DECEMBER 2010Volume 122 No. 9
FEATURES
No One Ever Stooped Lower Than Jesus 5by Harold Schmul
Glory Be To God On High 6by J. Cawood
The Sacrifice Of Stewardship 8by Marc Sankey
DEPARTMENTS
The Editor’s View 2The President’s Page 3Letters To The Editor 4The World To Win 4Called Unto Holiness 7News From The Hilltop 10Revivalist Family 10Dear Phil 14World Pulse 15From The Classics 16Revivalist Pulpit 17Alumni News 20Thoughts For The Quiet Hour 23
STAFF
Brandon Hilligoss, assistant graphic designer Sharonna Mitchell, production manager
Kevin Moser, art director, managing editor
Jon Plank, assistant graphic designer, webmaster
Larry D. Smith, editor
God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate (ISSN 0745-0788) is published monthly except forcombined issues in January-February and June-July-August for $12.00 per year($28.00, Canada; $45.00, other countries) by the Revivalist Press of God’s BibleSchool, College and Missionary Training Home, 1810 Young Street, Cincinnati, Ohio45202. Periodical postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: send address changes to God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate, 1810Young Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate, the official organ of God’s Bible School, is a maga-zine founded by Martin Wells Knapp in July of 1888. We seek to proclaim the good newsof salvation; to stir a revival spirit among Christians; to stimulate Christian growth andresponsible Christian living; to present the happenings and interests of God’s Bible School.
Please obtain permission before reprinting any articles from God’s Revivalist and BibleAdvocate. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed, but not returned.
God’s Bible School and College seeks to glorify God and to serve His Church by pro-viding higher education centered in Holy Scripture and shaped by Wesleyan convic-tion, thus preparing faithful servants to proclaim Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holi-ness throughout the world.
God’s Bible School and College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color,national or ethnic origin, or against otherwise qualified handicapped persons in itsadmission of students or employment of its faculty and staff.
Contact us by telephone at (513) 721-7944 (Revivalist Press, ext. 1351); by fax at(513) 763-6649; by email at [email protected] or [email protected]. Visit us onlineat www.gbs.edu or www.godsrevivalist.com.
COVER PHOTO: ©2010 Polka Dot Images.
CONTENTS
LARRY D. SMITH
LORD OF THE CATTLE SHED
Cattle sheds are grimy, grubby places—or at leastthey were in the First Century when Jesus Christwas born in one of them. There in that cattle
shed, among festooning cobwebs, reeking straw, andlowing oxen, the God-man “came to visit us in great hu-mility,” as the Book of Common Prayer so tersely and soeloquently reminds us. “Great humility,” of course, wasas little valued then as it is now on this twisted planet,where the movers and the shapers of this world publiclycommend it but privately deride it. “Stupid weakness,”they mutter, as they strut and preen and shove andelbow their way to eminence and priority. But how dif-ferent is Heaven’s estimate of humility, as Jesus’ cattleshed so decisively affirms!
This Christmas, we shall visit again that dismal barn; andthere we shall kneel in deepest reverence before His mangerbed. For it was here that God the Son took humility to itsdeepest depths and to its highest heights and “made him-self of no reputation and took upon him the form of a ser-vant,” as Saint Paul asserts. Moreover, He “humbled himselfand became obedient unto death, even the death of thecross.” Here in Philippians 2 is “a double humiliation” forOur Lord—first in the self-abasement of His incarnation;and second, in the “obedience unto death” of His atone-ment. He who is the Eternal Word of the Father and who isHimself “God of God, light of light, very God of very God,”surrendered the privileges that were His by right from alleternity and “emptied Himself of all but love.” Whileretaining the fullness and majesty of His deity, Heembraced the fullness and agony of our humanity.
Both His spotless life and His reconciling death wereoffered to the Father and for us in this magnificent self-giv-ing of His humiliation. How fitting, then, that Jesus (p22)�
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theeditor’s
view
One Christmas Eve over a century ago, an Amer-ican Episcopal minister was riding horsebackacross the Judean hills in Palestine. He stopped
his horse at a hillside clearing near the very place whereshepherds “watched their flocks by night” so long ago.Reverently he surveyed his surroundings. Above himflickered the same stars that looked down upon thenew-born Christ Child centuries earlier; below him,sleeping in the darkness, were the narrow streets of thevillage of Bethlehem.
Though the air that night was cold, the heart of thenotable preacher was warmed as he worshiped in hisoutdoor sanctuary. The scene so transfixed itself uponhis mind that upon returning to America, Rev. PhillipsBrooks captured the panoramic wonder of that eveningin the words of a poem which he later gave to his churchorganist, Lewis Redner, who set the verses to music.
You will recognize the familiar carol: “O little townof Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! / Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.” Then Brookspenned this astounding but time-honored evaluation: “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light, / The hopesand fears of all the years are met in thee tonight!”
What an incredible expression of optimism! The hopes and fears of all the years find their fulfillment and reso-lution in the Baby of Bethlehem! Born in obscurity under inauspicious circumstances, this Child would be hailed asthe Savior of the world; the Conqueror of death, hell, and the grave; the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings! Whatan antidote for a restless and chaotic world!
As this article goes to press, our nation is in a war to root out the perpetrators of terrorism. Here in our home-land, many live under the fear of another terror attack that will shatter the peace and bring grief to many homes.Joblessness has robbed the happiness of millions as economic uncertainly stalks the land. But above the noise, con-fusion, and economic turmoil of our world, as hope and fear continue to battle within the hearts of men, it is fittingthat we conclude this year by quietly reflecting upon the coming of One who fulfills every hope and calms everyfear! The confidence of the Christian must remain today where it has always been — in the birth, life, death, resur-rection, and soon-return of the Baby of Bethlehem, who is now the King of Glory; for therein, and only therein, isevery hope fulfilled and every fear resolved!
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thepresident’s
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THE GIFT OF HOPE
by Michael R. Avery, President
TO THE EDITOR
PREACHING THE LAW
I enjoy each issue of the Revivalist and reallylook forward to getting it. Your last article [TheEditor’s View, “You Must Preach the Law,”September 2010] on the role of the Law in our sal-vation was especially striking and good. So manytimes we get the idea that the Law was fulfilled inthe Gospel and now we don’t need the Law any-more rather than that the Law was a schoolmaster tobring us to Christ (the Gospel).
MELVIN SCHAPEROchelata, Oklahoma
MEMORIES
My father, Floyd Meadows, worked [at GBS] onthe printing presses over 70 years ago. [Later] heworked at the Nazarene Publishing House. I remem-ber Prof. McNeil. His family and ours attended theNorwood Church of the Nazarene, where he playedthe pipe organ. Rev. M.G. Standley was the head ofGBS back then. We lived at 516 Channing, so Iattended Taft Grade School and Woodward HighSchool. My daughter found you on her computer.I’m almost 90 and living in a Methodist retirementcenter. This brings back so many memories.Enclosed [is a] check for one-year subscription.
OCENA ALLENKansas City, Missouri
ARTICLES ASSIST LAY SPEAKER
I have been receiving the Revivalist for a coupleof years. As a lay speaker in the United MethodistChurch, I often find articles in the Revivalist that[assist me in] my talks.
DANNY MULLENFairfield, Ohio
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Letters should be addressed to the Editorial Office, 1810 YoungStreet, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, or emailed to [email protected] reprinted here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of theeditor of God’s Revivalist nor those of the administration of God’sBible School. Names and locations of writers will be withheld attheir specific request or at the discretion of the editor. We reservethe right to edit and condense.
Each month we publish brief “field reports” from missionariesaround the world. Missionaries are invited to send us theirnewsletters and other information about their activities. GBS grad-uates are especially urged to respond, but we also wish to includeothers who uphold our vision and our commitment.
EGYPT. “[We have] inaugurated the newest church inEgypt in Wadi El Natroon, which is a very needy areafor the gospel. It is the first evangelical church on theGiza-Alexandria Desert Way…. We erected a 200-square-meter, three-story building. We have finishedthe first floor but are still working to finish the other twostories that will be used for developmental and mercyministries for that community…. We have a great needto develop and train leaders for this new church. Alsothere is a great need for finances to finish the other twostories.” —Steven Saied, Missionary Herald
ERITREA. “Recently [we] attended the 2010 campmeeting of Eritreans who have immigrated to theUnited States and Canada. About 450 of them hadgathered at Orleans, Indiana. At least 165 have con-nections with Evangelistic Faith Missions. EFM and itsmissionaries…began evangelizing in Eritrea about 60years ago. The churches have been closed by the gov-ernment since 2002, but the work continues therewith faithful nationals who in difficult circumstancesare still helping people find God, overseeing theorphanage, and teaching over 3,000 students in ourschools.” —Irene Maurer, Missionary Herald
PAPUA NEW GUINEA. “It only took twenty-ninehours in transit, plus another hour flight the followingday, to get to our temporary home here in the high-lands of New Guinea. We have settled in well, and Iam helping out in the linguistics department. We seekGod’s direction on where to get involved in transla-tion. There are literally hundreds of languages here inPNG [into which the Word of God needs to be trans-lated]” —Lawrence Doyle, Church Herald andHoliness Banner
MISSIONS REPORTS
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DECEMBER 2010
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This Christmas consider again His riches and His poverty…
�NO ONE EVERSTOOPED LOWER
THAN jESUSby the Late Rev. Harold Schmul
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, thoughhe was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that yethrough his poverty might be rich.” —II Corinthians 8:9
Computers have made old-fashioned methods of handlingarithmetical equations obsolete, but even the most sophis-
ticated marvels cannot calculate the riches of Christ. In this pas-sage from II Corinthians, Paul is writing to believers who con-sidered themselves lavishly generous in supporting the gospel.He suggests that they should compare their giving to the self-less, voluntary impoverishment of Christ.
