Common Sense in York, PA

A Cloud of Witnesses

The writer of Hebrews put it well:

We could get into the discussion, "who wrote the book of Hebrews?" I don't want to waste the time because I don't know, and quite frankly, it doesn't matter. If we look at the way the book deals with Christ it was probably Paul, James or Apollos, or someone else who had learned from them. Certainly it was someone who knew the old covenant and also knew the grace and forgiveness of the cross. Chapter 11 is unique because it details the people of faith that came before Christ.

As we enter the Twenty First Century, a man-made boundary in time, it is well to also look back and see the cloud of witnesses that went before us. The songwriter penned, "Will those who come behind us find us faithful. Will the fire of our devotion light the way? Will the footsteps that we leave, lead them to believe." After all, that is our charter as Christians, to leave footprints for those behind to follow.

There are those who believe the second coming is upon us. To them I will only say, "I don't know," and ask, "Did He intend for us to spend our time speculating?" Look at the words of Jesus.

Since I do not know, I must live my life as if He will come today and yet prepare as though He is not coming for five hundred or maybe five thousand years. If I knew His coming was within the next five years there are things I would not do, they are unnecessary. But if He tarries, I must pass my faith on to the next generation and make them understand it is important to pass both their faith and fervor to pass it on the next. Even if we knew his coming is a century from now, there is no less urgency to call people to Jesus. Not a single one of us have a guarantee of tomorrow.

I often ask of myself, "If his coming is not near, what will the generations to come think of the twentieth century?" Too many have concentrated on teaching and learning about the second coming rather than spreading the gospel and pointing men to Jesus. Much of what they have taught has brought fear in the hearts of believers. The Apostle Paul taught against this:

We should comfort one another by his words. I cannot find time to speculate about His coming. Like Nehemiah as he rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem, I say, "Let me pursue the work of the Lord."

I have no time for their vain disputes. I will take the course Jesus took when called to task about his doctrine. He said, "It is written."

Jesus said we would not know when it would be. Thus if we place any time period or era on the second coming we violate scripture. I believe that even to say, "He's coming soon," violates that mandate. But what is important is what have we done for the Kingdom. Were we to write Hebrews 11 of the 1900's, what would it contain? I do not intend to add to scripture, but because of the encouragement Hebrews 11 has been to me over the years, I will to use this as a base.

The heroes of the faith in this century are many. We sometimes get Elijah syndrome and fail to see those of the faith that are walking before us or with us. Note: I don't sell books but I have read one called "Elijah, a man like us." This is a phenominal work for those who feel small and need encouragement to continue, and for those who think they are big, and need to downsize their head.

I believe in this time God has many who have not bowed to Baal or kissed him. Let's put the verse in 1900ese which is as accurate in the year 2001.

"There are tens of thousands alive today who have not been conformed to the world, they have been faithful to the Lord Jehovah."

We must be very astute here, to see these as God does. Let's get real, some of them don't look a bit like us. Some of them don't act like us. Some of them don't pray in the same position, they don't sing the same songs, they don't speak the same language, and they don't call themselves the same name, but they are of Him. The penalty for not recognizing the Lord's body is severe.

I would much prefer to recognize the Lord's body in the earth than be sick and die prematurely, the more literal definition of this passage. Don't get upset with me, you'll just have to repent for it. After all, I'm just repeating what Paul wrote. We must not get heady and high minded that we have attained it, but be humble before one another.

And although this scripture applies to the Gentiles and Jews, it certainly applies to anyone who would look at themselves as being better then others. This can take the form of seemingly innocent attitudes. "We're on the Leading Edge of what God is doing" is one such statement that can easily become steeped in spiritual pride. Remember, spiritual pride is still pride. And we will fight if called to task on this because we are blinded to the pride.

So who are these witnesses today? Let me assure you that I have no 20-20 vision, there are certainly those I will miss. I have presented the ones I see as great witnesses in alphabetical order because I believe all were important to the Kingdom of God during the 1900's. You may notice that some "stars" of the last two decades have been missed. This was not an oversight, some of the self-proclaimed apostles and prophets of this period have contributed much to their own fame and little to the long term benefit of the church. Like those who have turned tail and run, those who promote themselves have no place with the heroes of the faith.

