A Doctrinal Sermon
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets.
And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not.
So they poured out for the men to eat; and it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God there is DEATH IN THE POT. And they could not eat thereof.
But He said, Then bring meal. And he cast it unto the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot."—II Kings 4:38-41.
"Elisha came to Gilgal and there was a dearth in the land."
There had not always been a dearth in Gilgal.
Gilgal had once been wondrously blessed of God. Blessing and bounty had walked its streets hand in hand. Had they not echoed and resounded with shouting and rejoicing and the marching feet of four thousand men of war, as priest, led by Joshua, had borne the ark of the covenant of the Lord thither?
After they had pitched camp and set up their twelve stones as a monument of Jordan's parted waters (Jos. 4:3 and 20), and kept the Passover, had they not eaten of the old corn of the land and the fruit of the land of Canaan? The long-looked-for promised land had been reached. No more need for wilderness wanderings, "and the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more, but they did eat the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." (Jos. 5:11,12).
Was it not at Gilgal that, after the Lord appeared as Captain of the host (Jos. 5:14), and Joshua had fallen on his face to the earth, the Lord said unto him:
"Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy."
And after Samuel had anointed Saul, did not he send him unto Gilgal to "tarry until" the "Spirit of the Lord" should "come upon" him with "signs" following, that should give him another heart" and turn him "into a new man?" (Read I Sam. 10:6-9). What a wonderful type of Pentecost! Later Samuel said to the people:
"Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there, even as the early apostles had returned to Jerusalem for fresh anointings of the Spirit.
"A DEARTH IN THE LAND"
But behold, now, something has happened. The children of the Lord have become cold, lukewarm, backslidden. Such a great dearth has come to Gilgal and the surrounding country that they have "cleanness of teeth and want of bread." (Amos 4:6). Transgressions have been multiplied," but in Hosea 4:16, the Lord promises Israel (who, in her iniquity, he has likened to a backsliding heifer and forbidden to enter Gilgal), that if they will follow Him He will feed them as a lamb in a large space.
During the former rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), the ark containing the glory of the Lord (spiritually speaking), rested in Jerusalem as in Gilgal of old. Even as Saul had been sent to Gilgal to tarry till the Spirit of the Lord was come upon him and till the signs came to pass, so the hundred and twenty had been commanded to tarry in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit should come upon them with signs following.
The long-looked-for, long-prophesied (Isaiah 28:11, 2:13; Joel 2:23, and 28; Zech. 10:1; Matt. 3:11, Luke 24:49, John 14, 15, 16; Acts 1:5 and 8) promised land had been reached. True, God had kept them whilst in the wilderness, and manna had come upon them, as the inspired words fell from the mouths of the holy prophets of old as they moved by the Holy Spirit—true, the words of Jesus had been as manna from heaven, whilst He walked this earth in the fleshly body, but now—now—the Holy Spirit has come—N-O-W—they had entered Canaan's land, and instead of the manna which had been taken away, and fell no more upon them (Jesus being returned to the Father and His voice being heard no more), they had corn and oil and wine (Joel 2:19), as the Spirit spoke through them of Jesus and His coming kingdom. "And they did eat the old CORN of the land (Jos. 5:11, 12) the land of Canaan." (See fruits of the Spirit, Gal. 5:22) and with the marching feet of new converts, new men of war, Jerusalem (as Gilgal of old) rang with the praises of the Lord, and with the shouts of the Captain of the host. On the day of Pentecost three thousand souls were added to the church; with pure hearts overflowing with joy, and with unshod feet, His people walked softly before Him and fell upon their faces in adoration. Just as the twelve tribes erected their monument of twelve stones, so the twelve disciples stood as a monument of the mighty power of the great and holy One who had parted the waters of Jordan to bring them to Canaan's land—"The Baptism of the Holy Ghost." Each time did the Lord Himself have to part the waters before His children could cross over into the new experience.
Humanity could neither swim nor ford the Red Sea—The Lord Himself miraculously opened, through His blood a path—salvation—which meant at once deliverance and Life to repentant believers—and Death to unrepentant unbelievers.