This mind-boggling discussion of the riches of Christoverwhelms us modern Americans, for we are accustomedto thinking in terms of billions and trillions. But if you aretempted to think that you have given generously, considerthe incalculable wealth that was Christ’s. Then rememberthe poverty that He willingly embraced for us. For when Hehad finished giving, He had given all.
Yes, “He was rich.” How rich this was we shall never fullyknow. His wealth was that of eternity. Do not think that theSavior began to live at Mary’s breast. Long before the first speckof dust floated in remotest space or the first fire of the sun waskindled or the morning stars sang together, “Holy, Holy, holy,”He was there. For He always was; He always has been; Healways will be. His wealth cannot be added to or taken away.But in what manner was He rich?
Jesus was rich in glory. His great High Priestly Prayer revealsHis heart-hunger for “the glory which I had with thee beforethe world was“ (John 7:5). This mirrors His inner hunger for thatpeculiar and special relationship that He had with His Fatherbefore time began. Yet for us He relinquished that special gloryand took the first step on the road to total abasement. That firststep was Bethlehem and the cattle shed.
His was the glory of both omniscience and omnipotence.“All things were made by him and for him and without him wasnot anything made” (John 1:3). “For by him were all things cre-ated that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisi-ble…: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16).During His earthly sojourn, we get glimpses of this particularglory, as when He saw Andrew under the tree or sent Peter totake the fish from the sea in order to pay their taxes.
Moreover, He was rich in honor and love. All heavenpraised, worshiped, and adored Christ the Eternal Son. The
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angelic host could well have vied with one another to renderhomage, love, and service to Him. There was fiery devotion in theangelic host, delight on every countenance, and joy in every heart.His slightest wish was their command. But “he became poor that[we] through His poverty might be rich” and joint heirs to all Hiseternal estate and glory. Though He was God, He did not cling toHis rights but laid aside His mighty power and glory, taking the dis-guise of a slave, and became a man and actually died on the crosslike a criminal (Philippians 2:5).
How often our sleazy politicians have their photos taken in theghetto with the rough and poor. They will munch on a hot dog — thepoor man’s steak — while slopping mustard on their shirts. Thus theytry to impress the poor, the downtrodden, and the aged. But suchexpressions of sympathy are only momentary and with a selfishmotive. How many of those rich politicians have ever really sold theirestates, given away their stocks and bonds, and moved into a smallapartment on the wrong side of the tracks?
But Jesus actually became poor in the fullest sense of the word.Of course He never ceased to be God, but He did lay aside the pre-rogatives of His deity, coming out of the Ivory Palaces, and spending33 years in our world of toil, tears, strain, and death. Indeed Hebecame so poor that He had to borrow a boat in which to preach asermon and a lunch to perform a miracle. He wore the cheapest ofgarments, and in His death He was so poor that He was buried inanother man’s tomb.
He was born in a manger, fed at the breast of a peasant girl,grew up in a carpenter’s shop, and knew all the limitations of timeand space. He became weary and thirsty for water. Sorrow and griefbecame His lot. He was tempted at all points like we are, yet Hedid not sin.
The moment of His deepest poverty would be at Calvary. ThereHe was without a rag to cover His nakedness, disciples to comfortHim, or a sense of His Father’s love to sustain Him. Remember howHe cried, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”Moreover, He who filled the oceans and started the cascadingstreams had not a drop to quench His thirst. He who said, “Let therebe light” died in the dark. He whose face was honored by angelhosts was spat upon, cursed, and smitten by wicked men.
No one ever bent or stooped lower than our Lord Jesus.Then when He would rise from this posture of humiliationin the resurrection morning, He would lift along withHimself all our humanity who would repent of sin andbelieve on Him. He would ascend above all princi-palities and powers and give gifts to men, makingthe earth’s bankrupts rich in grace, blessing, glory,peace, fellowship, and eternal life. All glory to Himforever! The Christ who became poor that wemight become rich is the Mighty God, the Princeof Peace, and our coming King. Alleluia!
Rev. Harold Schmul (1921–1998) was one of the chief orga-nizers of the Conservative Holiness Movement, a publisher ofWesleyan/holiness books, and a co-founder of the InterChurchHoliness Convention. This article is published with permissionfrom The Convention Herald.
GLORY BE TO GOD ONHIGH�by J. Cawood
Hark! What mean these holy voices,Sweetly sounding through the skies?Yes, the angelic host rejoices;Heavenly hallelujahs rise.
Listen to the wondrous story,Which they chant in hymns of joy;Glory in the highest, glory,Glory be to God on high.
Peace on earth, goodwill from heaven,Reaching far as we are found;Souls redeemed and sins forgiven!Loud our golden harps shall sound.
Christ is born, the Great Anointed.Heaven and earth His praises sing.O receive from God appointed,He your prophet, priest, and king.
Hasten, mortals, to adore Him.Speak His name and taste His joy.Till in Heaven we sing before Him,Glory be to God on high!
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Many speak well of what Christ has done for usbut little of what He is to do in us! He wasincarnated, suffered, died, and rose again,
ascended to heaven, and there appears in the presenceof God. These were all saving, atoning, and mediatingacts for us that He might reconcile us to God—that Hemight blot out our sins, purge our consciences fromdead works, wash our polluted hearts, destroy every fouland abominable desire, make our hearts His throne, andfill us with light, power, and life. These are done in us,and all are the result of what He has done for us. Exceptfor His great sacrifice we could never receive either par-don or holiness, and if He does not cleanse and purifyour hearts we shall never enter into heaven, for theBeatific Vision is given only to those who are purifiedfrom all unrighteousness. “Blessed are the pure in heart:for they shall see God.”
To be filled with God is a great thing; to be filledwith the fullness of God is still greater; to be filled withall the fullness of God is greater still. By the “fullness ofGod” we are to understand all the gifts and graces whichHe has promised to bestow on us for our salvation hereand our being fully prepared for the enjoyment of gloryhereafter. To be filled with all the fullness of God is tohave the heart emptied and cleansed from all sin anddefilement and filled with humility, meekness, gentle-ness, goodness, justice, holiness, mercy, truth, and loveto both God and others. This will bring constant and lov-ing obedience to God and unvarying benevolencetowards our neighbors.
But few are sanctified and cleansed from all sinbecause they do not feel and confess the plague of theirhearts. As the blood of Jesus Christ, applied by faith,
purges the conscience from all dead works, so the samecleanses the heart from all unrighteousness. As allunrighteousness is sin, so he that is cleansed from allunrighteousness is cleansed from all sin. To plead for thecontinuance of sin in the heart through life is ungrateful,wicked, and blasphemous. For he who says the blood ofChrist cannot or will not cleanse us from all sin in this lifegives also the lie to his Maker who has declared the con-trary. Reader, it is the birthright of every child of God tobe cleansed from all sin, to keep himself unspotted fromthe world, and so to live as never more to offend HisMaker. All things are possible to him that believeth,because all things are possible to the infinitely meritori-ous blood and the powerful Spirit of the Lord Jesus.
Are you weary of that carnal mind which is enmityto God. Can you be happy while you are unholy? Doyou not know that God has given His Son to die for you?Can you love him a little and not desire to love Himmore? Are you not weary of a sinful heart? Turn fromevery sin. Give up every idol. Remember that nothingbut the blood of Jesus can cleanse you from all unright-eousness. “Come unto me,” says Jesus. Hear His voice,believe at all risks, and make your way to Him. For asthe work of cleansing and renewing the heart is thework of God, His almighty power can perform it in amoment. This moment you may be emptied of sin, filledwith holiness, and become fully happy.
Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke (c. 1760–1832) was a famous BritishMethodist scholar, known especially for his massive commentary onthe Bible. This extract, condensed and updated by the editor, istaken from Clarke’s Christian Theology, a collection of his writingspublished after his death.
In this space we use writers both past and present to discuss various aspects of Christian holiness.