Ed Cole - Teaching men to be godly.

Ed Cole has been a positive force through the Christian Men's network, teaching men to be what God intended. Although Promise Keepers has gotten more exposure in recent years and is certainly a great force for good, Ed had this vision for men long before PK. His straight talk to men about sex, money, commitment to God, commitment to family and integrity lead the way when there was nobody else there. He is certainly a pioneer of the faith in our time. (http://www.edcole.org)

Kenneth Copeland - A man who took faith another step.

Kenneth Copeland is one of the faith teachers who was able to teach faith without making it a game of getting things from God. He has been falsely accused of this. I am sure he isn't perfect, but his message follows the bible. His emphasis on a firm relationship with God was the basis for keeping the faith and word message pure. While some others missed this and made commerce of the gospel, he has steered a higher course. (http://www.kcm.org)

Fanny Crosby - She wrote the Glory of God.

There were many songwriters of this era, but few were able to write the messages from God that Fanny Crosby penned. Among them are "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," "Rescue that Perishing,"

"Blessed Assurance," "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," "Hold Thou My Hand," "All the Way My Savior Leads Me," "More Like Jesus," and over 9,000 others. NOTE THAT NUMBER, 9000. It would take more than twenty church hymnals to print all of them. It averages two songs each week of her ninety year life! Although she only lived to see the first quarter of the century, her impact was felt through most of it. (http://www.nyise.org/fanny/) For those who don't know, Fanny was blind, but God allowed her to have a sight that went beyond the natural.

Robert (Bob) Deweese - A man who held up the man of God.

This man stood next to and with the man God called to lead and held up his hands. He was the associate of Oral Roberts during the great healing meetings of the fifties. Although he stood in the shadow of Oral, anyone who took the time to see him knew Bob was a capable minister of the gospel, before, after and during his time with Oral. While a part of the OREA he held services in the afternoon in the small tent, usually with crowds of one to two thousand while Oral preached to 12 to 16 thousand in the evening. His messages were dynamic and faith building, a complement to the messages Oral preached. With the large number of "unchurched" and unsaved in the evening meetings, Oral had to concentrate on the "milk" of the word. Bob was free to dispense the meat. Although they did not get the attention of the larger evening services, more than a few healing miracles happened in them. Bob was to some degree instrumental in bringing the Holy Spirit to the forefront during this time. His afternoon services often saw movements of the Holy Spirit including manifestations of the gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues. Some of those later involved in the Charismatic renewal came to Christ and met the Holy Spirit under his ministry.

Clifton Erickson - The modern day Apostle John, a man of love.

Clifton was an ex-trucker without a college degree who preached in a tent that seated about 3000. His meetings in the early 50's centered on salvation and healing. He taught the love of God like a man who knew of it personally. In John 3 Jesus said, "We speak what we do know" and that was what Clifton Erickson did. His meetings produced many new Christians that were matured later by local churches. He was one of more than a dozen men that held meetings like this, but he is the one who stands out as having love and integrity that makes him stand above the others. The others were certainly men of God. But This man of God has few peers.

Bill and Gloria Gaither - Teachers of worshipping God in song.

Many have written and many have sung God's praises. In that right alone, Bill and Gloria are among the best. But Bill and Gloria did much more than write and sing. They helped place the praises of God in the home and on the job. They helped make it acceptable. Their success was encouragement to others to launch out and sing for the Lord. Their place as role models for many who came later cannot be diminished in any way. In addition they also trained, mentored and encouraged many of the next couple of generations. Mark Lowrey is one of these. Today they stand tall as a couple who have pointed the way to God. They have, as Paul taught in Timothy, taken what God gave them and passed it to good and faithful men (and women) who could minister and teach others. We are beginning to see the real fruits of their labor in the next generation passing on the word to those who follow them, even as these two champions of the faith continue their ministry. (http://www.gaithermusic.com)

Billy Graham - A signpost pointing the way to Christ.