Mankind could not cross the judgement of old Jordan's waves, nor make themselves worthy to enter Canaan and again through parted waters (His GRACE and His WORTHINESS, which towered on either side) He led His people forth to the promised land, and filled them with the Spirit. Here are two experiences—Salvation and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit—which we could not have brought ourselves into, therefore did He part the waters each time.
"ELISHA CAME AGAIN TO GILGAL"
After the disciples and apostles had fallen asleep in the Lord and the many years of blessing wherein the power and glory of the Holy Spirit had been manifested, came the gradual falling away of the spirituality of the church. The apostasy and dark ages followed, but holy, inspired prophecy has said: "He who sent the former rain moderately shall send you the rain, both the former and the latter rain together in one month," and "It shall come to pass in the last days, said God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh."
Hallelujah! The time for the latter rain outpouring of the Spirit which was to take place in the last days had come and Elisha (who stands for the visual manifestation of the power of God in signs and wonders) came A-G-A-I-N TO GILGAL.
And when he came he found that "THERE WAS A GREAT DEARTH IN THE LAND."
A dearth in the land of Gilgal!
Ah, yes! What a dearth there is in the land today! What a crying for food, and pottage, and bread and lentils today. The world is hungry and the world is thirsty, yea, the world is starving for food to satisfy. Just as there was a dearth in Gilgal so there is a dearth in Christendom today—men and women are longing for something to satisfy. Fancy cookies and neapolitan ice cream will not satisfy their hunger, for it is a hunger of the soul, a hunger for something that is crying out for God.
Moving pictures and socials in the church will not satisfy. Bazaars and concerts will not suffice, even high-powered organizations of God will not appease. The rendition of the most masterful choir anthems will not ease the gnawing hunger in the land!
The palmerworm, the cankerworm and the locust have crept over the world, devouring our consecration and our prayer life. The joy of the Lord is no longer in our hearts, and there is a dearth. Men and women are criticizing the Bible, doubting its veracity, doubting the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, denying the power of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the miracle power of Christ today.
There is a dearth in the land! There is always a dearth when God's sky becomes brass and the clouds cease to send down their refreshing showers of blessing.
Today there is a spiritual dearth of the Word of God in America. There is a dearth in Canada, where they are trying to get all the churches to unite in one State Church. There is a dearth in the British Isles, and in the regions beyond the sea. People are longing for something to satisfy the inner craving of the soul. They have psychology, they have community uplift and social reform. They have all manner of reasoning, but it does not satisfy the hunger. It is a hunger of the very bone and marrow. People are longing, longing, longing—with uplifted hands and upturned faces—for they know not what.
I don't believe even the ministers realize how hungry the people are, but the laity realizes how over-famed our pulpits are!
The very beasts of the field do groan, and from the pews and corridors of the House of God there sounds the cry, "Give us something substantial. Give us the old-time faith. Give us old-time prayer meetings with streaming eyes and hearts yielded to God. Give us the old 'amen' corner, and give us the old-time hallelujah. Give us old-time faith in God!"
Oh, will the Son of Man find faith in the land when He comes?
There was a dearth in Gilgal, an unnecessary dearth, for Gilgal had been singularly blessed for many a year. It was a land of sunshine, milk and honey. It had been the very heart of the promised land. And the showers of God's blessing had been continually falling. His smile had rested ever upon it. It was there they had the first great feast and thanked God for His goodness, but now, there was a dearth in Gilgal.
So, there has come a dearth upon the church of today—a dearth that need never have been. Churches in days gone by knew what the old-time outpouring of the Holy Ghost was, they knew a land that flowed with milk and honey from the gracious hand of God. There were people who had revivals and prayed until prison doors fell off their hinges, shackles broke and light streamed into the room where gloom had been.
