Some Examples of Christian Watch Nights

BLJ: Since it is New Years Eve, I thought it appropriate to read about how some holiness people of years gone by approached the beginning of a New Year.

THE WESLEYS -- DECEMBER 31, 1738 -- JANUARY 1, 1739
From hdm0427 -- "The Possibilities Of Prayer" by Edward McKendree Bounds

It might be in order to give an instance or two in the life of Rev John Wesley, showing some remarkable displays of spiritual power. Many times it is stated this noted man gathered his company together, and prayed all night, or till the mighty power of God came upon them. It was at a watch night service, at Fetter Lane, December 31, 1738, when Charles and John Wesley with Whitefield, sat up till after midnight singing and praying. This is the account:
About three o'clock in the morning, as we were continuing instant in prayer, the power of God came mightily upon us, so that many cried out for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we had recovered a little from that awe and amazement at the presence of his majesty, we broke out with one voice, "We praise thee, O God! We acknowledge thee to be the Lord!"

ADAM CLARKE -- DECEMBER 31, 1829 -- JANUARY1, 1830

From hdm1586 -- "The Life And Labors Of Adam Clarke" by John Middleton Hare

The attachment of Dr. Clarke to the observances called Watch-nights, particularly as applied to the expiration of the old and the commencement of the new year, has already been' noticed. He distinguished the opening of the year 1830 by making several resolutions, 'each of which is too remarkable to be passed over. The first was to read the Bible more regularly, and to get through 'it once more before he should die. To this resolution he refers in a letter addressed to' a very young female, the daughter of the husband of one of his daughters. The passage may be given as an evidence of his 'attachment to young persons, as the destined leaders of another age:-- "I hope you read your Bible. What think you? After having for more than half a century read the Bible so much, I formed the resolution, on Jan. 1, 1830, to read the Bible through once more, 'beginning with the first chapter of Genesis, and the first of Matthew, binding myself to read a chapter of each every day. I read the New Testament in Greek, and the Old Testament in English, collating it occasionally with the Hebrew. I bind myself to one chapter in each daily; but I often read more, and have, since the first of last January, read over the five 'books of Moses and the four Gospels. This I find very profitable. Now, I commend this kind of reading to you; and read so that your mind shall feel the reading, and then the reading will profit you."

His second resolution, referring to matters which require explanation, was as follows:-- --" To bear the evils and calamities of life with less pain of spirit; if I suffer wrong, to leave it to God to right me; to murmur against no dispensation of his providence; to bear ingratitude and unkindness, as things totally beyond my control, and, consequently, things on account of which I should not distress myself; and, though friends and confidants should fail, to depend more on my everlasting Friend, who never can fail, and who, to the unkindly treated, will cause all such things to work together for their good. As to wicked men, I must suffer them; for the wicked will deal wickedly. That is their nature; and, from them, nothing else can be reasonably expected. [39]

At the third resolution, which, however, was not so strictly observed as the former two, those who have read the foregoing pages of this narrative will not be surprised:-- "I have resolved to withdraw as much as possible 'from the cares and' anxieties of public life, ,having grappled' with them as long' as the number of my years can well permit; and, in this respect; I have a conscience as clear as a diamond, ' that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, I have' had my conversation among men;' and now I feel, that, with the necessaries and conveniences of life, I can cheerfully take up, in the wilderness, the lodging-place of a way-faring man. I no longer like strange company of any kind: not that I have fallen or would fall out with' the world; for, thank God, I feel nothing' of the misanthrope: I am ready to spend and be spent for the salvation or good of men."

BLJ: My prayer is that you will draw closer to our Saviour and Sanctifier in the coming year. Make 2020 the year that you died to self and were sanctified wholly. Regarding resolutions, make some spiritual ones that include Bible reading and prayer.

A Heart Hunger for Holiness

BLJ: A genuine heart hunger for holiness is necessary to becoming entirely sanctified. I fear many ministers do not preach with enough conviction to press the needs on their people to have a heart hunger. It is not about entertainment, prosperity, or fellowship. It is about relationship with Almighty God and having a pure heart. All the other things that are necessary will flow to the one that is walking on the highway of holiness.

HEART HUNGER FOR HOLINESS

One of the very most important Scriptural prerequisites to obtaining a truly sanctified heart is soul hunger. The hunger for a pure heart and the Person of the Holy Ghost must be so strong that it refuses to be denied, whatever the cost. In like strain, Dr. J. O. Peck affirms:

God never left me a single year without a gracious reward in which many souls were given as seals of my ministry...but in the summer of 1872 a deep heart hunger that I had never known began to be realized ...I longed for I scarcely knew what. I examined myself and prayed more earnestly, but the hunger of my soul grew more imperious. I was not plunged in darkness or conscious of condemnation, but the inward craving increased. 

BLJ: How is your hunger, you that are not sanctified?

In a camp meeting service preached about 1960, Dr. L. B. Hicks told his audience:

"If you get hungry enough you'll die out...and if you don't get hungry enough for it, you're not going to die out...If you get hungry enough you're going to set your will to get it....You'll get sanctified if you get your mind made up...drape over a mourner's bench like an owl over a tombstone on a wet night at midnight. Stay there till the last nail's driven and the epitaph's cut on the tomb of the Old Man!"

BLJ: When you are hungry enough, you will pay the price and die out to self.

Sheridan Baker, one of the giants among Holy Ghost preachers, and ardent soul-winners of the past, when seeking a pure heart, declared: "My hungering and thirsting after righteousness now became so intense that I could do nothing but pray for a clean heart.... There can be no true trust or soul rest while there is anything in the heart contrary to love, or any sense of impurity." 
Many have testified that their heart-hunger for holiness became so strong that they were happy to pay any price to receive it. D. L. Moody, for example, pled: "Let it be the cry of your heart day and night ...Young men, you will get the blessing when you seek it above all else...I had to come to that state I think I would have died if I had not got it."

WESLEY'S GROANING GOSPEL

Records show that many of Wesley's preachers, in the early days of the Modern Holiness Movement, followed Mr. Wesley's injunction to " groan after holiness." There is evidence that when Wesley's "groan emphasis" began to die, the depths of true holiness began to shallow out proportionately. For this reason a great deal of the power and purity of true Bible holiness has been lost from the holiness movement, and has never been brought back to its original state.

BLJ: I love the expression to "groan after holiness." When is the last time you heard that expression? Have you ever heard that expression? Isn't it time that you began to wonder why you are not instructed to groan after holiness?

A LONGING THAT LINGERS

Hannah Whitall Smith divulges: "I began to long after holiness; I began to groan under the bondage of sin in which I was still held. My whole heart panted after entire conformity to the will of God and unhindered communion with Him." 
"Once there lived another man within me, Child of earth and child of Satan he;
But I nailed him to the cross of Jesus
And that man is nothing now to me.
Now another man is living in me;
And I count His blessed life as mine.
I have died with Him to all my own life I have risen to all His life divine."

Many famous Christians have testified to the fact that God placed within them, through the influence of the Holy Spirit, a deep longing, hungering, thirsting, panting after this experience of entire sanctification.