It is impossible to write the account of this man in a paragraph. He has been the minister to the masses, to kings and to presidents. He has unerringly preached the gospel without hint of scandal or impropriety for more than 50 years. All but his most vicious detractors admit he is a man of God and one of impeccable integrity. His simple message of salvation has led many to Christ. His character and love have enabled him to minister to more than a few of our leaders. (http://www.billygraham.org)

Jerry Fawell - A modern day John the Baptist calling all to repentance.

Jerry has often come under criticism over the years, a few times for speaking his own mind, but generally for speaking the truth. He has been criticized for his strong stands for righteousness. Few of his critics have concerns about his sincerity. He has also been a force for passing the faith to the next generation. Although he teaches that Jesus is coming soon, he is preparing those behind him to continue the work.

Ben Haden - Reaching out to God and man, to bring them together.

There is no doubt this ex-newspaperman from Tennessee has a strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ and has been used by God to help others develop this relationship. This is apparent in the way he can take a simple message and lead people to God by presenting it. His introduction to his message, "Let's talk about it," is akin to the scripture, "Come let us reason together." Over the nearly thirty years he has been ministering he has done it without fear or man and with a prevailing reverence for God. When you listen to him you can almost see him taking God's hand and the hand of the sinner and introducing them.

Kenneth Hagen - A man of faith.

This Man of God has brought the message of faith to many and set a pattern for others to follow. There have been critics, but he has been able to keep the message pure, faith in God moves mountains. His faith school was there when there were few alternatives. He has preached, taught and trained. He has passed on God's message to the next generation.

Rev. Jessie Jackson - Leading men to god.

Years ago I was privileged to hear parts of sermons from God's word by this man. Although he has been more activel in the political and social arenas, I long to hear this man of God preach God's word in its exactness and fervor that few can approach. If I were able to sit down with him I would ask Him, "When will you return to your first love?" I know the work he is now doing is important, but I often wonder, is it God's call?

This was written before the scandals of the Clinton Administration and before the disclosure of his infidelity. I still consider him a man who has been important, but I would still ask him, "When did you leave your first love?"

Rev. Martin Luther King - A man who dared to dare.

Some say he had a dream. Recently I read the entire transcript of the "I have a dream" speech for the first time. I was humbled by the love and compassion and grace of this man. His dream was leading people out of bondage as Moses lead his people out of Egypt. It is more than regrettable that the church in general did not rally behind him and lead us out of the bondage to hate at the same time as well. His message was to both whites and blacks. It was a message of freedom, a dream of a better way to live for all. He may have had a dream, I doubt that, more likely it was a vision from heaven.

James Kennedy - A man with a backbone of steel.

There was a time I would have called James Kennedy a wimp and would not have included him in this list. He has taken on one fight for righteousness after another and has faced down the devil and his fellow travelers and not flinched. He is willing to present God's word when it isn't popular, inside or outside the church. When he was on TV with Larry King Live he was asked why there was so many hypocrites in the church. He responded without flinching, "Because discipline in the church is as dead as the proverbial do-do bird." This is but one example of this man's willingness to speak the truth without fear of favor of man.

Katherine Kuhlman - Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The working of miracles was certainly in effect in the life of this woman. I can find nobody who has seen her minister that questions God's presence in her life. Beyond that she taught the relationship with God as well as the miracles. Her impact on the church has been profound.

E. W. Kenyon - Telling us about God

Kenyon wrote and preached about the Father-heart of God, who we are in Christ and the authority and privileges of the believer. His writings call the believer up and out of the mire of traditional unbelief and into the deep, rich treasures of our redemption in Christ. His books were simple and easy to understand, yet told the deep truths of God. He died in 1948 but his influence was felt till the end of the century.

Mark Lowrey - Dared to be different

If I had to describe Mark, the word different is the only one that seems to even approach being adequate. He has sung, preached, talked, joked and prayed people into the kingdom. As a comedian he is as good as any the world has, and glorifies Christ and edifies the body with his humor. His song, "Mary did you know," shows the side of this man that knows Jesus in a real way. He is a capable witness for the cross.