The church of Jesus Christ need not have had this dearth. God deliver us from preachers who stand behind pulpits and read notes, pages and pages of them; who preach a sermon, taken perhaps from a sermon book; who preach two or three times a week and who cannot dig deep enough to find something fresh from God's Word. The blessed Word of God is not preached in the pulpits of today as in the days gone by. There is plenty of psychology and social uplift, but there is a dearth in the land.
Lord, help us to get back to the old-time revival!
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal!"
Praise God! The Holy Spirit has come again upon the church and the latter rain-pouring of the Holy Spirit is upon us. This is the day that the Lord made. This is the day the Scriptures prophesied, this is the day the Father ordained for the outpouring of the latter rain.
"Elisha came again to Gilgal; and there was a dearth in the land!"
There was a dearth—parched earth, cracked and hardened, panting with open mouth for the latter rain.
There was a dearth—and the flowers of prayer and praise hung limply upon their stems.
"There was a dearth—and the sons of the prophets went before Elisha."
Today the sons of the prophets sit before the Holy Spirit in this dispensation, and say as they said of old:
"We hunger! Our souls are longing to be blessed, send down the power of the Spirit upon us."
Something is bound to happen when the saints pray like that!
"SET ON THE GREAT POT"
Therefore, when Elisha came again to Gilgal, that is, when the Holy Spirit, at the specified time for the latter rain, found the hungry saints sitting before Him with one accord and one desire, even as the hundred and twenty had sat in waiting expectation of old, "He said unto his servant":
"Set on the great pot and seethe the pottage for the sons of the prophets." "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for they shall be filled."
Oh glory to Jesus! I can close my eyes and see Angelus Temple, like a great revival pot (the Foursquare Gospel movement), being brought out and set upon the fire—the Holy Spirit is, of course, the fire—our prayer, and praises are the wood (and Oh, it takes good dry wood, full of pitch, to make a real red-hot fire—water-soaked, rotten wood of worldliness and unbelief will only smoke and smudge and hinder).
Once suspended over the fire of the Holy Spirit, THE REVIVAL POT soon begins to boil and simmer, as hungry saints come together, each bringing a contribution of carefully tilled vegetables in their hands as an offering.
What a mixture, what a conglomeration come together in that pot!
Perhaps there is not another movement on earth made up of such varied assortment of teachings, creeds and organizations, yet all melt and blend into one when put into the water of the Word, and boiled over the fire of the Holy Spirit.
It is as that of a great burning pile of wood, hewn and gathered from many sources—from varied kinds of trees—from widely separated forest, now leaping heavenward into one great flame of love and devotion.
It is as many VEGETABLES, planted, watered, cultivated, tilled and brought from many fields, put into one pot, and now formed, with the strong meat of the Word, and the water of the Spirit of life, a rich, nourishing food, whose appetizing and inviting fragrance was wafted to all about upon the vapor of praise and testimony which arises from the dancing, joyful mixture within.
With lightning rapidity the revival is encircling the world—thousands and thousands of hungry souls have been filled with the Spirit, and other thousands are hungrily seeking.
Wait a moment! You who are investigating or gazing curiously into the lively, bubbling, dancing REVIVAL POT. Let us halt and examine some of the people—the endless procession of people who are coming to contribute some edible to the movement. Let us begin with this man hurrying along toward the pot, laden with vegetables and bread of the first fruits, and see what he has to say.
THE METHODIST
Q. "Halt! Who goes there? From whence do you come?"
A. "I am a METHODIST. I come from a church founded upon the sound doctrine of Justification and Faith in the present Power as revealed to John Wesley—a church where the power of the Holy Spirit used to fall in by-gone years, until saints shouted, and sinners wept, and the joyful danced before the Lord."
Q. "Oh! And what bring you in your hand?"
A. "I bring with me carefully tilled vegetables and bread of the first fruits, from the grand old field—a little sparsely 'sprinkled'—and—well—a little 'short of water'—nevertheless, diligently cultivated by watchfulness and the Lord God.
"Our harvests come from various gardens and are tilled by different gardeners, some of which are known as 'The Epworth League,' 'The Free Methodists,' 'The Ranters,' 'The Shaking Methodists,' etc., yet 'tis the same Sun of Righteousness which, from the lofty heavens, shines upon one and all."
