably causes a loss of harmony in the Body. We are too far along and too near the end to allow this to hinder the perfection process. We must be prepared to deal with these situations when they get out of the realm of personal faith and become a bone of contention in the Church. They destroy unity and a charge of sowing discord can be brought against those involved in them.

What is the answer to run away personal faith? Paul tells us very clearly in Romans 14:22. Here he says, “Hast thou faith? Have it thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth”.

If you have a personal conviction about Church doctrine, practice, or government which the General Assembly has not addressed or is a matter which does not pertain to the membership worldwide, keep it to yourself for the sake of unity in the Body. If it is an issue important enough to be brought before the Assembly, it is fairly certain that the Holy Ghost will also prompt someone else to present it for general consideration for the whole Church.

Disunity never solved anything and it certainly is not going to bring us any closer to perfection. Seeing eye to eye and speaking the same thing is necessary.

Let us keep our personal faith personal and see how quickly the Holy Ghost can bring us into complete unity and prepare us for that momentous and long awaited event of the Rapture.

Other than what our advice to members has to say about dress, The Church of God does not attempt to prescribe a lifestyle other than pure, holy, godly living. That can be and is throughout the world in many variations.

Rather than imposing personal faith on others, it would be better, if it truly is a personal conviction, to strive to perfect that commitment to God and do as Paul instructed in Romans 14:19, “Let us therefore follow after the things wherewith one may edify another.”

It would seem that Paul is saying it is much better to edify another than to gratify one’s own personal faith at the expense of others who may not understand nor embrace it. The result would be greater unity, greater harmony, and greater love within the Body of Christ.

Written by Bishop Robert J. Pruitt and delivered as part of his Annual Address to the 94^th General Assembly of The Church of God in 1999.

WITNESS…HEALING

WITNESS…HEALING

I Was There When the Miracle Took Place!!

by the late C. T. Davidson

 

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the ut­termost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

 Forget that man? Never! I watched his half-bent figure darken the doorway of the tent as he leaned upon canes and labored to slide one foot before the other in an effort to walk. He would take a step or two and then stand tottering, seem­ingly overcome with exertion. I watched his every move and very soon I saw that he could not or did not so much as lift his head so that I could see his face.

I watched an associate endeavoring to assist him on his weary and distant journey from the doorway to the front seat. At times it looked as though he tried to half-carry the unfortunate man whose determinate purpose seemed fixed in his groggy meandering down the aisle.

Several ministers shared in my scru­tiny of a man—a paralytic for more than eight years—and someone murmured, “Lord, have mercy on that man,” when we saw his gnarled hands that tried to grasp the canes upon which he tottered along. Paralyzed for eight long years! Not so long to a well person, but a long time to be sick—a day, a week, a year is too long to be sick.

That bony structure called a man! Perhaps he had been an average size per­son, clean-cut, robust, good looking with a stamina that would rival the zeal of any athlete. But those eight years of pain and sorrow had wrecked his physical stami­na, had made him a helpless, groggy, tot­tering skeleton—called a man.

The congregation began to eye him as he reached the middle of the mammoth tent, struggling onward, while beads of perspiration trickled down the sides of his neck. “Poor man!” was whispered promiscuously and none gave attention to the speaker—everyone watched the paralytic. Some of the ministers tried to assist him by offering him a chair when he neared the front, and helped him to sit.

We looked at him for a few moments as he slumped in the chair and never raised his head to stare at the speaker.

Very unusual in a good tent meeting! Many of us risked a glance at the bony, knotty distorted hands as they lay on his lap to ease them as best he could. Natu­rally, sympathy solicited mercy—some sort of compassion to bestow upon the needful, helpless victim—the kind that Christ had bestowed upon suffering hu­manity when He walked the shores of Galilee. The speaker might have alluded faintly as he finished his discourse, and the moderating minister dismissed the afternoon session of the convention. But the paralytic victim sat still, wait­ing, watching.

Relax period was brief—as a matter of fact, many of the ministers and most of the laity lingered in and around the large gospel tent. They had reason for so doing; a severe storm was approaching swiftly. The large gospel tent was heav­ing up and down, while the side curtains that were rolled, beat noisily against the side poles. Not too long would the stakes hold the anchor ropes, then the large tent would be beaten into canvas ribbons in places by the fierce gale that would sweep across. The people real­ized the peril of such a storm on the sea­coast of Virginia, for just last year it was a “northeaster” that wrecked Buckaroo Beach, and South Norfolk was obvi­ously no rendezvous for safety. Distant rumbling thunder and chains of light­ning kept flashing the warning and the wind kept gathering momentum.