Peter Marshall - A chaplain to our leaders.

Peter was the chaplain to the Senate of the United States in the late 30's and early 40's. He certainly impacted our government for the better by his impact on our leaders. I firmly believe there was no man like him before in this role. Although others have filled this office since his death, none has had as much impact. He was God's man in God's time.

Amiee Sempler McPherson - Showing the power of God.

Amiee contributed to building the body of Christ by teaching his word and administering His healing gifts. God was certainly with her. She founded Angelus Temple in Los Angeles in 1923. It became widely known for her illustrated and dramatized Sunday night sermons. People she brought into the Kingdom are even today spreading the gospel, fifty years after her death. (http://www.swiftsite.com/fcgm/McPherson.html)

K. Fred Price - A man who taught people to be free.

Rev. Price is God's man, in God's place at God's time. His message has always been the Word of God. One of his early books, "Hung by the Tongue" has brought deliverance to many. Although he is Afro-American he has a church that is multi-racial because his message is God's message, not a black or white message. He has more recently confronted some of the cults that would pull people of all races away from the truth. Like some others mentioned here, he speaks the word without fear of man.

Oral Roberts - He showed us miracles of the Bible were for today.

Oral was a back woods boy from Oklahoma who God healed of tuberculosis. He held meetings with as many are 16,000 in attendance and became a national celebrity. He was preaching the gospel and seeing miracles when someone tried to kill him by shooting at him while he was in the pulpit. His ministry brought literally millions to Jesus and thousands were healed of dreaded diseases. He brought Christ and his healing power to many people.

Rob Schenk - God's new man in Washington.

Rob has placed himself in the nation's capitol and is seeking to change lives, help those who have need of spiritual counsel and move the government toward a more Godly stance. Rob is a Jew who has come to know Jesus. He is outspoken and has the ability to lobby effectively for the heavenly kingdom.

George Beverly Shea - A man who sang the goodness of God.

There were more than a few men who sang the goodness of God during the 1900's but none reached the level of impact of Bev Shea. He was able to take a song and make it into a sermon by just singing it. He was the perfect complement to Billy Graham's preaching. He was God's right man at God's right time.

Bishop Fulton Sheen - A man who knew God

Fulton Sheen was a preacher and writer who was able to present God to people to help them know Him. He was not afraid to speak out against things that were wrong. His radio programs were a lift to many who for "denominational" reasons would not have found many of the other men who used this media acceptable.

Demos Shekanian - A man who knew the Spirit of God.

He was instrumental in the FGCBMI and in helping the spread of the interest in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Charismatic Movement may not have occurred with out him, and certainly it would not have had the fervor and scope.

Robert Schuler - A man who dared to ask us to believe for the impossible.

This man has withstood the criticism of many and still stands, confident that God is real and good. His message of trust and faith has lifted many.

Jimmy Swaggert - The Ezekiel of the 70's.

Jimmy has been an evangelist for over 30 years, seeking to bring men to a saving knowledge of Christ. A cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis, he is flamboyant, outspoken, and firm. He has personally developed a following that with him wields a powerful punch.

These have kept the faith when others backed up. And there are others you probably don't know, Theodore Gaylor, Doug Slay, Benjamin Kuntz, Foster Group, George Mouer, Ralph Kleindist and Paul Mummert to mention a few. There those who have produced music for the church that challenges anything written in previous centuries. Among these are David Engels, David Baroni, Kent Henry, Ira Sankey, Vep Ellis, Gary Mummert and at least a hundred others that God used to bless is people in song. They saw or see a better city, they saw God's provision and held or hold a steady course toward it. Some of these have gone on to their reward, others still maintain the standard of the faith. I thank God for each of them, for the gifts He has given us. Like them, may we be found faithful.

Copyright Ralph Brandt 2000, 2001.

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Revised 1/14/2000 DRAAW is not a misspelling, it is an acronymn for Dee, Ralph, Angela, Annette and William.

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