WHAT CHRIST WILL DO IN US
by Dr. Adam Clarke
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In Kentucky, two men tried to pull the front off a cashmachine by running a chain from it to the bumper oftheir pickup truck. Instead of pulling the front paneloff the machine, however, they pulled off their
bumper. Scared, they left the scene and drove home —leaving the bumper behind with their vehicle’s licenseplate still attached. We can safely assume that these werenot shrewd thieves!
In Luke 16, the story Jesus tells is about a shrewdcriminal. He was a steward of his employer’s money. Butwith great freedom and possessions come great responsi-bility; and the temptation to assume ownership over thatof which he was simply steward became too great. Hemismanaged his master’s goods and was summarily dis-missed from his position.
He immediately formulated a plan to provide for hisfuture when he was out of employment. He called all ofthose who owed his employer money. One by one hearbitrarily adjusted their bill. He then doctored the booksand erased their original bills and replaced the figure witha far less sum. They, of course, eagerly paid the greatlyreduced bill. His employer still received some money,and the shrewd steward made himself scores of friendswho now owed him a big favor.
Then Jesus makes this observation: “The children ofthis world are wiser in their generation than the childrenof light.” The children of this world are always lust-ing for material possessions. As a result they arecleverly competent in exploiting every lucrativecourse and, in turn, gorging their already dis-tended portfolio with temporal assets. Intheir generation they are wise, andthat is because they live forthis material world.
To them this earthand all of its temporalaffiliates are thebeginning and
end of life. Why not give ourselves over to hedonistic liv-ing and materialistic treasure hunts if this is all there is?When we pour ourselves into something, we very natu-rally become an expert on that thing. So it is with thematerialistic person who has given himself to the pursuitof secular treasures. He becomes a specialist at wringingdry the sponge of worldly goods.
We expect this among those who haven’t discoveredthe Pearl of Great Price, but what of the supposed fol-lowers of Christ who claim to be completely satisfied withHim alone?
Should we not tremble when we realize that if we haverunning water, shelter, food and some means of transporta-tion, then we’re in the top 15 percent of the world’s peoplefor wealth? Still we carry on, feigningradical abandonment to Christwho has commandedthose who wouldtruly walk in His
08GOD’S REVIVALIST and BIBLE ADVOCATE
steps, to “…deny yourself and take up your cross and fol-low Me.” God is nauseated by church-goers who under-stand what it takes to insure success in the material realm
but are unconscious to the demands of discipleship.Then Jesus gives us the heart of the parable in
verse nine. This unjust steward had used monetarymeans to make friends who would in turn help himwhen he lost his job. Essentially Jesus says to His fol-lowers, “Use the possessions at your disposal, tomake friends who will thank you when you get toheaven. Use your money for eternal purposes.”
There are some significant lessons in this storythat can be directly applied to our lives:
1. To be a good steward of even the smallestsum is to demonstrate your ability to managegreater possessions (vs.10). The fine print of our lifebelongs to God. We assume God wants only the “spir-
itual” things to be included in our surrender, but if oursurrender is to be full, it necessitates our giving Godeven our spare change. Our performance in the mun-
danities speaks volumes as to the fullness of our surren-der. If we are conscientious stewards of material things, wewill be trusted with that which has eternal value.
2. To be a good steward of worldly gain is to askGod to give you spiritual wealth (vs.11, 12). Someoneobserved, “If you cannot care for things of temporal,fleeting value, how will you care for the bona fide wealthof God? If you cannot care for the possessions of anoth-er, how do you expect to receive anything of your own?”That house you live in, that car you drive, and thatmoney in the bank are not yours but God’s. Our unwill-ingness to use His possessions for His kingdom’s bestinterest while in this life will give God no choice but todeny us our best interest in the life to come.
3. To be a good steward of earthly goods means giv-ing your total allegiance to God (vs.13). You can’t serveboth God and possessions. We must choose betweeninvesting in earthly treasures that may rot or be stolen orgiving freely to God’s purposes. We do not have the luxu-ry of frivolously spending on our pleasure and hoping topacify God with the leftovers. We must joyfully enter intothe sacrifice of stewardship, gladly leaving everything forHim. Then Christ promises that we will receive “…mani-fold more in this life and in the life to come.”
When contemplating the sacrifice of stewardship,let’s remind ourselves of David Livingstone’s responsewhen asked about his “sacrifice” in leaving a lucrativecareer for Africa: “I never made a sacrifice. I am only try-ing to pay back a small part of a great debt that I willnever be able to fully repay.”
Rev. Marc Sankey, an alumnus of GBS (‘94 BRE) is director of BibleMethodist missions in Mexico. This article is condensed from a sermonhe preached at the 2010 GBS camp meeting.
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BIRTHS
To Phillip (GBS ‘96 BA) and Heather(Bryan) (GBS ‘97 BA) Dickinson, adaughter, Mary Grace Dickinson, bornSeptember 29, 2010, Cincinnati, Ohio.Phillip and Heather are missionaries toColombia, currently on furlough. Their
other children are Kimberly, Sarah, Noah, and Elijah. To David (GBS ‘07 BA Mus Ed) and
Jessica (Stroup) (GBS ‘07 BA Teacher Ed)Hartkopf, a daughter Mallory AddysonHartkopf, born September 9, 2010,Cincinnati, Ohio. David is a member ofthe music faculty at GBS.
To Kirk and Jodi (Freeman) Marshall, a daughterNorah Jayne Marshall, born October 18, 2010,
Cincinnati, Ohio. Both parents areemployed at GBS, Kirk as a high schoolEnglish teacher in Aldersgate ChristianAcademy and Jodi as administrative assistantto the Vice President for Academic Affairsand the Vice President for Student Affairs.
DEATHS
Jennie Marie Van Dalen, 90, Menasha, Wisconsin,passed from this life into the arms of her personal Lordand Savior, June 11, 2010. She attended God’s Bible
School in 1943 and was a homemaker.Her devotion to serving Jesus led herdown many paths, including her continualand unselfish giving toward missionarywork. Survivors include her five children,Carl, Mary Alice, Vanessa, Paul, and Tom;
twelve grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.She was preceded in death by the father of her chil-dren, Frank Van Dalen, and her grandson Dale.Presiding at funeral services was Pastor Paul Wilson,and burial was in the Town of Clayton Cemetery.
CORRESPONDENCE
“I am the older brother of Rev. John Dorsey, who,as a 19-year-old back in 1935, hitchhiked to GBS. Hesaid he knew that if he could get there he could findout how to be saved. He did and he was. He is now94, and I would like to give a short update on him.He lost his wife Hildred a little more than two yearsago, and about a year ago he had to check into acare center. He has adjusted well and is able to be
On these pages, we feature items about GBS alumni, significantevents scheduled throughout the “Revivalist family,” and brief newsnotes from across the holiness movement.
OTTO KONING ADDRESSESMISSIONARY CONVENTION
On October 24–26, GBS hostedits bi-annual missionary convention.The featured speaker was OttoKoning, widely known for his book,The Pineapple Story. He and his
wife Carol were missionariesto Irian Jaya, where theylearned what it really meantto rely on God for provisionand protection.
In three messages, Rev.Koning shared
experiences on themission field, empha-
sizing the absoluteimportance of the Holy
Spirit in one’s Christianlife. Ryan Watters, a min-isterial senior, summed upKoning’s Sunday eveningmessage: “It wrapped adoctrine I had alwaysbelieved in the clothes ofpracticality. I saw what fullsurrender looked like in
his life, which made it clearer howto apply it in mine.”
Dr. Dan Glick, GBS missionschair, spoke about proper prepara-tion for ministry, urging students tolearn all that they can and to estab-
Rev. Otto Koning
taken in his wheelchair to the dining room. He stillfasts two days a week and after meals he is oftenasked to recite one of his poems. He would love tohear from his friends.” —Paul Dorsey.
Address your letters to Rev. John Dorsey, 23621Goldenrod Ave., Florala, AL 36442.
MISCELLANY
Recommendation: “Randy Hurst is anordained minister of the WesleyanTabernacle Association. He has pastoredseveral churches and for the last two yearshas been widely used in the field of evan-gelism. Randy, who would like to expandhis ministry, is a good preacher and a giftedmusician and singer. He could provideboth music and preaching in a revivalmeeting. I have known him for many yearsand am happy to recommend him for thefield of evangelism. He is a balanced andcompassionate minister of the gospel.” —Tomas E. Reed, Moderator Emeritus,Wesleyan Tabernacle Association
Rev. Edsel R. Trouten, Kuna, Idaho, andhis wife Alice P. (Belcher) Trouten
celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, August6, 2010, at the Meridian Care and Rehab Center,Meridian, Idaho. Present were workers and residents, theirson Jack, and other friends. The Troutens were marriedexactly 50 years before at the Madisonville PilgrimHoliness Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, Rev. Charles Felsburg,officiating. Alice, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, hasbeen a resident of care centers for the past three years.Edsel reports, “Alice has been my life for 50 years.”