Dr. R. A. Torrey affirms: "No man ever got this blessing who felt he could get along without it." Dr. Torrey cried out from the depth of despair when seeking this experience, "I cannot take another step in Christian service until I know I am baptized with the Holy Ghost!" 
When Holy Ghost conviction, accompanied by heart-hunger for holiness, lacks depth, then the results will fail. If one does not have sufficient conviction and heart-hunger for holiness, he should ask God to increase it. Since God is more willing to give the Holy Spirit than earthly parents are to give good gifts unto their children (Matt. 7:11), surely He would be willing to increase the hunger for sanctification if one would request it.

"In the twinkling of an eye God my Lord can sanctify."
Many have testified that a revelation to their soul of the awfulness of the carnal nature has produced a deep hunger for cleansing and filling with perfect love (Matt. 5:6).

BLJ: Are you ready to meet Him? Are you on the highway of holiness? If not, you can be. Start groaning!

Thirteenth Bible Study: "Perfect In Every Good Work."

Today is the final lesson of the quarter and comes from Hebrews 13:7-21. The author closes his letter after having shared some of the most profound truths of the Christian faith. Think about some of the subjects we have studied this quarter: Christ being superior to angels; warnings against unbelief; a perfect rest for the people of God; Christ as our High Priest; going onto perfection; the New Covenant; the perfect sacrifice; holding fast; the life of faith; and now perfect in every good work. The heroes of the faith have been brought before us, encouraging us to stay true to the message of faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of the pressures and trials of life. The final thoughts will include the Believers' Perils (vv. 7-9), the Believers' Privileges (vv. 10-14), the Believers' Precepts (vv. 15-19), and the Believers' Prayer (vv. 20,21).

The first section is the "Believers' Perils." The writer informs the readers to remember their church leaders. These leaders have spoken the word of God to these converts. Those leaders had suffered the loss of temporal possessions, and family ties, but they had kept the faith. The writer says to look at their lives and follow their faith. This advice applies to us today. If you go to a church that you do not respect the pastor, you should consider leaving and finding a pastor you can follow. This is not an excuse to escape conviction. There is a difference between a pastor stepping on your toes because you need them stepped on, and a pastor whose life does not measure up to God's Word. The former you cling to and the latter you run from. The writer then directs the readers attention to Jesus. He has not and will not change. I am amazed that certain theological persuasions, especially Calvinists, who   generally believe that God is out of the miracle business. Verse 8 tells us that Jesus Christ doesn't change so why do people think He has?  The writer then warns not to be carried about by strange teachings. I always thought it a strange teaching that the things Jesus used to do, He now doesn't, e.g., heal, perform miracles, etc. A changeless Christ necessitates a changeless doctrine. While methods to proclaim the gospel can change with the times, the message itself should never change. To do so would be a strange teaching.

The second section is the "Believers' Privileges." Verses 10-14 contain several of our privileges. First, we have an altar that nonbelievers cannot eat from. The Jewish altar became obsolete at the cross of Christ. Animal sacrifices for sins have been done away with. The only forgiveness that is available to man is through the cross of Jesus Christ. We have the privilege of having our sins forgiven, something other altars can't offer. Second, Jesus suffered outside the gate on the cross to provide for our entire sanctification. Verse 13 instructs the reader that we are also to go outside the camp. What was outside the camp? Death was outside the camp. Public executions were outside the walls of the city. As a believer, we are to be crucified to the world, sin and the flesh. The writer of Hebrews is providing us one of the most important privileges of the believer: death to carnality! Have you been outside the camp? Or, are you still clinging to a prosperity gospel that makes you feel good all the time?

The third section is the "Believers' Precepts." Verses 15-19 instruct us to some of the actions believers should observe. We are to praise God continually regardless of the circumstances. We are to do good to others and to "communicate."  The word "communicate" means to fellowship, share, or have in common. This means we are to care for each other as we have the means to do so. These are the types of sacrifices which God smiles on. We are to obey those that the Lord have placed over us. Obey does not mean backbiting, gossip, and complaining. If you have an issue with your pastor, then make an appointment to talk it out Biblically. Obedience also includes submission to their authority. This is not slavery but obedience to the Word's commands for believers. Finally, you are to pray for the ministry. A sanctified heart will have no issues with praise, doing good, caring for others, obedience, submission, and prayer. These are our precepts as believers.

The fourth section is the "Believers' Prayer." The book of Hebrews closes with a beautiful benediction found in verses 20,21: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." The sanctified heart knows the God of Peace and has been made perfect (not absolute perfection, but moral perfection) in that carnality has been removed from his or her heart. Jesus Christ is God's final word to man. Let that sink in. The final word has been spoken and there is no other. Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and others that believe in additional "words from God" are in error. We must, when possible, speak the truth in love to these groups that do not have the truth or have strayed from the truth. We are to pray the prayer contained in verses 20,21 for all believers, that they might be made perfect in their Christian walk and testimony.

The Golden Text is "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblaneable in holiness before God, even our Father." (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Holiness is required for entrance into heaven. Holiness is God's desire for His creations. Our desire should be to walk on the highway of holiness until we are called home to be with Him in glory throughout all eternity.

This ends the study for this quarter. I pray that the material has caused you to want to walk in holiness and be made perfect through the blood of Jesus Christ, our superior High Priest, forever and ever. Amen.

A Danger in Not Seeking a Sanctified Heart

BLJ: Below is a story about the dangers of not seeking a sanctified heart. Read it prayerfully if you have not paid the price, died out, and been sanctified wholly. It is a somber read.


RHODA REMINDS US THAT DEPRAVITY IS DISASTROUS [32]

Rhoda Sacra, missionary to Alaska, strongly emphasizes the all -- importance of getting the terrible life-corrupting and soul-destroying carnality out of the heart. She declared; "It is good to be regenerated. We need it. We need to be lifted from a life of sin, but we'll never stand before the judgment bar of God with that carnal thing in our heart and get by." Probably the greatest single tragedy in the life of any Christian, is for him or her to render the positive aspect of holiness null and void in his own life by rejecting the negative aspect of death to the carnal nature. In the following quotation, Rhoda shows us how totally disastrous the carnal nature can be in a Christian's life when it is allowed to remain there. She says:

Unsanctified heart, do you want relief? You'll never -- you'll never stand with that carnal thing in your heart. If I could take you back several months ago -- I was in a meeting in Pennsylvania, and a man came to me and said, "Will you go with us and talk with our daughter? She's in jail."
We went to see that girl the next day. We drove about 700 miles. We went in to see her and spoke to her, prayed and were leaving. Her parents got in the car. They had driven away and I was just getting settled to leave on my next trip. The patrolman came out and said to me, "Will you come in? She wants to talk to you alone."

I went in and he said to me, "The nature of the crime is not to be revealed." I signed the papers. I asked him after he had told me what she had done, if it was safe to be in the room with her alone. And he said, "Well, we'll be watching you at all times, but we won't hear what she says."
I went in to where this girl was. She is a year older than I am. And I saw an entirely different person than what I had seen the first time I was in with her folks. She was just writhing. And she kept saying, "Oh, my carnal nature." And I learned the story.

She said, "Do you know that I was saved when this thing rose up in me?" She said, "Do you know that I have never in all of my life, that I can remember, stolen anything?" She began to name her virtues. She said, "I have been a Sunday School teacher. I was a Sunday School teacher and a saved woman when I committed this crime."

She said, "We had a revival meeting and the Lord dealt with me about my carnal nature -- and I didn't do anything about it, and now here I am three weeks after the meeting." She said, "Oh, it's my carnal nature that caused it. If I had known I would have let the Lord take it out of my heart." She went on and on and on, and I felt like I was standing in the chills of hell.