"Coming out from the parent field I bring with me an appetite whetted by the cherished memories of how God once did work in the old-time Methodist church; for alas! Dearth and formaliy came into our field and many therein are an hungered.
"Kindly allow me to pass, for in these last days (Acts 2:17) the great pot of blessing has been set upon the fire of the Spirit, and thither do I hasten that I may find this old-time power increased an hundred-fold."
There! He is gone! I would that I could have detained and conversed with him a little longer. Let not our hearts be troubled, however, for lo, one goeth, and behold another cometh.
THE BAPTIST
Q. "Halt! Who goes there? And whence come you?"
A. I am a BAPTIST. I come from a garden whose original plan of gardening (as recorded in our book of instructions) was patterned by the Word of God, the planting and springing up of the seeds required justification and a Change of Heart. The young plants were well watered, too—in fact, 'completely immersed' in the beginning of their growth, but as the plants grew and developed and had need of the wind of the Spirit and the falling of the latter rain for developing the harvest, Alas! between the high, well-guarded fence of 'close communion' and the heavy overhead trellis of theology and forms and ceremonies, neither wind nor rain could reach the garden.
"Consequently, many of our gardeners, realizing that the fruit of their labors was exceedingly 'hard shelled,' and that some life and breaking of the dry stiffness was needed, tried an artificial irrigation process of worldliness and structural magnificence. Lectures, concerts and amusements were recommended and tried as fertilizers. The spiritual life of the plants, however, did not thrive under this method, and many withered and pined away, and there was a dearth in the land."
"Coming forth from behind our fence, I am hastening toward yonder brightly burning fire, for I do both 'see and hear' that the great pot has been set upon the flame. Hark! Can you not hear its dancing and bubbling, and see the vapors of praise rising, even from here?"
Q. "And what bring you in your hand to contribute to the Foursquare Revival pot?"
A. "I bring with me, as bread of the first fruits, the knowledge for the real, tangible power of God.
"But, Ah! I catch the fragrant odors rising from yonder steaming caldron. Please allow me to pass, that I may receive my portion from the great pot."
THE SALVATIONIST
Q. "Halt! Who goes there? From whence come you and why do you come?"
A. "I come from the Salvation Army, that, in obedience to the call of God, marched fearlessly beneath their banner of 'Blood and Fire', into the very heart of the enemy's territory, taking captives and making love-prisoners for King Jesus.
"I come from a people who in their extensive gardening found labor for both the 'servant and the maid', a body of people who were once deeply spiritual and prayerful and entirely separated from the world and its earthly lore.
"True, amidst persecution and trial, they sowed the seed and gathered the harvest—not behind fenced enclosures, but in the streets and marketplace, the slums and the hovels.
"I come from a people who used to stand for the manifestation of the Spirit, and many there were among them who shouted and danced, and fell prostrate under the power, and saw visions of the glory of God.
"Why do I leave? Because there is a dearth in our land—the old-time power is sadly lacking today, times and business are so pressing, pressing popularity—our war work in the great world contest—never-ending financial needs—new barns for the extended harvest fields—have been as quick-growing weeds that have sadly choked and crowded out the old spirituality and wholehearted abandonment and humble dependence upon God.
"Seeking and hungry for the old-time power, I come for food to the great pot which has been set over the fire of this Holy Ghost movement."
Q. "And what bring you in your hand?"
A. "I bring with me the first fruits of our labors. Our field of vegetables had a wonderful beginning; the planting was beyond criticism, and if our field had been watered according to the instructions of the Chief Gardener Jesus, none should have excelled it. Our under-gardeners felt neither the prescribed water baptism nor the latter rain outpouring (the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Acts 2:4) to be necessary.
"Our vegetables were not sprinkled. Nevertheless they contain a real zeal for souls and a courage to go after them. I bring in my hands the old 'Amen Corner' and the ringing 'Hallelujahs' singing and music and a faith and perseverance that sow beside all waters."
On and on they come!