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lish a relationship with God early inlife. Tim Keep, General MissionsSecretary for the Bible MethodistConnection, explained how God hadproved Himself faithful in difficulttimes. Philemon and Jane Wacharafrom Kenya also gave a presentationon the traditions of spouse selectionin their native country.
Following the Sunday eveningservice, a wonderful meal was pre-pared by our international students.They made a variety of dinners,desserts, and drinks from the variouscultures represented, as well as setup displays with souvenirs andmemorabilia from their respectivecountries. —Dustin Muir, senior,GBS Division of Intercultural Studiesand World Missions
ALLAN BROWN AND PHILIPBROWN PRESENT HOLINESSLECTURES AT WESLEY BIBLICALSEMINARY
On October 13–15, 2010, GBSministerial faculty members, Drs.Allan and Philip Brown, presentedthe Chamberlain Holiness Lecturesat Wesley Biblical Seminary,Jacksonville, Mississippi. Part of theTransform:ED Conference, theChamberlain Holiness Lectures arean annual lectureship designed topromote the doctrine and practiceof holiness. Dr. Philip Brownpresented two lectures: “DivineHoliness and Sanctifying God,” and“1 Thessalonians 5:23–24:Exegeting Entire Sanctification.” Dr.
Allan Brown gave three lectures:“How Can I, a Fallible, FallenHuman, be Holy?” “EntireSanctification: Cleansing and On-Going Obedience,” and “Assuranceand Entire Sanctification.” Theconference concluded with aquestion-and-answer session duringwhich the GBS faculty membersshared their personal testimonies ofbeing entirely sanctified. The �
Allan Brown Philip Brown
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12
� lectures were warmly received and are availablefrom Wesley Biblical Seminary.
ALDERSGATE FORUM FOCUSES ONCONTEMPORARY HOLINESS WITNESS
Centered on the theme “Enriching Christ’s Bodywith the Holiness Witness: Opportunities, Obstacles,and Methods,” the Aldersgate Forum met October26-28 at Higher Ground Conference Center nearCincinnati. Developed as a venue for theological andhistorical reflection, especially within theConservative Holiness Movement, the Forum is spon-sored annually by GBS. Coordinator is Dr. PhilipBrown, member of the ministerial faculty, whopresided capably over the sessions.
The opening address was delivered by Dr. KeithDrury, Indiana Wesleyan University, who gave majorattention to the Forum’s “Call,” adopted at its origin.Wednesday morning, Dr. David Gordeuk, Hobe Sound,Florida, spoke as an “insider,” addressing both theCHM’s liabilities and opportunities. He was followed inthe afternoon by Dr. William Kostlevy, prominentchurch historian now teaching at Tabor College, whoreminded us that God has always had a people willing“to be different.” Dr. Drury spoke again in the evening,highlighting problems that challenge today’s holinesswitness but also pointing out contributions that theCHM may make in that effort.
CAMPUS HEALTH FAIR HELD OCTOBER 14
GBS sponsored its first Campus Health Fair,1:00–5:00 p.m., Thursday, October 14, in the gymnasi-um of the Miller-Deets Student Center. Months beforethis, invitations to participate had been sent to variousmarketing professionals throughout Cincinnati. Their
responses had been received; and with much prayer,plans had been put into place for the fair.
As faculty, staff, and students entered the gym, theywere greeted by Megan Walsworth at the informationtable. Activities ranged from prize drawings to blood pres-sure checks conducted by The Christ Hospital. LorindaFrankenberry, reflexologist, was kept busy. Dr. John Smith,D.C., spoke with students regarding sports injuries.“Henry the Hand” was a welcome addition. Hearing testswere also offered. Everyone came away aware that theyhad gained information about their own health issues. —Esther Holloway, GBS campus nurse
HLC TEAM EVALUATES ALDERSGATE DISTANCEEDUCATION PROGRAM
In response to our request to make substantivechanges in the offerings of our Aldersgate DistanceEducation Program, a team from the Higher LearningCommission, GBS’s regional accrediting body, visitedcampus during the first week of September. Many of ourcollege courses are already online, but we had soughtpermission to offer entire degree programs in this way,so that students not able to visit campus, even for blocksessions, would be able to graduate with our degrees.
Carefully the team interviewed students, faculty, staff,and administration. Its members examined courses in ourlearning management system (LMS), which we use todeliver online courses. They toured our distance educationfacilities, including our media processing room. Theyexamined financial statements, faculty resumes, and thestructures we have in place for developing courses, etc.
The HLC team concluded that we are ready to gocompletely online with the degree programs we hadidentified. Impressed with the features of our LMS, theteam noted that we have both a media specialist and acourse designer to facilitate the transitioning of ourcourses from on-campus to online. “Even many biggerschools don’t have that luxury,” they reported.
HILLTOP NEWS continued
Esther Holloway
Without requiring us to submit additional reports,the team is recommending to the Higher LearningCommission that ADEP be approved to offer these fourdegrees completely online: BA in Ministerial Studies;AA in Bible/Theology; AAS in Ministerial Education;and BA in Church and Family Ministry. Later this yearthe entire HLC Board will decide whether to acceptthis recommendation.
With the approval of the BA in Church and FamilyMinistry, we will be able to develop online cognates insuch areas as Intercultural Studies and World Missions,Bible/Theology, Leadership, Education, Apologetics, andUrban Ministries. Individual courses are already avail-able. Anyone interested in taking online courses relatingto any of the ADEP-delivered degrees or emphasesshould contact us at [email protected]. —Mark Bird,Director of Aldersgate Distance Education Program.
ALDERSGATE CHRISTIANACADEMY STUDENTNAMED CINCINNATIYOUTH MAYOR
Patrick Reagan, ajunior in GBS’s AldersgateChristian Academy, hasbeen named “youthmayor” in the Youth in CityGovernment programsponsored by theCincinnati, Ohio, YMCA.For three of the last four
years, an Aldersgate student has held this position. Thisyear 15 ACA students participated in the event, whichbrings together students from about 20 area schools.
As Stephen Klotz, Aldersgate High School AssistantPrincipal, explains, “Our students go down to City Halland learn about the process of government. They areinvolved in a mock trial, write proposals to benefit the
community, attend an actual city council meeting, andget to meet leaders in a personal manner.” Other ACAstudents who have served on the program’s youth citycouncil and then as mayor are Heather Couch andChristina Jones. Another student, Valencia Harper,serves as the school’s ambassador for the council.
“We are blessed here at our school,” adds Klotz,“and I count it a privilege to continue to work withour great students. Though other schools have manymore students participating in Youth in CityGovernment, our smaller school continues to excel inleadership positions.”
PHONATHON 2010 SURPASSES $120,000 GOAL!
We called about a worthy cause, and you respond-ed. At the recent Phonathon held September 20 –October 7, over ninety-five students from God’s BibleSchool and College placed calls to supporters. Thanksto the generosity of many, the callers surpassed thisyear’s goal to raise over $128,000!
Congratulations to the top student callers of eachweek: Jordan Terrian, Pamela Stinson, and ThomasRidenour, as well as overall top callers: PamelaStinson, $16,155; Sharlanae Dotson, $11,040; andAngel McVey, $10,820. —Faith Avery, GBS Directorof Institutional Advancement
BRIEFLY NOTED: Rev. Tim Keep will be the evangelistfor GBS’s Mid-Winter Revival, January 10–14….Officers for the college student government of GBSfor the 2010–11 school year have been elected.Seniors: Dustin Muir, president; Lucas Ryder, vicepresident; Kendra Smith, secretary/treasurer; Juniors:Charity Frazier, president; Ashley Stanley, vice presi-dent; Stephanie Hoffpauir, secretary; Jeff Dewhurst,treasurer; Sophomores: Kandice Clark, president;Brandon Klotz, vice president; Heidi Newton, secre-tary; Roanna Thawley, treasurer; Freshmen: KentStetler, president; Natalie Keaton, vice president;Ellen Bishop secretary; Ben Smith, treasurer; StudentCouncil: Sam McConkey, Sarah Roach, Luci Garcia,Amy Weddle, Loren Albright, Renee Langworthy,Robbie Wright, Ashley Muir…. Don Davison,Director of Public Relations, has announced that thefollowing will be this year’s “public relations trav-elers” for GBS. College Men’s Quartet: Kent Stetler,Stephen Mills, Kurtis Hoffpauir, Timothy Lanigan,Amy Clarissa Seniva (accompanist). Faith Trio (collegemixed trio): Hannah Emery, Dustin Muir, HeidiNewton, Esther Hough (accompanist). College LadiesTrio: Kandice Clark, Bethany Mills, Cortney Prior,Kimberlee Russell (accompanist).