I said, "Don't you think we could pray?" She said, "It's so dark, there's no use to pray. Oh, it's so black. I think hell would be a relief from this torment I'm having." She went on and on.
She said to me, "As you travel across the country, will you tell young people -- will you tell older people to let God deal with their carnal nature?" And I want you to know that's made an impression on me. It's good to be regenerated. We need it. We need a lifting from a life of sin, but we'll never stand before the judgment bar of God with that carnal thing in our heart and get by.

Oh, I wonder this morning who in this congregation is harboring in your heart that thing. But I want you to know the touch of the Master can cleanse you of it.

If you could hear the young people that cry into my ears as I travel across the land, "I wish I had done differently." And that's young people. "Oh, I wish I had done differently."
And if you could hear the parents say to me, "We're slipping. We're slipping, and we know it, but we can't seem to help ourselves."

Do you want the touch of the Master's Hand? Let's stand.
"But of all the foes we meet, None so oft mislead our feet -- None betray us into sin,
Like the foe that dwells within."

BLJ: If you want the touch of the Master's Hand upon your heart, will you not commit to seek Him earnestly until the second work of grace has been done in your heart?

The Negative Side of Sanctification

BLJ: Today we look at the negative side of entire sanctification. Many people just want to speak of the positive side, e.g., Being filled with the Holy Spirit. However, the positive side of being filled can only occur when the negative side has been completed, i.e., the removal of the old man, carnality, self. We need both the positive and the negative side of holiness to have the complete picture.

ERADICATION IS ESSENTIAL

Christ-centered or self-centered! "Choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Josh. 24:15). 

CATHERINE'S CONVICTION

In her book, BEYOND OURSELVES, Catherine Marshall taught that "There is no maturity or fulfillment of man's personality apart from the slaying of egocentricity." She then continues: "It was pointed out that the 'have died' is the past perfect tense; it looks back to a definite point in the

past. Therefore this matter of getting rid of the old tyrant self is a deliberate step, exactly as entering into the Christian life is a deliberate step." Mrs. Marshall goes on to say: "We accept by faith the fact that God has heard us; that the next action will be His. We reckon by faith that He has indeed undertaken the execution." [30]

She seemed to understand clearly that the tyrant self must be crucified. She also understood that we must by faith submit to the slaying, and that God does the slaying, but only with our consent. She ties the "ego-slaying" and the "faith-factor" into one operation, which is very proper and definitely Scriptural. There seems to be no evidence, however, that she understood sanctification as a second definite work of grace, or ever attained unto it.

BLJ: Carnal traits must be surrendered one by one for slaying by the Holy Ghost. The surrendering is one at a time, but the slaying is in an instant and wipes out all carnality at the same time. 

It is humiliating indeed when we discover that one like Catherine Marshall, who was not in the holiness ranks, believed in dying to carnal self; while many deluded souls INSIDE the true, conservative holiness ranks believe only the positive aspect of holiness. It is nothing less than a spiritual tragedy in both directions when this lady understood the negative aspect of holiness; while, on the other hand, strong advocates of experiential holiness fall into the opposite peril, denying and rejecting the negative aspect -- death to their own carnal nature -- a position which renders the positive aspects of purity null and void in their own lives.

H. A. BALDWIN'S BASIC BELIEF 

H. A. Baldwin wrote: In these days of softness and self-indulgence anything is preferable to death. The cry is for an easier route, a sort of chloroform route in which the seeker can go to sleep and awake in Canaan, or spread his wings and fly over Jordan. The flesh revolts from destruction. No matter how much the seeker for holiness desires to be clean, the dissolution of the self-life is necessarily accompanied with pain. Life is sweet. Men die hard. In like manner the carnal mind refuses to die till it is forced to the cross. [31]

(Notice: in this quotation by Baldwin, the two references to "route," associated with death to the carnal mind. Hence the term "death-route." The term "death-route" is of fairly recent usage, but the idea which it represents is almost as old as time.

BLJ: Don't be afraid of the death-route because the death-route leads to eternal life.

Tragic Times

BLJ: The trend toward short "revival"meetings and the advent of conferences in lieu of revivals has brought sad results. The focus is away from the church member that needs to search his or her heart and get on fire for God, and instead on making sure everyone has a good time. I remember in the early 1980s attending a conference in Williamsburg. During the worship service on each side of the platform, there were two people dressed up. One like Daffy Duck and the other like Bugs Bunny. They were dancing around and "praising the Lord." My mentor, Rev. Herbert Norton was in attendance. In the middle of the charade, he stood up (all 5 ft 1 in), and loudly proclaimed, "What good is all this? What will this mean if Christ returns today?" He and his holiness followers were escorted from the conference that day. I was not one of them as it would take a few more years for me to see the light of holiness. However, I did remark, I think the Holy Spirit left the building when they did.

TIME'S TRAGIC TREND

In recent years, the trend is toward short revival meetings, many of which go from Wednesday night or Friday night through Sunday night. These short meetings differ greatly from the "siege-type" of revivals which were frequently practiced by the holiness people a few years back. The results from these short revival meetings are usually much less far reaching also. Neither the carnal leaders, nor their equally carnal followers are allowed time enough to get under deep enough conviction to adequately search their own hearts, or to get sick enough with Holy Ghost Conviction, to die out completely. Only a few individuals can see the awful depths of the corruption of their own carnal hearts clearly enough in a short revival meeting to become willing to face their own crucifixion.

One of the great weaknesses of modern revivals is due to the fact that too many pastors and people alike would prefer to sit back and enjoy the services, and pray for sinners, rather than to search their own hearts, confess their own backslidings, make their own restitutions, dig out their own carnality and become sanctified "Holy" and "wholly."

BLJ: Revivals are first to get the believer restored from backsliding and sanctified wholly, and only then to reach the lost. The modern church sometimes only focuses on getting new people into the church.

When it is considered more important to get new members into the church than it is to get the old ones sanctified, both the ministers and lay members are getting the whole revival pattern in reverse order. Christ wants all born again converts to first...tarry until they are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49), before they go out to be witnesses to the world (Acts 1:4, 8).
When the modern, short, so-called revivals are designed to "happify" rather than convict, entertain rather than expose sin and carnality -- then the pastor and people alike will veer off into the ditch and either become worldly on the one hand or legalistic on the other.

THE PERILOUS PROBLEM OF THE PAMPERED PEOPLE

When the time comes in any holiness church where the PEOPLE will not go along with an extended, siege-type, "death-route" revival because of the length of time required as well as the added expense or because they fear getting "snowed under" and "dug out" -- that church eventually will be filled with uncrucified and unsanctified people. When this tragedy occurs, then the human and carnal handling of the affairs of the church will result. Satan is thus made happy, and God is grieved, while the malignant disease of depravity in the hearts of pastor and people remains unremedied. When the "death-route type" of revival meetings are abandoned, the church becomes like a hollow tree -- decaying at the heart, with only a thin exterior remaining, until a carnal storm hits and it goes down.

BLJ: When I was pastoring, we had a 10 day revival. The evangelist left but the members said, can we keep coming every night? I continued the revival for an additional 3 weeks. After 30 plus days of meeting every night, and seeing people genuinely saved and sanctified and healed, we returned to our normal routine of meeting 3 days a week. I will never forget that set of meetings. 