They are flocking in from every direction, each bringing some contributions to the Pentecostal Pot. Here comes the staunch Presbyterian—the old Scotch Covenanter—the Huguenot, and the staid Episcopalian followers after—pride and formality forgotten.
One breath from the fragrant, boiling Revival on the fire brings back a rush of memories that recall the Faith and Power which rested in their midst in days of yore, when steadfast persecuted forefathers fell upon their knees in caves and dens and dungeons when plush and padded prayer-cushions were unknown—memories of old-time power and glorious blessing that followed in the days when "they who lived godly suffered persecution"—memories of long nights spent in prayer—the sincere, unaffected heart's devotion of the Saviour and His love.
Ah, no! Neither gilded dome nor frescoed arch, nor rolling tones that throb and thunder in the organ loft, nor surpliced choir, nor e'en the college-moulded, eloquent "divine," who speaks in modulated tones from flower-embowered canopy, can still the longing for the old-time power that glorified the sacrifice, surrender, prayer and faith of the Pilgrim Fathers' day.
Devoted saints come from the Holiness church, bringing the message of Heart-Purity and the Coming of the Lord, and wonderfully blessed of God, as fruitage needing but one thing—the latter rain.
The Adventist adds his teaching on the Coming of the Lord, deep study of the Prophetic Word, teachings of Holiness and Freedom from Worldliness.
The Quaker hastens up—deep wells of joyous recollections rising in his soul—eyes alight, beneath his broad-brimmed hat, with the memories of how his church, once shaken and controlled by the Spirit's power (before the dearth), had walked so close to God. Glowing coals within his heart, long banked and smouldering, now burst forth in flames again as he hastens to the Holy Spirit's fire and the Great World-wide Revival pot suspended thereupon.
He adds the fruitage from his field—"sterling qualities of truth," "Unswerving faith," and "yieldedness to the moving of the Spirit."
But many of them, leaving the old church, have come to the Saviour, have been redeemed, filled with a Holy Reverence and an obedient and deep appreciation for this new-found reality and life in Jesus to add to the happy mixture bubbling in the pot.
"And Elisha said:
"SET ON THE GREAT POT, AND SEE THE POTTAGE FOR THE SONS OF THE PROPHETS."
Oh, what a glorious feast we are going to have! What wonderful pottage!
Lift up the cover and peep in at the dancing, joyous mixture. See how, when boiled over the great fire of the Spirit and with the water of life with the meat of the Word and the salt which has never lost its savor, a great change comes to all the viands within the pot; the fruits of the fields, the vegetables and the barley, lose their "hard shells," slip out of their walls of differences, creeds and forms—forget they came from widely separated gardens and were tilled by gardeners who never could agree as to methods, and soon they burst with praise as their inmost hearts flow forth in love.
Then, as the fire burns on, they melt—and melt—and melt, until the pottage is but one united, savory mixture. Outside walls crumble and fall away, for vegetables must be peeled before entering the Foursquare Revival Pot (that is, barriers of organization and differences must be left outside; peelings do not make good pottage). Then, as the fire still continues to burn and the pot to boil, each vegetable and fruit in melting, has lost its own identity and has so united and merged itself into the other broken, melting heart's round about it, that 'tis hard to realize they ever were divided.
THE MAN WITH THE LAPFUL OF GOURDS
Many eyes and many footsteps were turned eagerly toward this Foursquare movement; brethren patted each other on the back Hungrily, servants and handmaidens alike drew near with clean plates and shining spoons.
But stop! Who is that man, slipping in so stealthily behind the others, carrying something in his garment? Let us question him.
"Halt! Who goes there? From whence do you come?"
"Me? Oh, I come from no particular garden. I am the 'One who went out in the field to gather herbs'."
"Why-er-that is, I-it is not vegetables I bring. Vegetables must be most carefully planted in prepared ground, tilled and cultivated (study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed). Whilst wondering yonder I found a wild vine full of nice, fat gourds, no trouble to till them the wild gourds in passing. See? I have a good big lapful here. I fear that they are poisonous."