DECEMBER 2010
13
Dear Sandy,
A lot of Christians who work“secular” jobs share your frustra-tion. Let’s begin with 1 Corinthians7:17-24. In this passage Pauladdresses Christian slaves who hadzero control over their lives, letalone their work. He encouragesthem to take advantage of anyopportunity to become free (7:21).At the same time, he emphasizes(7:17, 24) that they do not have tochange their life-situation in orderto live in service to Christ (7:22).
We can infer two principlesfrom this passage. First, it is bibli-cally acceptable to take opportuni-ties that God brings our way tochange from a less favorable situa-tion to a more favorable situation(i.e., from slave to free). Second,any kind of legitimate occupation,including being a slave, can bedone as service to Christ. (Paulwould not regard as a “legitimateoccupation” forced prostitution orother sins the OT penalized as cap-ital crimes.)
In Colossians 3:23-25, Pauladdresses the situation of slaves in
Colosse. In verse 23 he tells them,“Whatever you do, do your workheartily, as for the Lord rather thanfor men.” The phrase “as for theLord” is the key. They were to viewthemselves as serving Jesus in theirslavery rather than serving theirhuman master. Whether it was tak-ing out the chamber pot, plowingthe field, or cleaning the stable,they were to do their work in thesame way they would do it forJesus: heartily. Heartily means will-ing diligence. It is the opposite offoot-dragging reluctance. Someonewho does work heartily does his orher best with a positive attitude.
In verses 24-25 Paul gives threereasons they should serve theirhuman masters heartily. First,“knowing that from the Lord youwill receive the reward of theinheritance.” In other words, whenyou serve a human master as youwould serve Christ, you will berewarded by Christ. This conclu-sion is supported by the parallelpassage in Eph. 6:8, “knowing thatwhatever good thing each onedoes, this he will receive back fromthe Lord, whether slave or free.”
Even taking out the chamber potreceives its reward!
Second, “It is the Lord Christwhom you serve.” Since we areactually Christ’s slaves (Rom. 622),everything we do is service to Him.In other words, this is not just amatter of acting as if Jesus were ourmaster or boss. He is our master!Third, if you do wrong, you will“receive the consequences of thewrong which [you] have done, andthat without partiality.” Jesus hasno tolerance for slip-shod work. Ifwe wrong our human master, Jesuswill see to it that we receive theappropriate consequences.
What does all this mean forChristians who work in “secular”jobs? It means that there is no suchthing as a non-ministry job for aChristian. You are serving God justas much as the person who worksin a “ministry” job. God callsChristians to jobs in the secularwork place precisely so that theycan be salt and light as they workfor Him in those capacities. SinceGod is fully sovereign over our lives,if we’re walking in the light, we canassume that the job opportunitiesHe does or does not open for us arereflections of His will for us.
Regarding contentment, remem-ber what Solomon taught us: mean-ing and satisfaction are not found inany of life’s components but only inlife’s Creator (Eccl. 2:24; 5:18; 12:1,13-14). When we know that we aregoing to be rewarded for our workand that we are doing what Godwants us to do, how can we not befulfilled? Whether or not we enjoyour work, we can choose to bethankful and joyful in doing it (Col.3:17). Such an excellent spirit willglorify God (Dan. 6:3; 1 Cor. 10:31).
Blessings,Philip
Dr. A. Philip Brown II is a member of thefaculty in the Division of MinisterialEducation at God’s Bible School and College.
GOD’S REVIVALIST and BIBLE ADVOCATE
14
SERVING GOD IN SECULAR WORK
Dear Phil,I work a secular job that I don’t enjoy. I’d much rather be
involved in a ministry-related job. How can I be in the center ofGod’s will in this kind of a job? How can I be contented and fulfilledwhen I’m not happy in my job? —Sandy
DECEMBER 2010
15
LAUSANNE CONGRESS CLOSESWITH EVANGELISTIC APPEAL
At least 4,000 participants werepresent at closing ceremonies at theThird Lausanne Congress for Evan-gelism, Sunday evening, October24, in Cape Town, South Africa.They heard Lindsay Brown, interna-tional director of the The LausanneMovement declare the hope that“we would leave here equally com-mitted to passionately communi-cate the Gospel of Christ to theends of the earth and also todemonstrate [that] the eternal truthof Scripture has application to thewhole of life, for Christ is Lord ofthe whole of creation.”
The conference had considereddifficulties and priorities in meetingtoday’s challenge to bring the gospelto our culture. David Virtue, a con-servative Anglican observer, reportedthat David Birdsall, executive chair-man of the congress, “said this is themost diverse gathering ever in thehistory of the church and the mostunited expression of the church theworld has ever known.” “Repre-sented here are 198 countries withevery stream of global Christianity,”Birdsall declared. “We are joined by100,000 viewers and 700 globallinks in 96 countries of the world.”
Lausanne III stems from the firstInternational Conference on WorldEvangelism, which was held in Lau-
sanne, Switzerland, in 1974. “Theconference was called by a commit-tee headed by Rev. Billy Grahamand drew more than 2,300 evangeli-cal leaders from 50 countries,” ac-cording the sponsoring organiza-tion’s website. In a letter to thisyear’s congress, the 94-year-oldGraham urged, “Increase your bur-den for a lost and dying world.”
EPISCOPALIANS CONSIDERFORMAL BLESSINGS OF SAME-SEX UNIONS
The Episcopal Church’s Stand-ing Commission on Liturgy andMusic “devoted a day and a half ofits October 18–20 meeting” to dis-cuss a General Convention resolu-tion which had authorized it “towork in conjunct ion wi th theHouse of Bishops to collect anddevelop theological resources andliturgies for blessing same-genderrelationships.” This is the report ofRev. Frances Schjonberg, nationalcorrespondent for the EpiscopalNews Service, writing in EpiscopalLife Online. “During the hearing,many of the more than 30 Episco-pal ians—some of whom havebeen involved in blessing same-gender unions, somet imes fordecades —told the SCLM that theywant to see the church treat suchunions equally and with the sameopenness that it treats heterosex-ual marriage.” The Standing Com-
mission will report its findings tothe denomination’s General Con-vention which will be held in 2012in Indianapolis.
MUSLIMS COMING TO CHRIST
Writing in The Christian Post, re-porter Michelle A Vu notes that SamYeghnazar of Elam Ministries in-formed the Lausanne Congress inSouth Africa that over the past threedecades more Muslims in Iran havebecome Christians than in the previ-ous thirteen hundred years. “Irantoday is a closed land with countlessopen hearts. It is the most open na-tion to the Gospel in the entireworld. Tens of thousands of Iraniansare turning to Christ.” He alsoadded, “Betrayed by the govern-ment, disillusioned with the religion,depressed by the prospects of thefuture, Iranians when they come toknow the Lord Jesus Christ are com-pletely transformed. They proclaimChrist in the marketplace. Entirefamilies, men and women, are com-ing to Christ.”
CONSERVATIVE RESURGENCE INMID-TERM ELECTIONS
The dramatic results of America’smid-term elections, November 2,were welcomed by social conserva-tives, many of whom had champi-oned candidates committed to “turn-ing this country around,” and “re-connecting it with foundationalChristian principles.” Writing inChristianity Today’s online edition,reporter Tobin Grant noted that theelection “was one of the largest shiftsin congressional history…. Not onlydid Republicans win, but the num-ber of social conservatives increaseddue to strategic campaigning by pro-family and pro-life activists.” Conser-vative forces claimed a GOP majorityin the House of Representatives, aswell as increased clout in the Senate,which, however, will remain in thehands of Democrats.
A PSALM 1 MAN
The man in this Psalm is first characterized in terms of what he does notdo, which is perhaps the most immediately obvious thing about him. He
does not determine his course of action by what those without God are say-ing — even their latest brilliant ideas. That is, he does not live as if God doesnot exist nor make plans from within strictly human understanding. He planson God (verse1).
Because of that he also does not position himself or stand in life where andas those who do live by doing wrong. If you live within only human “wisdom”you will find it constantly “necessary” to do what is wrong. And in that caseyou will become an “authority” on what is right and wrong — because, afterall, you will have to manage right and wrong. You will have to have readyexplanations of why, though you do wrong things, you are still a good person,and why those who do not do as you do are fools. You will become an expertscorner, able to put everyone in their place with appropriate doses of con-tempt, which is an essential element of scorn (verse 1).
In contrast to all of this, the Psalm 1 man delights in the law that Godhas given. Note, he delights in it (verse 2). He loves it, is thrilled by it, can’tkeep his mind off of it. He thinks it is beautiful, strong, wise, an incrediblegift of God’s mercy and grace. He therefore dwells upon it day and night,turning it over and over in his mind and speaking it to himself. He does notdo this to please God, but because the law pleases him. It is where hiswhole being is oriented.