THE EVANGELIST'S EASYGOING EFFECT

When the EVANGELIST shies away from the "death-route type" of revivals because of fear of their length or his lower average pay or of upsetting people, his meetings will fail to dig carnality out of its pastors or people, and very soon will grieve the Holy Ghost out of his evangelistic ministry. As he leaves church after church, they may be fooled into thinking they had a revival, when all they really had was a few sermons which carnal people enjoy. When an evangelist loses the Holy Ghost and the human takes over, he then must resort to emotionalism and psychological gimmicks instead of holy unction and utter dependence on genuine Holy Ghost conviction. In his desperation to get seekers and make a showing, he learns that the evangelist that has the most seekers at the altar, and creates the most excitement, will naturally get the most calls. As a result, "seekers" become more important than "finders." Oh, the subtle temptations toward a professional ministry!

BLJ: Many evangelists either don't know the truth, or are afraid to teach the truth. Revival meetings have become a shadow of what they were. No conviction; no restitution; no repentance; and no dying out to self. God revive us again!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

BLJ: Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy the below illustration as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour and Sanctifier!

MY ARREST AND RESCUE DURING CHRISTMAS WEEK
From "Striking Illustrations" by H. C. Morrison

It was during Christmas week that I was placed under arrest and dragged into court. I was a very small boy, in my fourteenth year; I would be fourteen years of age the tenth of the coming March. I was caught in the act; there was no excuse, there seemed to be no help or hope. I was guilty, I was thrust into the prisoners' dock, the gate was slammed, and a big policeman leaned on the gate, and seemed to look at me with a degree of satisfaction at the thought that he had me, and that I was sure of punishment.

I felt utterly helpless; I could not even weep, I had wept all the tears out of my system; I was dry and emotionless, except I was crushed to the very earth with a sense of my guilt and lostness. The judge was in his big chair but I did not dare look at him. I had no hope for mercy, and I knew that justice would be my ruin.

The courthouse was packed with people; they were gazing at me, as I crouched in the corner of the dock, with looks of accusation which seemed to say, Judge, give him the full benefit of the law and save society from further trouble. Finally, the clerk announced the opening of the court and my case came first. The judge asked the clerk if the boy had any one to represent him. Represent was a new word to me; I supposed my representative was to be my executioner. The clerk answered that I had no one. The judge then said to a lawyer within the bar, I appoint you to represent this boy. The lawyer arose and walking slowly forward, picking his way among the chairs, approached the dock, pushed the policeman to one side, opened the gate and stepped inside the dock. I, withered with fear, crouched closely in my corner, and with eyes wide open with horror, gazed up at my lawyer. He had a wonderful face; it was strong and calm, full of kindness and marvelous beauty. I noticed a tear hanging on his eyelashes; that tear helped me wonderfully. He sat down and slipped his arm around me. It seemed that my very bones had dropped out of their sockets and I was scarcely breathing below my collar button. My attorney drew me up to him; the pressure was so gentle, and yet so strong, it seemed to restore and readjust my bones, relax my nerves, and I commenced to breathe more deeply. Stooping down his silken beard brushed over my suntanned face, and placing his lips close to my ear, he said, "My little friend, are you guilty?" I could not have lied to him if it had been to save my life. With trembling voice I answered, "Yes sir, I am guilty of much more than they know about." "Well," said he, "do you not think it will be best for us to confess judgment and throw you on the mercy of the court?" I did not know what it meant to be thrown on the mercy of the court, but I felt sure that if he would throw me I would alight in the best place there was for me, and I at once answered in the affirmative. My lawyer gave me a gentle pat on the head, and stood up facing the judge.

He said: "Please your Honor, it has been my privilege to practice for many years in your Honor's court, and I have been glad to notice that when the ends of justice can be secured, and society can be protected, it has been your Honor's prerogative to show mercy. I thank the court for appointing me to plead in the interest of this little boy. He confesses his guilt. His heart is broken, he is full of contrition; he has been an orphan from his infancy and is dependent and moneyless, and begs for compassion."

I reached out my soiled, lean fingers and caught hold of the skirt of my attorney's coat. I clung to him with the feeling that if I would hold onto him he would pull me out. I thought his speech was finished but it was a mere introduction. A deep stillness fell upon the great gathering of people and his mellow voice rose until it filled the great room with a most marvelous appeal. He spoke of orphan children, of their loneliness, of their unprotected condition, of the temptations to which they were subjected, of their desolation, like lambs without a shepherd in a world full of hungry wolves seeking to destroy. He spoke until the harsh people softened, old men groaned aloud. He spoke until the tears trickled down the policeman's cheek and looking kindly at me he whispered to know if I did not want a drink of water. I was too busy clinging to the coat-tail of my attorney, gazing into his wonderful face, and listening to his marvelous words, to want anything else. I was breathing deep, new life and hope were creeping into me. I was falling desperately in love with my lawyer.

My attorney said, "Please your Honor, if you in the spirit of mercy, will dismiss the charges and set the lad free, I pledge myself to become his guardian, to see to it that he has a home and protection. I will look after his education and I promise to give to society a good and useful citizen.

I could scarcely keep from crying aloud for joy. It seemed my heart would burst within me for gratitude. I felt as if they would let me place my ragged shoes upon the bench upon which I sat, and throw my ragged coat sleeve about the neck of my attorney and kiss his cheek one time, they might take me out and hang me, and I would die shouting.

In the midst of his wonderful address my attorney, instead of addressing the judge as "Your Honor," said, "My Father." This shot through me. I saw that if the judge had appointed his own son to plead for me it was more than likely that he would heed his pleadings and show me mercy. Men were weeping all over the courthouse. I had both hands full of the skirts of the coat of my lawyer; the policeman had laid aside his cap, had gotten out his handkerchief, and had buried his face in a flood of tears. It was a powerful moment in my trial; my attorney had reached his climax. He exclaimed, "My father, this child for whom I plead is none other than my brother." I saw at once that if the judge was the father of my attorney, and the attorney was my brother, then the judge was my father also. I could restrain myself no longer. I gave a great cry of joy, leaped out of the dock, rushed up into the judge's stand and flung myself upon his bosom. He embraced me with a long, tender pressure that seemed to make me through and through a new creature. Folding me in his arms he stood up and said, "Rejoice with me, for my son who was dead is alive, who was lost is found." The entire crowd in the courthouse broke into tears and laughter. The people embraced each other; they all seemed to want to shake hands with me. They congratulated my attorney, and we laughed, and wept, and shouted together.

I hardly need tell you that the courthouse was a Methodist Church, that the trial was an old-time revival, that the Word of God arrested me and brought me, convicted and guilty, to the bar of justice; that the eternal Father was the Judge upon the throne, and that the Lord Jesus Christ was the attorney who plead my case, won my pardon, and secured my eternal salvation.

I look back with fondest memory to that great occasion when bowed and burdened with guilt, bound with sin, Jesus Christ undertook for me, broke my chains, swept away my guilt, and at the throne of the universe secured for me a full and free forgiveness, a blessed and glorious pardon, and revealed the blessed fact that the great God -- the Judge of all the world -- was, and is, my Father in heaven.

A MARVELOUS CONVERSION AND PROVISION ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT

BLJ: Enjoy this heart warming true story. Merry Christmas Eve!