"Good specimens of 'gourds,' yes; but I am not so sure of their being good to eat, or being a desirable addition to yonder feast."
"Oh, no; they are not poisonous, I assure you."
"Well, what are the names of these different gourds?"
"Why—a—This one is called 'False Teaching'; this one is called 'Error'; whilst this prickly one is known as Doctrinal Issues. This puffy fat one is 'Lover of Power and Recognition.' Then there is 'Self-Righteousness,' 'Formality,' 'Pre-conceived Ideas and Teachings,' 'Fear of Manifestation,' 'Flesh' and 'Fanaticism.' There are many other gourds, and amongst their number are 'Lack of Brotherly Love,' 'False Reports,' 'Harsh Criticism,' and 'Tale Bearing'."
"Why, man! You would never think of bringing such things into the midst of a Pentecost gathering! You are wrong, and the gourds are poisonous. They will destroy unity and curdle love and make endless confusion and trouble. Surely you do not realize what you are doing?"
"Oh, yes, I do. The Lord revealed this thing to me and I know this new idea is the only right one. I know these gourds are perfectly all right and you can't teach me anything about them. Kindly allow me to pass."
"Wait, wait, come back! There, he is gone—he worms his way into the inner circle, gets close to the pot, lifts his lapful of gourds, and in they go, the whole lot of them, into the pottage. Onlookers innocently allowed the gourds at first to pass them, and shred them into the pot of pottage, "for they knew them not." So they poured out for men to eat; and it came to pass as they were eating of the pottage that they cried out and said: "Oh, thou man of God, there is death in the pot," and they could not eat thereof."
Amidst the many who come with good contributions to the pot, here and there steals up a man or woman with a lapful of gourds, which they have plucked from some wild vine as they journeyed, and they are thrown, sometimes ignorantly, sometimes knowingly, into the great pot upon the fire.
"Horrors, the whole thing is spoiled!"
There is false teaching and error in the movement, and I am afraid to have anything to do with it.
There is "So-and-So," who did "such-and-such a thing," and if that's Pentecost, or if that's the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, I for one, don't want it. There's Mr. "So-and-So" in our assembly, and there's that one who professed to be a Holy Ghost preacher—Did you hear what he did?
Did you hear of the gourd that he brought and dumped into this movement?
No, sir! The whole pot is contaminated and poisoned. I tell you there's death in the pot, and they are in a strait between two, whether to try to overturn the whole pot or to walk away and leave it, warning others as they go.
Some say, "Come on, let's fight this movement. Let's write some tracts against it and do what we can to overturn the whole thing." Others who walk away, warn everyone they meet by saying:
"Did you hear the news about the Pentecostal movement down there? Why, 'So-and-So' has just brought the most distressing lapful of gourds and dropped them into Pentecost; unity is disrupted; love is curdled, the people are made sick at their very hearts. Don't you go near that place."
What shall you and I do? We know that the movement is ninety-nine percent pure, but Oh, that lapful of gourds has brought so much trouble! Of course, we know that "When the sons of God came together the devil came also," and that there never was a movement but where some one came in to bring reproach, and that even amongst the twelve disciples one was a Judas. We also know how one who does not measure up to the standard is singled out from the ninety-nine others and enlarged upon until the "ninety-nine just ones" are forgotten in pointing to and discussing him who went astray.
"Well, we know the thing is not right anyway, as it is, and I guess we better go away. Too bad, isn't it?"
"But wait a moment—
"Who is this so swiftly approaching with a well-filled sack clasped tightly in his arms?"
"Who goes there, and what do you bring in your hands?"
"I am the man with the sack of meal. The meal is the Word of God. I will go to cast it into the pot.
Today the Lord is bidding us fix up our tripods and get out our pots! I believe Angelus Temple is a great pot that is being kindled with good dry wood—good dry wood of lives of Faith, wood savored by pitch and the fragrance from hills of prayer. Hungry ministers, as well as laymen—all joining hands and hearts in the great Foursquare Revival Pot.