The result is a flourishing life. The image used here is that of a tree plant-ed by water canals. No matter what the weather or the surface condition ofthe ground, its roots go down into the water sources and bring up life. As aresult, it bears fruit when it is supposed to, and its foliage is always brightwith life. It prospers in what it does. And likewise the man who is rooted inGod through his law: “In whatever he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3; com-pare Joshua 1:8).
—From Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ by Dallas Willard,©2002, by Navpress, Colorado Springs, CO. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
16
©2010 Jupiter Im
ages
�
HOW TO KNOW FOR
SURE YOU ARE
ENTIRELY SAN
CTIFIED
(part 3)
by Dr. Allan P. Brown, Chair
GBS Division of Ministerial Education
In o
ur la
st m
essa
ge, w
e be
gan
our d
iscus
sion
abou
t kno
win
g th
atw
e ar
e en
tirel
y sa
nctif
ied
by m
eans
of t
he w
itnes
s of
the
Hol
y Sp
irit.
We
first
disc
usse
d th
e w
itnes
s of
the
Spi
rit t
o us
thr
ough
Scr
iptu
re(H
eb.
10:1
5-16
). W
e no
ted
that
the
Hol
y Sp
irit’s
witn
ess
to u
sth
roug
h Sc
riptu
re m
ust
be r
ecei
ved
by fa
ith (H
eb. 4
:2) i
n or
der
for
it to
pro
fit u
s. W
hen
it is
rec
eive
d by
fai
th,
the
witn
ess
of t
heSp
irit
to u
s th
roug
h Sc
ript
ure
beco
mes
the
witn
ess
of th
e Sp
irit
inus
(1 Jo
hn 5
:9-1
1).
We
com
e no
w to
the
imm
edia
te w
itnes
s of
the
Hol
y Sp
irit t
o us
apar
t fro
m S
crip
ture
, tha
t is
perc
eive
d by
an
imm
edia
te, d
irect
, sub
-je
ctiv
e, in
ner
assu
ranc
e th
at w
e ar
e in
deed
ent
irely
san
ctifi
ed.
b. T
he im
med
iate
witn
ess
of t
he H
oly
Spir
it
The
Bibl
e al
so s
peak
s of
an
assu
ranc
e th
at c
omes
to
us b
y th
eH
oly
Spiri
t ap
art
from
Scr
iptu
re —
a d
ivin
ely
impa
rted
inne
r co
n-sc
ious
ness
that
God
has
sav
ed u
s or
that
God
has
ent
irely
san
ctifi
edus
, and
that
we
are
plea
sing
Him
(Rom
. 8:1
6; G
al. 4
:6).
This
dire
ctw
itnes
s of
the
Spiri
t is
not a
lway
s pe
rcei
ved
imm
edia
tely
upo
n co
n-ve
rsio
n or
at t
he m
omen
t of e
ntire
sanc
tific
atio
n. B
ut so
oner
or l
ater
,th
e H
oly
Spiri
t will
witn
ess
to o
ur h
earts
that
He
is pl
ease
d w
ith u
s.Th
e un
iver
sal t
estim
ony
of t
he c
hurc
h is
that
the
aw
aren
ess
of t
his
dire
ct w
itnes
s of
the
Spi
rit i
s no
t an
abi
ding
, al
way
s pr
esen
t, co
n-sc
ious
per
cept
ion.
Som
etim
es i
t is
very
cle
ar,
and
at o
ther
tim
es,
espe
cial
ly d
urin
g tim
es o
f sic
knes
s or S
atan
ic o
ppre
ssio
n, it
is n
ot d
is-ce
rnib
le a
t all.
Fur
ther
, one
can
not d
icta
te to
God
the
timin
g of
the
witn
ess
nor
the
form
in w
hich
this
dire
ct a
ssur
ance
com
es.
In h
is fir
st w
ritte
n se
rmon
on
the
witn
ess
of t
he S
pirit
(17
46),
John
Wes
ley
defin
ed t
he w
itnes
s of
the
Spi
rit t
o on
e’s
salv
atio
n as
follo
ws:
“Th
e te
stim
ony
of t
he S
pirit
is a
n in
war
d im
pres
sion
on t
he1
4
Afte
r sev
en n
ight
s of s
eeki
ng, R
ev. S
.D. H
erro
n, th
e co
llege
pre
s-id
ent,
slipp
ed u
p be
side
me
at t
he a
ltar
and
whi
sper
ed in
my
ear,
“Alla
n, W
hy d
on’t
you
go o
utsid
e an
d di
e un
der
a Sa
w P
alm
etto
bush
.” A
t firs
t I to
ok h
is w
ord
liter
ally
and
was
hur
t. Th
en it
daw
ned
on m
e th
at h
e m
eant
, “St
op g
oing
to th
e al
tar
cont
inua
lly a
nd m
ak-
ing
such
a b
ig p
rodu
ctio
n of
the
who
le m
atte
r. Ju
st g
et a
lone
with
God
, ‘d
ie o
ut’
to s
elf-
cent
ered
ness
, an
d G
od w
ill e
ntire
ly s
anct
ifyyo
u.”
I did
wha
t he
sugg
este
d an
d co
ntin
ued
to s
eek
God
priv
atel
yfo
r an
othe
r w
eek.
O
n th
e fo
llow
ing
Satu
rday
afte
rnoo
n at
a c
otta
ge p
raye
r m
eet-
ing,
I c
ast
mys
elf
by f
aith
on
the
prom
ises
of G
od a
nd f
elt
assu
red
that
God
had
inde
ed e
ntire
ly sa
nctif
ied
me.
It h
ad n
one
of th
e ex
tra-
ordi
nary
cha
ract
erist
ics
I had
wan
ted
and
expe
cted
, but
ther
e w
as a
deep
pea
ce t
hat
I ha
d do
ne a
ll G
od r
equi
red.
I h
ad “
reck
oned
mys
elf i
ndee
d de
ad u
nto
sin”
(Rom
. 6:1
1), h
ad fu
lly y
ield
ed m
ysel
fto
tally
to
God
(Ro
m.
6:12
), an
d on
the
bas
is of
God
’s s
over
eign
,un
chan
ging
pro
mise
s, c
laim
ed t
he b
less
ing
of e
ntire
san
ctifi
catio
n.Fr
om th
at m
omen
t onw
ard,
I en
deav
ored
to m
aint
ain
a fu
ll su
rren
-de
r. W
hene
ver G
od s
how
ed m
e so
met
hing
that
nee
ded
chan
ging
, Itri
ed m
y be
st to
wal
k in
all
the
light
.N
ow m
any
year
s la
ter,
I hav
e le
arne
d th
at e
ntire
san
ctifi
catio
n is
not s
impl
y a
one-
time
even
t tha
t aut
omat
ical
ly w
orks
for
the
rest
of
your
life
. Ra
ther
, it
is a
clea
nsin
g an
d a
furth
er e
mpo
wer
ing
of t
here
latio
nshi
p be
gun
at th
e ne
w b
irth.
One
ent
ers
into
ent
ire s
anct
ifi-
catio
n at
a m
omen
t of f
aith
but
mus
t con
tinue
to w
alk
in a
ll th
e lig
htan
d m
aint
ain
a fu
lly s
urre
nder
ed li
fe.
——
——
——
——
——
1 Jo
hn W
esle
y, “
On
Faith
,” in
The
Ser
mon
s of
Wes
ley,
Serm
on 1
06, p
. 218
.2
Act
s 10
:35:
“Bu
t in
ever
y na
tion
who
ever
fear
s H
im a
nd w
orks
rig
hteo
usne
ss is
acce
pted
by
Him
.”3
Wes
ley,
Ibid
.4
Ric
hard
S.
Tayl
or,
Expl
orin
g C
hrist
ian
Hol
ines
s, V
ol.
3, T
heTh
eolo
gica
l Fo
rmul
atio
n,(K
ansa
s C
ity:
Beac
on H
ill P
ress
,19
85),
181.
Tay
lor
writ
es, “
Nei
ther
can
the
emph
asis
on th
eW
ord
of G
od a
s the
true
gro
und
of a
ssur
ance
be
chal
leng
ed.”
—se
rmon
by
DR.
ALL
AN P
. BRO
WN
“COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE
IN P
REACHIN
G”
�
23
Scriptural and important, is not to be our prim
ary basis of assurance.Faith in G
od’s Word is to be our prim
ary basis of assurance. To rely onone’s perception of having the direct w
itness of the Spirit for assurancefor either the new
birth or entire sanctification would m
ake a personsusceptible to fear and unbelief w
henever he could not sense thedirect w
itness of the Spirit. Paul makes it clear in Rom
ans 1:17 that thejust shall live by faith, not by feelings. The assurance that com
es frombelieving G
od’s Word and w
alking in all the light we have is the stabi-
lizing, constant, abiding basis for assurance that we are saved, and,
likewise, the basis for assurance that w
e are entirely sanctified. 4
MY PERSO
NAL TESTIM
ONY TO
ENTIRE SAN
CTIFIC
ATION
My m
other was a godly, old-fashioned, shouting N
azarene who
took me to church three tim
es a week. I can’t rem
ember w
hen I didnot w
ant to love and serve God, and w
henever I felt the need I went
to the altar to get things cleared up with H
im. Because I w
as taughta perform
ance model by the preachers, if I did one thing I knew
was
sin — such as not m
ind my m
other — the devil w
ould tell me I w
asbackslidden. H
e would say, “You are now
a sinner. Therefore why
don’t you cuss and smoke. If you are a sinner, you m
ight as well sin.”