From "Records of Modern Miracles" By Emma M. Whittemore

"Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him" (Matt. 6:8 ).

As the winter advanced, a real necessity arose to prove to the poor tramps of the street that there was something more in religion than an address or a handshake, or a "God bless you". Accordingly, much prayer was offered that means might be granted whereby beds, clothing and food, could be provided, and that these things might speak of God's provisional love to these homeless, and often degraded, ones. From various sources bedding, clothing and food supplies reached us.

On separating the things the bundle contained, we discovered an odd glove. Vainly we searched for the mate. Just for a moment we were inclined to throw it aside, when Capt. Potter reminded us that one odd glove might just as well have come in answer to prayer as if its mate were there. We therefore showed it respect equal to the other gifts and placed it upon the shelf ready for service.

It was nearing the end of the year and we wanted to add all possible joy to the lives of those to whom the Mission ministered. On Christmas night a wretched looking specimen of humanity entered just as the meeting started. He was in a half-drunken condition and took a seat upon almost the last bench in the hall. There was a hole in the crown of his hat, through which his bushy hair protruded in a rather comical way. When he removed his hat, his hair stuck untidily in every direction, and might have been mistaken for a mop. It had not seen comb or brush for many a day.

As the meeting proceeded, prayer was silently offered for him by one or two whose hearts had been stirred at the sight of the poor sin-marred creature. Suddenly he interrupted the service by raising a very dirty hand, and waving it to attract attention said most earnestly, with tears in his bleared eyes, "For God's sake, if there is any hope for me, won't you all put up a prayer?"

In a moment Capt. Potter was by his Side, and placing his hand on his shoulder, said in his winning way: "My dear fellow, of course we will pray, and if you mean what you say, prove it by stepping to the front." I have always felt that God is able to clear even a drunkard's brain sufficiently for him to grasp the truth. After a bit of a struggle the man staggered forward as though meaning business. It was not easy for him, and we could see that he was ashamed of himself, but he gained courage under the Captain's kindly sympathy. At last he reached the front bench, then as he got down upon his knees, he seemed to realize what it might mean should he be truly saved. If ever a sinner called upon God, poor drunken Joe called that night. None of those present can ever forget it. It seemed as though the cry came from the very depths of despair, and that all earthly power was unavailing. It was only the prayer of the publican, uttered in a most heart-stirring and appealing way: "Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner." Covering the request with the precious name of Jesus, he had not to wait very long before he realized the efficacy and power of that Name, and his joy knew no bounds.

When God took such a walking ragshop of a man, half-dazed with liquor, and redeemed him in the Blood of the Lamb, should anyone doubt the Gospel's power? We learned afterwards that Joe had heard of the Mission, and feeling that after all there might be a possibility of making something out of his life, he had that evening determined to go to the hall and see what could be done. Tattered and torn, and presenting a miserable appearance even to his own drunken eyes, he had mustered up what little courage he possessed and borrowed a coat from a former acquaintance who was almost as poorly off as himself. Buttons it had none. The button-holes had long since been torn through. And so two iron meat-skewers were the ingenious and unusual fasteners.

After rising from his knees, we noticed that the poor fellow had but one arm. It was one of the most bitterly cold nights we had had that winter and our stock of clothing had run low, but just before the meeting broke up, like a flash, the one odd glove came to the mind of Capt. Potter. Asking the man to wait, he hurried to the closet and taking down the glove could not suppress a "Hallelujah". He hurried back to Joe and as God cannot make a mistake, it proved to be the right-hand glove for that one-armed man. It fitted him perfectly, and being fleece-lined, was delightfully warm and comfortable.

People may smile skeptically and perhaps I am old-fashioned now, but I have always felt that this was but another instance of our Jehovah's wonderful forethought in allowing the original owner (who could readily afford it), to lose one of his gloves in order that that poor, one-handed man might have a suitable covering for many a cold winter day. How he treasured that gift of God's love! When we told him the whole story, he was more profoundly stirred than he could possibly have been had there been a pair. It was to him a wonderful reminder of how strangely but wonderfully God may supply all our needs.

When the Death Route Dies

BLJ: Today's reading speaks to what occurred when the emphasis on the death-route died. No case really needs to be argued. Just look around at the churches that used to profess holiness. How often do you hear a testimony of someone being saved and sanctified? How often do you hear of specific meeting for the purpose of promoting holiness? How much time is spent in prayer and fasting versus programs and entertainment? It doesn't take much more than casual observation to see how far the church has slipped. Bro. Boardman's book foretold what would happen.

WHEN THE DEATH-ROUTE DIES

When the "death-route" emphasis died in the holiness movement, the intense pattern of fasting and prayer which characterized so many of the early holiness people, tended to die with it. We are told that those early holiness folk, as a systematic pattern, used to fast two days a week until after three o'clock in the afternoon. Then, when revival efforts would fail, they would fast two full days as a group, and then eat for two days. They would follow that pattern, with intense intercessory prayer sometimes for several weeks until the Holy Ghost would begin to move upon sinners all over the area with tremendous Holy Ghost conviction, and revivals would break out. Multitudes of the hardest sinners (such as "Bulldog" Charley Wireman) would get soundly saved and gloriously sanctified in such revivals. Many of those converts became mighty preachers of Holiness, and ardent soul-winners.

BLJ: I would preach 10 day revivals. It would take that long to "dig out" some hardened sinners and also Christians so full of pride that they were resisting holiness. Where have these revivals gone? They have been replaced with a 3 day convention and when it ends, everybody feels better.

Why have we in the holiness movement of today abandoned the revival pattern which our forefathers found to be so successful? Is it not largely because the majority of our pastors and people (leaders and followers) have never died out to self, and have only the doctrine of holiness in their heads, but do not have the experience in their hearts? Even when they are sincere and try to be honest, they would make less regrettable blunders which injure the Kingdom of God if they were Spirit-led using God's judgment instead of their own.

BLJ: Where are the results today? Are churches reproducing or just serving as a child care facility for baby Christians?

KIPLING'S KEEN CONCEPTION

Has not our Christianity lost something vital when the worship of self replaces the worship of Christ, and our self-esteem replaces the self-humbling which Christ taught and practiced? When our lives are more controlled by the love and worship of ourselves, our interests, our possessions, our worldly friends and our unsanctified loved ones -- then we are not followers of Christ at all, and to call ourselves Christians is a misnomer (Luke 14:26).

BLJ: What is the focus of church? Is it to serve you, or to worship God? When it becomes man-centered, the Holy Spirit departs. When there is excessive joking and frivolity, the Holy Spirit departs.

"Something hidden," lamented Rudyard Kipling, "Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges -- something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!" 

Our hearts cry out: "Where could we go to find what we've lost from our basic Christianity? Where could we go but to our own Calvary -- our own crucifixion of self, and then to our own personal Pentecost?" Pseudo Christianity is all we can ever hope to realize unless we search for what we've lost until we find it. When we are controlled by the love of power over people, and the love of money, we have lost something. When self holds the controlling motivation in our lives, instead of God, through Christ, administered by the Holy Ghost, we've lost something. The analogy could go on and on, but the picture can never improve until the crucifixion becomes as real to us as it was to HIM (Christ) -- His crucifixion, yes, but ours also!

BLJ: It is time for individual soul searching, repentance, restoration and re-committing to the Lord before it is too late.