Several ministers sauntered outside the tent and gathered at the rear of it to watch the great dark clouds vie with each other in their onslaught upon us help­less creatures. We began to discuss the danger that awaited us. Fear seized us and we tried to swallow the aggravating lumps that lodged in our throats, but all the time we were trembling like shrubs in a strong March wind, even if it were the last of June. We knelt there in the sand and prayed, beseeching God for mercy.

Some of us reminded our State Overseer of the perils of the storm we now faced. But there sat the paralyzed man, helpless, not per­turbed in the least by the advancing storm, seeming­ly resigned to the will of God. Perhaps he realized that he was helpless and therefore it was of no avail to worry. Perhaps he felt safe in the tent—maybe not.

At any rate necessity demanded action! The State Overseer mounted the platform and called for prayer. No trouble to have a voluminous prayer for ministers and laymen mingled their voices, imploring the mercy of God in behalf of the storm. A kind of fear­ful uncertainty kept nagging at me and my voice trembled as I prayed. I didn’t need the sanctimonious lingo common to many prayers. Fear had worked per­fectly. I don’t know how long we prayed but when we finished folks shouted and praised God for deliverance—the storm had abated, had seemed to divide near the tent, leaving it motionless. We had felt a touch of the Master’s hand which was a reminiscence of the days of yore when He cried out, “Peace, be still.”

My little faith in a big God soared higher and higher as a continuous vol­ume of praises went upward. The days of miracles had not passed. I had seen the very hand of God in perfect deliverance. If He could calm the raging storm He could do other things! My zeal climbed like the mercury of a thermometer in summer temperature—God could heal the paralytic, could change the life of the vilest man, for mercy stood out like a colophon upon the title page of Christ’s career. He looked upon the multitudes with compassion! Those two blind men who sat by the wayside received mercy; the leper was cleansed when the Mas­ter said, “I will; be thou clean”; devils were cast out; the woman who had spent her life living to be cured of the issue of blood—twelve long years of suffer­ing—was healed by the virtue of the Son of God; He had once stopped a funeral in procession and raised the dead. My faith was spurred to its highest, as well as others—I hurried to the paralytic’s side, zealously affected by the power of prayer—“Would you like to be healed?” I said calmly into his downcast face. Too full of zeal and faith to await his answer, I added, “Come right out here, where we can get around and pray for you.”

Before he could realize it some of the ministers had him sitting in his chair in front of the rugged pulpit. Tears were streaming down the cheeks of the vast throng of praying people as their voices mingled together in supplication and prayer for this unfortunate man.

A sudden outburst of “praises” and “hallelujahs” rang forth in triumph as the people prayed. One could feel the su­preme sacredness of God hovering around as He sent wave after wave of His mighty power, sweeping through the huddle of praying people.

Like a flash the huddle of men and women widened as the paralytic threw aside his canes, sprang to his feet and leaped and shouted and praised God. Healed by the power of God! He ran up and down the aisles of the tent like a bare­foot boy chasing a rabbit in the clover fields. He had lost his half-bent posture with his head thrown back, he was kicking up the shavings on the tent floor, crying out, “I’M HEALED! I’M HEALED!” I watched him ram his hands into the pock­ets of his pants; he had not been able to do this in eight years. I heard him talk loudly to attest the healing virtue of the Master, whereas before he could barely whisper. His face was lifted to manifest the pres­ence of the glory of God, gleaming, shin­ing with the brightness of heaven.

Tears streamed fluently down my cheeks as I watched this imitable reaction from the mercy of the Man of Galilee. The paralytic’s face was lifted in exultation— mine was bowed in humility and appre­ciation for a Savior who brought salvation and healing to suffering humanity.

(This miraculous healing took place in June 1934 in a tent at South Norfolk, Virginia, during a District Convention moderated by Vernon H. Smith who was Overseer of Virginia’s District No. 10. Among witnesses present were W. M. Lowman, Vernon H. Smith, O. A. Duding, R. E. How­ard, Pearle Davidson, the author of this article [C. T. Davidson] and sev­eral others too numerous to mention.)

 
(The following is a reprint from a tract printed by the White Wing Publishing House many years ago.)

Trouble In The Land

Trouble In The Land

M. A. Tomlinson

 Any of us who read or listen to the news these days are aware of the fact that there is “trouble in the land.” And it seems to me that the same can be said of almost every country in the world. Con­ditions may not be the same everywhere, but in one form or another trouble is plaguing the nations.

We are often reminded by our good ministers about the things that are to happen in the last days. Jesus left us a warning of troublesome times in the world before His return, but although the troubles exist, He says to us, “see that ye be not troubled” (Matt. 24:6). He tells us that many things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

O course, the rumors of wars, and wars themselves, are not new to us; but He continues: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the begin­ning of sorrows” (vv. 7, 8). Yes, these things are “sorrows” to the people ex­periencing them, but evidently there are much worse things ahead for those who do not take heed to the warnings while the troubles are bearable.