I would be in this “backslidden” m
iserable state — w
anting to be aC
hristian but knowing I w
asn’t — until the next hell-fire and brim
-stone m
essage. Then I would seek G
od and begin again trying to livea sinless C
hristian life.Each tim
e I “backslid” and started my C
hristian life over, Iw
ould seek again to be entirely sanctified. I read testimonies of
people who w
ere entirely sanctified, listen to the old saints givetheir testim
onies, and thereby became “program
med” to expect
some kind of extraordinary spiritual experience. I claim
ed to beentirely sanctified, and, to the best of m
y understanding, believedthat I w
as during my adolescent years.
When I w
as nineteen and a junior in Bible college, there was
a week of spiritual renew
al preached by H. Robb French. I felt a
spiritual need and decided I was not really entirely sanctified. A
s Iw
as seeking at the altar night-after-night, I was told to raise m
yhands (m
y “lightening rods”) and look up and expect the fire tofall. I sincerely did everything they told m
e, and I even promised
God I w
ould not brag about my experience if H
e would only bap-
tize my heart w
ith His love and the fullness of the H
oly Spirit. Iexpected G
od to do it and was looking forw
ard to seeing the world
and people with new
eyes, and feel a flood of love and compas-
sion toward the lost. But It didn’t happen.
soul, whereby the Spirit of G
od directly witnesses to m
y spirit, that Iam
a child of God; that Jesus C
hrist hath loved me, and given him
selffor m
e; and that all my sins are blotted out, and I, even I, am
recon-ciled to G
od.”In his second w
ritten sermon on the w
itness of the Spirit,w
ritten 20 years later (1767), John Wesley said, “A
fter twenty
years’ further consideration, I see no cause to retract any part ofthis. N
either do I conceive how any of these expressions m
ay bealtered, so as to m
ake them m
ore intelligible. I can only add, thatif any of the children of G
od will point out any other expressions,
which are m
ore clear, or more agreeable to the w
ord of God, I
will readily lay these aside.”
John W
esley and
his fellow
m
inisters w
ere not
the only
Christians of his tim
e who w
ere emphasizing the w
itness of theSpirit. There w
ere also Puritans and Presbyterians (Westm
insterC
onfession) who taught the im
portance and reality of the direct wit-
ness of the Spirit. John Wesley, how
ever, made the teaching of the
direct witness of the Spirit a prim
ary focus for all Methodists. U
ntilthe day he died, John W
esley continued to stress the importance of
the direct witness of the Spirit. H
owever, he does tell us som
e mis-
takes his ministers m
ade in the early years of preaching on the wit-
ness of the Spirit. Speaking of his ministers he w
rote, “They were apt
to make sad the hearts of those w
hom G
od had not made sad. For
they frequently asked those who feared G
od, ‘Do you know
thatyour sins are forgiven?’ [In other w
ords, do you have a direct witness
of the Holy Spirit that you are forgiven]. A
nd upon their answering,
‘No,’ im
mediately replied, ‘Then you are a child of the devil.’” 1
John Wesley and his fellow
Methodist m
inisters later modi-
fied their view of the spiritual condition of a person w
ho has notyet received the direct w
itness of the Holy Spirit. H
e explainedthat they had not clearly understood the teaching in A
cts 10:35,w
hich affirms that w
hoever fears God and w
orks righteousness isaccepted of G
od. 2Instead of condem
ning the seeker, Wesley
would affirm
the progress the seeker had made and then tell the
seeker to keep walking in the light and not to doubt G
od. He
assured them that they w
ere no longer under the wrath of G
odand that sooner or later they w
ould receive the direct witness of
the Spirit. 3
CONCLUSIO
N
Because of the variableness of one’s perception of the direct wit-
ness of the Spirit, this means of assurance, although thoroughly
Dear Revivalist Family,
In just a few days Christians from all around theworld will celebrate the birth of Jesus our Savior.He came as a lowly babe — in a stable — on straw— under a star! The simple beauty of that agelessstory never wears upon the hearer. Saints of allages have borne the glad tidings “that Christ Jesuscame into the world to save sinners.” We all rejoicein His “unspeakable gift.”
As you gather with family and friends to celebratethe glory of His birth, all of us here at God’s BibleSchool and College pray that you will experience thereal joy and holy wonder of Christmas. We also extend toyou and your family our most sincere prayers for awonderful New Year!
As you enter this season of giving, I hope that youremember God’s Bible School and the young men andwomen that look to us for training in Christian ministry.We need your partnership and investment as wecontinue to send out laborers into the “whitened harvest field.”
Gratefully,
Michael AveryPresident
1810 Young Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 721-7944 x1221 • www.gbsgift.com
20GOD’S REVIVALIST and BIBLE ADVOCATE
compiled by Rev. Jack Hooker, President,National Alumni Association of GBS
ANGELA HILER (CWC ’57)REMEMBERS THE INFLUENCE OF E.G. MARSH
Angela (Borszich) Hiler tookGBS’s Christian Workers’ Course, fin-ishing in 1957. She is now retiredfrom Spring Arbor University, a FreeMethodist school, where she workedin the library for 22 years. Angela,who is very active in the SpringArbor Free Methodist Church, isthankful for her time at GBS and forthe ways the Lord has been with herthrough the years. She writes, “I loveHim, and my desire is to be morelike Him every day.” Below sheshares the impact of one of herteachers, the Rev. E.G. Marsh.
“Brother Marsh was a huge in-fluence on my life while at GBS.Whenever he started a class, hewould start with prayer. For him, itwas being very quiet for whatseemed a long time; then he wouldclear his throat and simply say “Fa-ther,” and I could sense God’s pres-ence with us as he continued hisprayer. Often he would put studentson the spot and ask them questionslike, ‘Did you have your devotionsthis morning?’ That was enough tomake sure you did that before youwent to his class! Or he might ask amarried student, ‘When was the lasttime you did the dishes for yourwife?’ Of course, no one wouldthink of lying to Brother Marsh, sothe truth came out! I was very shy,
and often he would ask me to standin front of the class and read from abook he had chosen — I rememberparticularly Fox’s Book of Martyrs. Iwould get absorbed in the story andstart reading too fast, and he wouldclear his throat, then tell me to slowdown. Eventually I learned thatwhen he cleared his throat that Iwas reading too fast! He was a verygodly man, and you could senseGod’s Spirit with him at all times.”
GBS ALUMNI MEET IN UKRAINEby Rev. Rick Hutchison (GBS ‘77 BRE)
I have been in Ukraine for al-most two weeks, connecting withpastors, missionaries, and (Kiev)Wesley Bible College alumni. Yester-day I preached in Uzhgorod. My in-terpreter in the morning service wasStopa Vukstra, who is married toGBS alumna Vita Ahoshton.
Vita graduated from Wesley BibleCollege in Ukraine and then came toGBS. After she had earned a degreethere, she returned home to marrythis young preacher from her moun-tainous region of Ukraine. They arean absolutely vibrant young couple!They have busied themselves withministry work—interpreting for visit-ing mission groups and ministers,helping in summer camps and localyouth and children’s ministries,preaching in outlying villages, andmore. I found them working hard this
week to add rooms to Stopa’s par-ents’ house where they will nowmake their home. They anticipatetheir first child in January.
Their joy in the Lord is infectious.Stopa’s gift of preaching comesthrough strongly as he interprets formy messages. Vita is equally gifted inlanguage and uses her skills to helpforeigners like me navigate and min-ister in her home culture. Their hum-ble servant-like spirit is itself hum-bling to me. I do not exaggeratewhen I tell you that they stand out aschildren of God when they walkdown the village roads together.
It has been such a joy to crosspaths with a GBS alumna on the verybackside of eastern Europe. I amequally amazed at being here myselfand meeting another GBS grad insuch a place. Our service last nightwas in a small village church just downthe street from a vacation dacha oncebelonging to Nikita Kruschev, the for-mer premier of the USSR. Last night Ipreached Christ freely just a few me-ters from old Nikita’s front yard! Noone but God could have predictedsuch a possibility when Kruschev wasthreatening nuclear war with theUnited States back in the sixties!
What a day we live in—a day ofunparalleled opportunity for theGospel! And I guess what we’veheard and said for years is reallytrue: “The sun never sets on the stu-dents of God’s Bible School!”