If it is a fire that has become mere embers, it must be rekindled. If it is a faith, entombed; it must be resurrected. If it is love for Christ that has become weak; it must be revived until it supersedes all other loves. If that is what we have lost -- we must hunt behind the ranges of humanism, materialism, rationalism and self-centeredness until we find it. It will take far more than a religious placebo to cure our spiritual sickness, because our problems are not psychological, but moral. All of our problems have a single tap root, and that tap root is not ignorance -- it is depravity. It is not that we need to be better educated; we need to be crucified! If we are not dead, then God might as well be, as far as we are concerned!

Twelfth Bible Study: The Word Was Made Flesh

Our Scripture for the Christmas lesson is taken from John 1:1-14 in the New Testament. The lesson's emphasis will be primarily theological. The first five verses deal with Christ as God. We see His oneness with the Father, His activities in creation, and His life-giving power. Verses six through nine draw a contrast between John the Baptist and Jesus. Christ highly commended John. Yet, as great as John was, he was not the "true Light." Verses ten and eleven reveal that Jesus was to be rejected because He was not of the world which He had created. Verses twelve through fourteen conclude the lesson with how individuals may "become the sons of God," what it is to "receive" Christ, and what is spiritual birth. Most people know the Christmas story. The familarity tends to lull the reader into sleep. I challenge you to really dive into this lesson and allow the beauty of the Christmas story to touch your soul and renew your spirit. May you be blessed as you study today's passage.

The first section is "The Word, the Light" vv. 1-5. This first section contains much theological truth. Jesus is eternal. He has always existed. He is God, not an inferior one as the Jehovah Witnesses preach, but fully and equally God just as the Father is. Jesus is the Creator of all things and nothing exists without His touch. By being called the Word, the text means that Jesus is God and the second person of the one eternal Triune God. There were many theological errors during the time John wrote this Gospel. One was that Jesus was a separate God from the Father. The truth is that the Trinity is difficult for our limited minds to understand. A good illustration I like to use is myself. I am a father, husband and a son. All three of those labels describe who I am. I am one entity with three separate persons. Jesus was also "life." The word in verse four that describes Jesus in Greek is "Zoe." Zoe means of the absolute fulness of life, both essential, which belongs to God; a life active and vigorous, devoted to God and blessed.  The word "life" is not referencing a physical existance with a beating heart. It is a blessed life devoted to God. The light referenced in verse five is the Greek word "phos." It means to shine as emitted by a lamp. When Jesus appears, His light requires darkness to flee. Darkness and light cannot co-exist in the same place. For example, when you walk into a dark room and turn the light switch on and you can now see, what happened to the darkness? It was replaced by the light. In the same way, when Jesus comes into a life, the darkness of that person's life must flee. The "darkness comprehended it not," refers to the absolute fact that light wins! And, Jesus is the light! That is shouting ground!

The next section is "A Witness of the Light" vv. 6-9. These verses inform us that John the Baptist was sent from God to be a spokesman for the coming Messiah. This was a fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah 40:3. He was not the light, but sent to bear witness to the light. The word light in these verses is "phos" which means light as emitted by a lamp. Jesus is spoken of as "light" because He forces darkness to flee. Light always overcomes darkness. John's mission to make way for the light. He did that by preaching repentance. He told his listeners that one much more worthy than he was coming. John preached righteousness and holiness. He was not a "sloppy grace" preacher. There was no easy way. Salvation came by way of true repentance. That was his message.

The third section was "Response to the Light" vv. 10-13. Christ came to make us children and heirs of God. The world may know His name, but the world has not "received" Him. What does it mean to receive Christ? The other day I posted about being in a large Baptist church for a funeral. Since I was one of the speakers, I was sitting on the front row waiting to be called. I noticed that the front row seats had a reservation notice on them. They said, "Reserved Decision Counselors." That is how some people view salvation. They say, "God votes for you, the devil votes against you and you cast the deciding vote." They want you to make a decision for Christ, as if He is soliciting your vote like a politician. This is wrong. You receive Christ when you "believe" on His name. What does "believe"mean in a Hebraic worldview. It is far more than head knowledge or mental assent. The word "believe" is a Greek verb that is in the active voice and present tense. This means that the subject is doing the action, i.e. the ones believing in Christ, and the present tense means it is an ongoing action. Since it is ongoing, it will have an affect on your actions. To receive Christ is to believe on His name which will in fact result in a continuous change of behavior. Our spiritual life comes from God similar to the way our physical life comes from our parents. Have you received Christ as your Saviour and Sanctifier? If not, what holds you back?

The fourth section is "The Glory of the Light" v. 14. Jesus is a Divine-human Saviour. He had to be God, for only God could have the power to redeem all people at all times and places, both presently and in the future. As the Son of God, He possesses the knowledge and wisdom to lead us into all truth. Only Jesus could be the perfect Leader against sin and its power. He is the perfect Mediator between God and man. As a human, He was tempted as we are, yet without sin. He experienced what we face and conquored sin for us. He was God incarnate. It would be wrong to worship Jesus if He was not God, but since He is God, it proper to give Jesus all the praise and glory He deserves.

At this Christmas season, it is appropriate to take some time and thank Jesus Christ for all He did for us when He came to earth as a baby, grew to be a man, and suffered and died for our sins, and rose in glory and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. That truly makes for a Merry Christmas.

The Golden Text was "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." (Gal. 4:4) God controlled when the Son of God would be manifest. He caused holy men of old to give prophecies concerning the advent of the Christ. All was done in His perfect timing. This gives us great confidence in our God to keep us and provide for us.

My summary points:
1. Jesus is fully God and part of the Trinity. He is both life and light.
2. Christ is the light of the world and darkness cannot defeat Him.
3. We become children of God by receiving Him when we believe on His name.
4. Jesus is fully God and human man. As such, He is the perfect Saviour and Sanctifier.

Next week, the last study of the quarter, "Perfect in Every Good Work." Hebrews 13: 7-21.

Read the Sunday School Beacon for inspiration and encouragement.

Life Time Loyalty

BLJ: What is takes to get saved and sanctified is what it will take to stay saved and sanctified. A Christian may not return to his or her past life and remain saved. This is why the teaching of once saved always saved is such a dangerous heresy. People need to be warned of this truth. You can lose your salvation. However, you need not do so! With the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and faith, you are secure unless you make the conscious choice to return to sin.

LIFE-LONG LOYALTY

This warning, however: dying-out to the terminal does not guarantee that one will STAY DEAD. The "Old Man" will come alive again if one goes back into sin or rides roughshod over the checks of the Spirit. One cannot remain either saved or sanctified if he builds again the things he once destroyed. (Gal. 2:18).

BLJ: You stay dead when you keep Jesus first. 

In the introduction to A MEMOIR OF MR. WILLIAM CARVOSSO, that great Methodist class leader of the latter 18th and early 19th centuries, he is quoted as saying that one "...may again cast away his confidence, and feel a return of the carnal mind; for he stands only one moment at time and that moment by faith, whose life depends on our constancy in watching unto prayer" (p. 15). 

"Wherefore," says Paul, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Cor. 10:12).
The Holy Ghost never leaves anyone until first that person leaves Him. When one feels capable -- he can handle it -- is adequate -- he knows how -- he is very resourceful then, -- God is no longer needed or consulted. When Christians get in that condition, they create a space between themselves and the Holy Spirit, and that breach will continue to widen until the Holy Spirit is utterly foreign to them and they are not following Him at all. He then has no choice but to withdraw. In 2 Chronicles 15:2 we read: "The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." Many poor lost souls drifted downward so gradually, that they, like Samson, did not realize that the Spirit of God had departed (Judges 16:20).