Famines, pestilences, and earth­quakes have been known here and there to all generations of people, as history will show. But have we not noticed the prevalence of all of these in recent years? Some countries have experienced famines and hunger time and again be­cause of the prevailing weather or eco­nomic conditions common to their land. But today, places where times are pros­perous and the land has always been highly productive are faced with short­ages of various kinds.

 Think of the many floods in our own United States of America in the last few months. Millions of acres of good soil have been kept out of production unseasonably by these flood waters. Then, consider the late frosts and freez­es which cut back the fruit crops much deeper into the South than normal. Economic problems are seriously affecting the “law of supply and demand.” We are facing a serious shortage of food­stuffs because the produc­ers cannot afford to supply them under existing circumstances. After just a few weeks, or at the most a few months, of these conditions the effects are already being felt. Nobody can be sure of what lies ahead within the next year or two.

Yet Jesus continues to say, “see that ye be not troubled…All these are the be­ginning of sorrows.”

Luke gives us some more of our Lord’s words, the description of which becomes more and more visible almost by the day. “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts fail­ing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken” (Luke 21:25, 26).

Many have tried to interpret all of these signs and happenings, but no pri­vate interpretation seems to apply to all, or in all places. They are best under­stood in their own time, and as we see their fulfillment and experience their effects. In fact, some of our Lord’s pre­dictions are now so plain that little in­terpretation is required. But to His own, again He says: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

 “The beginning of sorrows”— “when these things begin to come to pass”—“be not troubled”—“your re­demption draweth nigh.” Hallelujah! O what a hope He has given us! Yet so many seem not to understand. They are fearful and perplexed. Their hearts fail them with dread of what they fear they must go through. Some even find the strain too great physically and die be­fore their time. Still the promise is there —“look up, and lift up your heads.”

 I suppose it would be possible to become very disturbed reading the newspapers, listening to the radio, and viewing television if one did not know the Lord. Some might feel that it would be better not to hear and know so much about world conditions; that it would save much anxiety over things that can­not well be helped. But there is another way to look at the situation. While many of the conditions themselves are pro­phetic, and apparently will grow worse instead of better, the Lord will not let the end come upon this world without its people being sufficiently warned and given opportunity to escape.

 We who have made our peace with God and are striving daily for a closer walk with Him must set the example by our “looking up” attitude. We can­not afford to let the same things de­press us that depress the lost. We have no reason to do so. Like the children of Israel of the Church in the wilderness, we who have hope must keep saying to the “serpent-bitten” ones, “LOOK AND LIVE!” By our “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” we will cause others to look also. We may not be able to supply the famine stricken countries with food. In fact, if the trend continues, we may find ourselves with little to spare. But we can share with them the Bread of Life—the true manna from heaven.

We cannot deny that the world’s population is frightened today. Its enter­tainers go all-out to keep people laugh­ing in an effort to alleviate some of the stress of heart and mind. But in the quiet moments, the fear and perplexity returns with even greater force. When the mirth dies down for a while, there is the news of still more famines, pesti­lences, and destruction. Tornadoes have been numbered in the hundreds this past year. Homes have been destroyed, leav­ing many at a loss to know how to start over. Thousands, already debt-laden, seek loans to get them out of a hard place. Laughter produced by revelry and worldly pleasure is not very effective.

Saints and sinners alike have to learn to face reality. The present-day troubles, and forebodings of tribulation, are far from imaginary. We just don’t wake up and find them gone. They are with us because of the mismanagement and mis­conduct of men. And they are with us because the foreknowledge of God knew what was in man, and what he would do to the good world that was given him.

But above all the din of revelry— yes, and the groaning and lamenta­tion of the suffering ones—comes the voice of thunder, “REPENT YE: FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!” Or, it may be the still, small voice of the tender Shepherd—“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” (Matt. 11:28-30).

The children of God can laugh for joy; and when the spirit turns to more sober things, our hope is still there. There is no let-down such as the lost ones must feel when their merrymaking is over. We have found our rest in the Lord. We have our burdens and trials, but they are not nearly so heavy since we got in the yoke with Je­sus. Hallelujah! The rest we experience in our souls makes every other burden lighter.

 It seems that the alert is being given, and all the warning signals are up for the whole world to see. This world is in trouble; this cannot be denied. But there is still a little time. We must tell the fear­ful ones that the time must be used in the right way. There is cause for fear on the part of the lost, but they who fear the Lord and call upon His name will find the way of escape.

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4, 5).

 Let us give close attention to a final word of warning, for we do have to meet our Lord’s conditions: “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:34-36).

(The following message was taken from the July 28, 1973, issue of the White Wing Messenger)

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).