Vita (Ahoshton) and Stopa Vukstra with Rick Hutchison
GOD’S REVIVALIST and BIBLE ADVOCATE
22
EDITORIAL continued
�(p2) our servant and our sacrifice first appearedamong us in that cattle shed, beginning His lifelong con-descension to “men of low estate”! In speechless awewe behold the Savior as He points to the carpenter’sshop where once He worked; to the bowl and towelwith which He ministered; and to the borrowed donkeyupon which He rode. Gently He lifts His callousedhands pierced for us; and compellingly He shows Hisloving heart broken for us. Gladly we move to His invi-tation: “Come unto me”; for gently He assures us, “…Iam meek and lowly in heart.”
Would you ever say that about yourself, or wouldanyone else ever say that about you? “Meek and lowlyin heart.” Yet this is what Jesus said about Himself. Forhumility was God’s purpose for Him; and humility isalso God’s purpose for us. Indeed, the Savior’s humilityin lowly service and unselfish sacrifice cited by SaintPaul is a moving illustration of the apostolic appeal:“Let this mind be in you which also was in Christ Jesus.”He “bids us mind the things which the Lord Jesus mind-ed,” notes the venerable Pulpit Commentary, “to lovewhat he loved, to hate what he hated; the thoughts,desires, [and] motives of the Christian should be thethoughts, desires, [and] motives which filled the sacredheart of Jesus our Lord.” This is breathtaking—even a bitdisconcerting at times. But it is also the very pith andcore of that holiness which we must vigorously and con-tinuously pursue and “without which no man shall seethe Lord.” “Holiness” becomes a cheap and cultic slo-gan—much discussed but rarely practiced—whenever itis divorced from this all-encompassing challenge to utterChristlikeness. Sometimes we have forgotten what holi-ness really is, and we have suffered immeasurably fordoing so. To be holy is to be like Jesus; and to be likeJesus is to be “meek and lowly in heart.” As someone hasobserved, we can thus measure our progress in holinessby our progress in humility!
“What is the first article of the Christian religion?”Saint Augustine was asked. “Humility,” he responded.“And the second?” “Humility” he repeated. “And thethird?” “Humility.” Thus he could also write, “TotaChristiana religio humilitas est.” “The whole of theChristian religion is humility.” Basic to all right relation-ship with God and with men is a profound sense of per-sonal unworthiness and “a modest sense of one’s ownmerit.” Humility is not cringing subservience; but it is acontinuing realization of who we are in the whole ofGod’s creation, keeping “oneself within one’s ownbounds,” as Thomas Aquinas once said, “not reachingout to things above one.” Deliberately, then, werenounce grasping personal ambition and inordinateself-esteem to follow Jesus in unassuming, gentle, andquiet servanthood.
Before God, humility continually acknowledgesunworthiness and dependence upon Him and pledgessubmission to His will. “But to this man will I look, evento him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and tremblethat my word” (Isaiah 66:2). Never for a moment do wetake God or His mercies for granted; for ours constantlyis the plea of Charles Wesley:
Father, I stretch my hands to Thee,No other help I know,
If Thou withdraw Thyself from meAh, whither shall I go?
Always we are suppliants at His table, and alwayswe ask as He has taught us, “Give us this day our dailybread…forgive us our trespasses…deliver us fromevil.” With deep abhorrence, we abjure all humanboasting or self-congratulation; and with all the saints,we readily acknowledge that we are “unprofitable ser-vants,” as He has said.
Moment by moment we are dependent upon Himas He imparts grace for everything we need, both for ourbodies and for our souls. Whatever our accomplish-ments in virtue or in valor, they are always enabled bythe Holy Spirit; and whatever is good in us is never fullyour own but His constant gift. Acknowledging this andconfessing our continual “sins of ignorance” and infirmi-ty, we offer the only sacrifice which He accepts, a “bro-ken and a contrite heart.” We know that He regardswith merciful acceptance only those who “tremble” inprofound reverence at His word and whose only claimto righteousness is that they constantly abide in Him andHe abides in them. Objectively, our holiness dependsalways upon Christ’s offering and heavenly intercessionfor us; and subjectively upon the Holy Spirit’s cleansingand empowering ministry within us.
To others, humility treats people as Jesus treatedthem. “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition orconceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem othersbetter than himself.” This is contrary to that entrenchedselfishness which lies at the heart of sin and whichhaughtily asserts our will against the will of God andcontemptuously ignores the needs and rights of others.Self-admiration, self-pity, self-aggrandizement, self-
To be holy is to be meek.We can measure ourprogress in holiness by ourprogress in humility.
DECEMBER 2010
23
by Sonja Vernon
NO ROOM
“And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and shewrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger,because there was no room for them in the inn.”
—Luke 2:7 NASB
How many pageants have we seen in which theinnkeeper comes out in his father’s bathrobe
and sternly utters the words, “No room!”? We can’timagine why he wouldn’t just give up his own bed.This was the Messiah who was about to be born.From our bird’s-eye view of a few millennia, it isquite easy to pass judgment on the way things un-fold in scripture; but perhaps we should take an-other look. Other than the fact that the young girlwas pregnant, the dirty, smelly, road-weary couplewho showed up at the inn that night had little togive them distinction. They were merely two morefaces in a parade of exhausted travelers who wereturned away because there was simply nowhere toput them. However, someone offered them anotheroption. Someone loaned them a manger for theirchild. Someone showed kindness.
Would I have been that someone? Wouldyou? When did we last go out of our way to helpa person in need who could not return the favor?How do we respond to “the least of these” allaround us? According to Jesus, our treatment ofthose in trouble equals our treatment of Him (Mt.25:34-45). How many times have we turnedaway “Mary and Joseph” and, in doing so, ourMessiah as well? This Christmas season let usopen our hearts and our hands to our Savior,however He presents Himself.
Sonja Vernon is Dean of Women at God’s Bible School and College.
applause, and self-excuse — are not all these thehyphenated appendages of that ugly self-idolatry whichvitiates the soul and makes us more like devils than likeangels? Recall the primal rebellion which brought chaosto ancient Eden and whose entail still covers the worldwith greed, cruelty, and meanness. Arrogant and insen-sitive men — both in church and state — still contemp-tuously exploit the poor, the ignorant, and the weak, asthey grab for money, position, and authority.
Never was this our Master’s way! He modeled for usa deliberate disregard for His own prerogatives as He livedunselfishly for God and for those around Him. Rememberhow He took time for “little people” so disregarded by thepower brokers of His time. Think how He ministered lov-ingly to lepers, harlots, and tax collectors. Recall how Hewashed the feet of His disciples, reminding us that “hewho is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Whendid Jesus ever flaunt the perks and powers of His superi-ority or “use” his subordinates for His benefit and then dis-card them? When did He ever snub the lowly and fawnupon the rich? When did He ever maneuver for specialprivileges for Himself or for His family?
It is the scandal of the Christian Church in generaland of the holiness movement in particular that we haveused His name but often have forgotten His example.We thank God for the saints who have mirrored Hislovely life among us; but we admit that we have found iteasier to talk about “perfect love” than we have to liveby it. What of our pastors, leaders, and board memberswho have bullied their way through every situation tosecure preference and advancement? What of ourchurch members who have refused to give their pastoreither due respect or decent salary and who have turnedhis annual “recall vote” into a night of horror? What ofour congregations who have been hotbeds of continuousfaultfinding, racist snobbery, and divisive confrontation?Is this the “mind which was in Christ Jesus”?
This Christmas we peer again into a grubby cattleshed; and there among the beasts and shepherds, wegaze upon Him “who came to visit us in great humility.”Indeed, all His living, His serving, and His dying were “ingreat humility”; and this is the pattern He has left for us.How eagerly we yearn to be like Him — to be trans-formed into His likeness! Thus we must surrender ourclaims to privilege and position; and we must become“meek and lowly in heart,” as was He. But it is also theprinciple of His Kingdom that “he that shall humble him-self shall be exalted.” His humiliation now is ended, andHe is raised in honor to the right hand of His Father. As itwas for Jesus, so shall it also be for us. He who is “Lord ofthe Cattle Shed” is also Lord of All; and we who followHim in the lowliness of His humility will share also in thesplendor of His glory. Alleluia! “Blessed is He whocometh in the name of the Lord!”
©2010 Jupiter Im
ages
A Arranged through Ed Hill Tours.
A Round trip from Cincinnati, Ohio.
A Enjoy Israel during the beautiful weather of May.
A Earn optional college credit (3 hours).
A Tour conducted by Dr. Allan Brown, GBS Ministerial Division Chair / Old Testament professor.
A Limited lodging available on GBS campus if needed on day before / after the trip.
A Free shuttle to and from Greater Cincinnati International Airport and GBS.
A For more information contact Don Davison: [email protected] (513) 763-6510.
Photos ©2010 A
blestock.com, Jupiterim
ages, Medioim
ages/Photodisk, Photos.com
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