BLJ: Jesus will not force you to remain true to Him. He has given you free will so use it for His good and purposes.

THE DELIGHTFUL DECEASE (THE SONG OF SELF BEING SLAIN) 

My heart was not just right, tho' I prayed both day and night, Ere the blood of Jesus cleans'd from all sin.

Tho' I strove with all my might to keep temper out of sight, There was just a little stirring within.
I was taught as a boy that when Satan did annoy,
I should then subdue dark passion and pride.
But it stopp'd short, never to go again, when the OLD MAN died!
There were times in my life of despondency and strife,
Ere the blood of Jesus cleans'd from all sin.
Tho' my face would look sublime, I felt sure from time to time, There was just a little stirring within.
I repented, that is true, and it grieved me thro' and thro',
When the OLD MAN would rise up inside.
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the OLD MAN died!
Many times did I get blessed, and to this I had confessed, Ere the blood of Jesus cleans'd from all sin.
I was happy every day, but at times I now must say, There was just a little stirring within.
There were those who said to me that I sanctified should be,
But it only wakened up old spiritual pride.
But it stopp'd short, never to go again, when the OLD MAN died!
Oh, the joy that filled my soul, when the Lord got full control, And the blood of Jesus cleans'd from all sin.
He had pardoned me, that's true; now He sanctified me too, And there's naught but love a-stirring within.
Ere the second blessing came, with its sanctifying flame,
There were times I'd feel that proneness to backslide.
But it stopped short, never to go again, when the OLD MAN died!
(Chorus, verses 1-3)
Time went on. -- It was stirring yet. Many times did I smother it, But it stopp'd short, never to go again, when the OLD MAN died!
(Chorus, verse 4)
Time goes on; there's no stirring yet. Praise the Lord I don't smother it, For it stopped short, never to go again when the OLD MAN died!
"When I was saved I received something I never had. When I was sanctified I got rid of something I always had."

BLJ: Praise God for the sanctified flame! Do you feel the fire?

Satan, the Subtle Salesman

BLJ: The other day, I attended a funeral in a baptist church. It was huge! I remarked that it looked like a castle! I was explaining to someone that baptist have the best theology for church growth. Consider this: come make a decision for Christ (this means say a 30 second prayer), get baptized, and now you are assured of your salvation forever. You can't lose it! What a deal! Invest 30 seconds and enjoy a guarantee of heaven! No wonder the church was huge. Consider our holiness message in comparison:
1. Repent and make restitution for your sins.
2. Live the Christian life.
3. Surrender all and die to self to become entirely sanctified.
4. Continue what you started or you will lose it.

Is there any wonder that there is never a parking problem at authentic, old fashioned holiness churches? 

Today's passage deals with Satan who is always trying to get you to take the easy way, the broad way, the way paved with comfort and is aligned with the world. He tried this on Jesus and he will try it on you, and that is a guarantee.


SATAN, THE SUBTLE SALESMAN

Satan tried to sell Christ the idea that He need not go through the ignominy of the crucifixion to accomplish His mission in the world. Satan pointed to what he called an easier way!

He always does that! Simply bow to him and take it by faith! It would appear by Satan's deceitful purpose, to be as simple as that (Matt. 4:1-11). Had Christ fallen for the temptation of Satan, He would have shut the door on the last person in the world ever being salvaged from the wreckage of a fallen race, for there would have been no atonement for sin. (Does it not follow that any individual who tries to escape the crucifixion of self is falling to the same temptation that Satan presented to Christ?) How can we be identified with Christ when He was willing to be crucified for us, if we are not willing to be crucified with Him? Paul believed we would have to be "...planted together in the likeness of his death" if we should entertain any hope of our resurrection (Rom. 6:5).

One can die out to carnality once and for all and have the hateful thing eradicated, but he will still have his humanity to contend with as long as he is in the world. For that reason there will be crises which will necessitate a deeper dying to humanity and a more heroic faith. Deeper dying and stronger faith will be needed as one encounters new light, new ventures, new crises and new battles in life. There always will be new things that come up, for one to die out to, and to believe for. One's dying will have to dig to new depths and his faith ascend to new heights as the more severe tests and greater storms come on. It is easy to understand why St. Paul had to die daily. G. D. Watson, in his book PURE GOLD, takes this position.

Faith for Holiness

BLJ: Today we consider the meaning of being crucified to self and faith for holiness. This is a serious walk and not for he faint hearted. Too many today are searching for a new "gospel," a soft "gospel," one that allows you to be a friend with the world and still saved. Thar approach is a false gospel and it will take you on the broad path of destruction.

CASHING IN ALL CLAIMS

Dr. A. M. Hills explains the deeper meaning of the crucified self, thus:
When we have thus given ourselves to God we are our own no longer. When the Israelite brought an offering, he surrendered all claims to it. So with the Christian consecrating for the blessing. He surrenders all claim to himself. Intellect, will, affections, desires, possessions, influence -- all are God's and are never again to be taken off the altar. [23]

BLJ: You must surrender all claims to yourself, your future, your money, your life, your purpose and place yourself in the hands of God.

UNFALTERING FAITH

In seeking heart holiness, faith must be involved all the way through. By faith we grasp the promise of a holy heart; by faith we seek; by faith we pay the price; by faith we receive. "...he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Heb. 11:6).
However, we must understand that real faith cannot possibly operate in bringing the final victory, unless first we are willing to take carnal self all the way to its execution. The late dear Bro. H. B. Huffman expressed it this way:

You told them to take it by faith, and it is faith. You can't get anywhere without faith. You can't get started without faith. You can put your head against that steel post and beat it 'till you are blind, and you can't get anywhere without faith. But I want to tell you, when you pay the full price, your faith, like a thermostat on the wall, will drop into position and you'll know you've got the Holy Ghost. Praise the Lord.

If, however, the Holy Spirit didn't purify your heart of its carnality -- then He did not sanctify you. Many seekers of holiness have been fooled into thinking they were sanctified holy just because God blessed them and they got happy, only to discover later that the Old Man was still on board.

BLJ: Once you have made an entire consecration, died to self, you are to exercise faith to be sanctified wholly. Holiness is a life of faith. However, you are not to act in presumption. 

SELF MUST BE SACRIFICED FOR SPIRITUAL SUCCESS

Jesus made it clear that a corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die or it will abide alone (John 12:24). It is said when they opened King Tut's tomb they found a stone crock filled with wheat that had lain there entombed for thirty-three centuries, until the germ of life and fled. Can one imagine how much wheat there would be in the world if all of that wheat had been planted, and then all which it produced had been replanted, and the process carried on for thirty-three hundred years? There is no doubt but what there would be enough wheat in the world to cover every inch of ground several feet deep with wheat, if every harvest could have been totally replanted. Inconceivable! Incomprehensible! Yet this illustrates the deadness of a sham Christianity which is as far from the real thing as one's salvation today would be, if Christ had listened to Satan and had never gone to the cross. We all then, would be as far removed from eternal life as was the wheat in King Tut's tomb, from this present life. The wheat which was not planted became sterile, and the same thing happens to Christians when the germ of spiritual life has departed from them.

