Olivet Nazarene University Digital Commons @ Olivet Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today Church of the Nazarene 10-15-1982 Herald of Holiness Volume 71 Number 20 (1982) W. E. McCumber (Editor) Nazarene Publishing House Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh Part of the Christian Denominations and Sects Commons, Christianity Commons, History of Christianity Commons, Missions and World Christianity Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation McCumber, W. E. (Editor), "Herald of Holiness Volume 71 Number 20 (1982)" (1982). Herald of Holiness/ Holiness Today. 291. https://digitalcommons.olivet.edu/cotn_hoh/291 This Journal Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Church of the Nazarene at Digital Commons @ Olivet. It has been accepted for inclusion in Herald of Holiness/Holiness Today by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Olivet. For more information, please contact [email protected]. m m LIBRARY m KAZARENE COLLET mm EE, ILLINOIS OCT'8 82 IURCH OF THE NAZARENE / OCTOBER 15, AN EDITORIAL THE PROMISE TO BE POSSESSED REAL REVIVAI PRECEDED BY CONCERTED PRAYER.” T WAS dedication day. The Our church was born in holiness re­ chaired last summer, the super­ magnificent temple had been vival in the early 1900s, and this has intendent climaxed his report with I built and the king had publiclybeen our genius across the years. At the announcement of the dates of presented it to God. Now evening this point in time, genuine revival will the simultaneous revivals on that had come. King Solomon sat alone help us to renew our sense of mis­ district. He gave an impassioned in the palace. Suddenly the Lord ap­ sion and prepare us for the greatest plea for the entire district to join in peared to him and said, “If my peo­ thrust of evangelism and church 40 weeks of fasting and prayer lead­ ple, who are called by my name, will growth in our history. ing up to that week. The members of humble themselves and pray and The revival promise made to King the assembly enthusiastically re­ seek my face and turn from their Solomon has never been revoked. It sponded to the challenge and com­ wicked ways, then will I hear from is waiting to be possessed. But like mitted themselves to fast and pray heaven and will forgive their sin and all of God’s promises, it is con­ some time each week. will heal their land." This solemn ditional— “if my people . will hum­ Along with my colleagues on the promise of our sovereign God is ble themselves and pray. .” Real Board of General Superintendents, I recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV). revival has always been preceded pledge myself to become personally On October 13, 1983, the Church by concerted prayer. involved in “Possessing the Prom­ of the Nazarene will celebrate its One year ago the church where I ise." I have comm itted m yself to be 75th anniversary. This Diamond Ju­ hold my membership experienced a the evangelist for a simultaneous re­ bilee comes at the midpoint of a sweeping revival. Initially scheduled vival the first week of 1983. It is in a quinquennium of “Celebrating Chris­ for eight days, it went on for a sec­ young church that is less than 10 tian Holiness" and will highlight a ond week, then a third and finally years old. Many of the new Naza- year of “Celebrating Our Holiness climaxed with a fourth week of ser­ renes there have never witnessed a Heritage." It is most appropriate that vices. Hundreds were revived, re­ mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit the calendar year will open with a generated, and sanctified. But like in genuine revival. I am praying daily churchwide emphasis upon revival. all genuine revivals, it was the prod­ that we will experience an unusual Every district will set aside one week uct of prevailing prayer. For more manifestation of God's presence in which every local church will en­ than a year, pastor and people had and power. gage in revival services. spent every Saturday night at the Let us all unite in fervent prayer This is more than a denomi­ church altar praying for revival. Of­ that every Church of the Naza­ national program. It is a determined ten these prayer meetings con­ rene— young or old. large or effort to put first things first. Revival tinued all night. Small wonder that small— will pay the price to possess is at the very heart of our heritage. they possessed the promise. the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14. □ And there is encouraging evi­ dence that our people are ready to answer a call to prayer for revival. In the last district assembly that I by General Superintendent Eugene L. Stowe N MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1981, by instant video television replay, the world witnessed a broad Odaylight assassination attempt on the life of the presi­ dent of the United States. The pictures recorded the would-be assassin with the gun in his hand. His iden­ tity was not in question. There was never a doubt who shot the president and three others with him. After a year and a half of waiting for justice, a stunned and angry world heard the jury’s verdict, “Not guilty by reason of insanity.” Thirteen times to 13 counts the words “Not guilty” thundered across the land. Outraged people everywhere demanded change in the law that made it possible for a man to premeditate the murder of a president, be caught in the violent act of attempted assassination, and then be found “not guilty” of the crime his lawyers admit he committed. As the 21st century dawns, we like to think of our­ selves as an enlightened intellectual generation— open-minded and generally willing to “live and let live.” But this generation has been duped by a funda­ mentally flawed and biblically unsupportable philo­ sophical humanism that denies the reality of sin and abhors personal accountability. For more than 20 years, ethical social liberalism has been conditioning this generation to the notion that society in general is to blame, a mental disorder is to blame, or perhaps poverty or some hereditary problem is to blame. Blame anything or anybody, but never hold the individual accountable for his deeds. The absurdity of this concept of reality reached a climax in the ver­ dict of John W. Hinkley. And finally, even the “open- G u ilty??? minded” secularists are forced to admit that some­ thing is wrong. This “not guilty” mentality has become so ingrained by C. DALE GERMAN in our thinking that it has crept into our local churches. It has persuaded some sincere Christians that it really does not matter if they fail to tithe, or if prophets, damnable heresies, and swift destruction. It they fail to attend Sunday services faithfully, or fail to speaks of God’s sure judgment that did not spare an­ keep the standards of the church. They are duped by a gels that sinned, or the world in the time of Noah, or socially acceptable spirit of nonaccountability to be­ the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and it speaks of lieve a loving God understands their motives and future judgment upon the unjust followed by their pun­ knows their hearts, and therefore will declare, “Not ishment. No “not guilty” verdict here! guilty.” They absolve themselves from the respon­ The outcry following the Hinkley verdict is an out­ sibility of working to make the church effective in the cry for change. The people want justice. Ironically, community. Like sponges, they show up occasionally many of those same people who want justice in the to soak up the religious atmosphere, but contribute courts object to the wrath and judgment of God. little or nothing in return. This false doctrine of “Not Guilty” is lethal spiritu­ God is merciful, but also just. Heaven awaits the redeemed. Eternal damnation awaits the sinful. The ally. It collects into one bundle the sincere but duped off-again on-again churchgoers, practicing homo­ individual is responsible for his own deeds. While sal­ sexuals, liars, blasphemers, and perverts of every kind vation is by faith in Christ, “by their works shall ye into what theology calls “universalism.” Universalism know” who is Christian and who is not. means that in the end time, God will finally save all There is no “not guilty” verdict in 2 Peter 2:20-21: people and sweep them all into heaven together— “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the including Satan himself and his demons. The grand world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour theme of universalism is, “Not guilty by reason of Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and God’s mercy.” We must not be duped by this heresy, or overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the give way to any part of it. 2 Peter 2 speaks of false beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have C. DALE GERMAN is pastor of the San Ramon Valley known it, to turn from the holy commandment deliv­ Church o f the Nazarene in San Ramon, California. ered unto them.” □ OCTOBER 15, 1982 3 fJERALD ^HOLINE W. E. McCUM BER, Editor in Chief Bible Quotations in this issue: IVAN A. BEALS, Office Editor Unidentified quotations are from the KJV. Quotations from the following translations MABEL ADAMSON, Editorial Assistant are used by permission: (NIV) From The Holy Bible. New International Version, copyright © 1978, by New York International Bible Society rnntrihutmn I V.