BLJ: The Christian that has died to self and been sanctified wholly will produce spiritual fruit.

The grains of wheat which failed to fall into the ground and die, as God had intended, became sterile. Sterility in a grain of wheat could be compared with apostasy in a human heart. Many poor, benighted humans have become spiritually sterile to the point where they can no more recover to spiritual life than the wheat from King Tut's tomb could grow if it were planted now.

God's humble souls who do not wish this apostate tragedy to happen to them, have made an all-out commitment to Christ such as the unknown author of this beautiful little verse apparently made.

"Reign over me, Lord Jesus! Oh, make my heart Thy throne! It shall be Thine forever!
It shall be Thine alone!"

Dear reader, please understand that merely mentally consenting to the crucifixion of carnal self does not guarantee that one will necessarily break through and become sanctified wholly, but it does open the door to the pure-heart experience and makes entrance possible.

BLJ: Mental affirmation will not bring you any benefit but a little false peace of mind. When the storms of life come, you will know if you don't have the real experience of holiness. Why wait? Pay the price and enter into the sweet land of Canaan.

Dying to the Depth of Depravity

BLJ: Today's passage speaks to dying to depravity. The many older hymnals contained the song, "Let Me Die." The fact that the song was taken out of the hymnal is evidence that the church has walked away from its past, which included death-route holiness.

DYING TO THE DEPTH OF DEPRAVITY

Many of the old-time holiness people believed in the "death-route." As long a fifty years ago we remember hearing a man testify. He said: "I was born twice; I died once, and I expect to live forever."
Of the last three hymnals the Church of the Nazarene has published, the first of the three called GLORIOUS GOSPEL HYMNS was copyrighted in 1931, and contain the following hymn entitled, 

"Let Me Die."
O God, my heart doth long for Thee, Let me die, let me die;
Now set my soul at liberty,
Let me die, let me die.
To all the trifling things of earth, They're now to me of little worth: My Saviour calls, I must go forth, Let me die, let me die.
Thy slaying pow'r in me display, Let me die, let me die;
I must be dead from day to day, Let me die, let me die.
Unto the world and its applause,
To all the customs, fashions, laws, Of these who hate the humble cross, Let me die, let me die.
O I must die to scoffs and jeers, Let me die, let me die;
I must be freed from slavish fears, Let me die, let me die.
So dead that no desire shall rise To pass for good, or great, or wise, In any but the Saviour's eyes!
Let me die, let me die.
-- Jeanette Palmiter --

BLJ: Can you sing these words as a testimony?

A. W. Tozer had this to say about the crucifixion of self: "We must do something about the cross, and there's only one of two things we can do -- flee it or die upon it!"

BLJ: What is your decision about the cross? I choose death!

THE HEAD-ROUTE VERSUS THE HEART-ROUTE

It is possible for one to merely go the "head-route" instead of the "heart-route," and never break through into the reality of the experience of perfect love. Millions have fallen into this snare of Satan and settled for a "head knowledge" of the doctrine of holiness without ever receiving the experience in their hearts.

BLJ: My experience with churches is that most give lip service to holiness, but not the deep soul searching death-route experience that Rev. Boardman wrote about.

A young man of our acquaintance years ago contracted leukemia. As soon as he learned the diagnosis, he went to a local library and learned all he could about his disease. He studied its symptoms at different stages of development. However, his acquired knowledge of the disease did not save his life. Nor will the knowledge of "death-route" holiness in one's head solve the
carnality problem in his own heart or make him eligible for heaven. Through an act of the will, self must be confessed out, despised, and utterly renounced before the Holy Spirit can crucify the "Old Man" (Rom. 6:6) of carnal self, purify one's heart, and take over the rulership of one's life.

BLJ: Head knowledge does nothing but send you to hell knowing what you should have done. Heart-knowledge takes the head knowledge and applies it to your obedient self and results in transformation.

Backing Up On Holiness

BLJ: Today's reading contains a warning for those that reject death-route holiness. Prayerfully read today's passage and affirm in your heart that you will never take the easy way out.

CONSEQUENCE OF A CRUCIFIXION COP-OUT

Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ...(Luke 13:23-28).

BLJ: The way is narrow and confining. You are not free to live according to a carnal nature. You are not free to do whatever you wish. God has set boundaries and they must be obeyed. The sanctified heart loves the boundaries and pleasing God.

Webster says that "cop out" means to back out of an unwanted responsibility. Jonah, for example, tried to "cop out" when God told him to go and preach to the city of Nineveh. (Jonah 1:2).
When the writer of this book was seeking the Holy Ghost in dead earnest, a church leader tried his best to talk him out of it. The man acknowledged the fact that when his own wife was under conviction for holiness in a previous revival, and was seeking to be sanctified, that he talked her out of it. Apparently he had talked himself out of it also. He later became immorally involved with the wife of another minister and was required to surrender his office and his credentials. Had he gone all the way down the "death-route" and received, and retained a Holy Ghost experience, and encouraged his wife to do the same, the tragedy in his own life and marriage and ministry would never have happened.

BLJ: Woe unto those that not only fail to enter into holiness, but keep others from entering in. A special place in hell for them, in my opinion.

"Elijah's God still liveth
And waits with great desire; And those who meet conditions He answers yet by fire."

A DEPLORABLE DISAPPOINTMENT

Many years ago Dr. Purkiser told this story at a camp meeting in West Virginia. It was later relayed by another evangelist. Here is the account:

He...got up and took his text, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man." And then he had a wonderful text -- a wonderful sermon. He had three divisions: quenching the Spirit, grieving the Spirit and resisting the Spirit. (Are you listening now?) He came down to the climax -- the close, and he said: "My father was a Presbyterian minister and a pretty good preacher and a good man [as far as he knew], but he was not sanctified wholly. And I had a little church and I somehow worked it around that I got my father to come and attend a good part of this revival meeting. And my father sat there night after night with his mouth open and finally went to the altar, and prayed real good the first night, and the second night and several times. And one night I saw him freeze up!" He said, "My father -- I saw him back up. I saw him change his expression, I saw him shake his head -- and got up and sat down on a bench, and walked out that night, and went home the next day, and became the meanest man I have ever known, and died and went to hell, drunk, with a heart attack and is burning in hell tonight, because [I'm giving his words] he failed to take the 'death-route' and die out to self and get a sanctified heart."

BLJ: Dr. Purkiser was a leading theological voice for the Church of the Nazarene. Notice his father heard the truth, began to respond and then backed up. Woe be unto those that know the truth about holiness and reject it. Their end is disastrous.

Today sweet Mercy lingers, Tomorrow Death may come And touch with icy fingers Your heart. It spareth none. Repent while Love is pleading, And Mercy's at the gate;
While Christ is interceding -- Tomorrow is too late. [22]
Dear Brother H. Robb French, founder of the Florida Evangelistic Association and Hobe Sound Bible College, surely did believe in the "Death-Route" and he was not afraid to call it by its right name. He said:

"It's a death route. You die to self, you die to sin, you die to reputation, you die to people, you die to money, you die to the future, you die to the family, you die to everything...everything you have or ever expect to have is just a pile of ashes."

BLJ: This is why the great need of the church is for its members to take the death-route and get sanctified wholly. Can you imagine what it would be like to pastor a church of death-route Holy Ghost filled sanctified believers! The devil would shake in fear!