ROCK AND ROLL RELIGION
Maurice M Johnson
Long Beach, California
publicly advertised meeting
October 21, 1956Ezekiel 44. This, you'll remember, in the light of Romans 15:4, we're told, is written for our learning, "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope". Written for our learning. And we're also told that, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works". Ezekiel 44, God speaking of His priests back there in that day. Of course in that day there were priests in Israel, there were priests in Israel. They were God's appointed, annointing leader. Ezekiel 44:23,
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Skipping to Micah the 3rd chapter, another selection from the Old Testament Scriptures that we must not think of, and no spiritual Christian will think of, as dead history, but a part of the living oracles of God when we rightly divide, then we get profit and doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness from everything given us in the Word of God. I mean when we humbly obey the divine command to, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth". Micah 3 verse 8,
But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and might.
I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might,
what are you going to do Micah? If the Holy Spirit has filled you with power and judgment and might, what're you going to do? "I'm going to just major in throwing out the lifeline to the poor lost heathen." Well that isn't what the prophet of God said here. Let's read what he said.
But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob,
God's people,
his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Why do you suppose the harlot Rahab, living in a house on the walls of Jericho wanted to know the God of Israel? Well she told those two spies whom she hid coming over there to spy out Jericho before all Israel should come across, led by Joshua under God, she told them why. She said, "We've heard of your God and how He delivered the nations that tried to stop Israel in their journey from Egypt to Canaan, how the God of Israel delivered those enemies of Israel into Israel's hand to be defeated." And that's what caused Rahab to believe that the God of Israel was the true God, that He had not only delivered out of Egyptian bondage that great company of people born in slavery, but that He was defeating ... enabling Him to defeat anybody that tried to stop them in God's pilgrimage, see. "We've heard" ... Rahab you remember was saved and her name's in the genealogy of Christ we read over in the New Testament Scriptures.
Truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Turn over please now to the 4th chapter of Hebrews, the 4th chapter of Hebrews, and the 12th verse.
For the word of God is quick,
the old English word for living. We read of the quick and the dead, the living and the dead,
The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
Now, were it not for this truth, were it not for this truth that I've just read, I would despair of even some of you dear Christians (any of you for that matter) being able to believe that what I will have given before ... by the time I finish this afternoon is spiritual and is God honoring. Because some of you in all probability believe that it is the teaching of the Word of God that no Christian will adversely criticize others. The devil has almost succeeded, or it seems to me that he's succeeded in getting most everybody to believe that. They don't believe that in their own life, but they believe it concerning the preacher that's trying to help them by calling attention to some of their error. Everyone of us believes in criticizing adversely somewhere, sometime, and we already gave you. It's impossible not to, because we can't possibly see what we believe is wrong and you see it being done, you don't endorse it, of course. But how many times do people say, "No, of course I don't endorse what I think is wrong. And not only that, I adversely criticize it." You may not with a lot of words. You may not get on a house top. But you can't believe a thing is wrong and not with the same mental processes adversely criticize it of course. That's why we're told, "Prove all things", "Abhor that which is evil", "Cleave to that which is good".
Now, Hebrews 4:12,
The word of God is quick,
or living,
and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
My subject, let me repeat, this afternoon is, "Rock and Roll Religion", religion. I didn't say rock and roll dance music, "Rock and Roll Religion". Well how are we going to distinguish between false religion and true, or Christianity? We can't distinguish between all of Satan's masterful counterfeits and God's genuine unless we are wiser than Satan. And we're told in the Scriptures that Satan was
wiser than Daniel. Well how am I going to distinguish then between Satan's counterfeits today, because we're told he's a deceiver, he's the deceiver. He comes as an angel of light we're told in 2 Corinthians the 11th chapter. You remember that? Satan comes transformed as an angel of light and wisdom, and we're told his ministers come transformed as the apostles of Christ.
Every once in awhile in my good many years of experience now I've had somebody say to me, and I suppose there's been many more that said it without my being able to hear them, "That's just what I think you are". And it may be that some of you say that this afternoon. But sometimes when I get close enough for them to talk back at me, I would say, "We read in the Word of God that Satan's ministers are transformed as the apostles of Christ", "That's just what I think you are", or "How do we know you're not one?" And I nearly always say, "That's a fair question. That's an important question. And how do you know? And do you know? Are you glad that you can know? And do you believe that you should know?" We're told in the Word of God to "Prove all things", I Thessalonians S. In one of the letters to one of the churches in Revelation the Lord said, "You have tried those that are apostles and have found them to be liars". He commended them for that. "You have tried those that ... that say they're apostles and found liars." It's important to. In 7 John we're told, "Beloved" ... What?
(comment from audience)
1 John 4. "Beloved, believe not every spirit. There are many false prophets that have gone out in the world." And then he tells us how we may know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. And the same way in 2 Peter, "In the last days there'll be false teachers, coming in privily", secretly, stealthily. Oh my dear Christian friends, the most unpopular business in the world today is to be a true servant of Jesus Christ when it means ? in a day of such confusion and being worse confounded every day with a tidal wave of Babylonish religion, new cults every day. If you "cry aloud and spare not" as true prophets of God are to do, of course we'll be increasingly unpopular.
Now Hebrews 4 again,
The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
or the soulish and the spiritual, that which comes from the soul only and spirit,
Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
I repeat what I said a moment ago, that this truth gives me reason to believe you Christians that will listen honestly, follow me carefully, and check up as you have opportunity in the light of the Word of God, with the Word of God, will be able to in some cases maybe more easily, more surely, and more spiritually distinguish between the soulish in religion and the spiritual. We're told, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man", it seems right. That text is given us. twice in Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Will a faithful minister of Jesus Christ with the love of God shed abroad in his heart seek to show people that are in the way that leads to destruction, seek to show them they're in the wrong way? Why of course he will. If they love that false way will they thank him? No. I'm a grandpa, and I've not only had this experience with some of my grandchildren that I had with, each one I guess maybe at different times, with four of our children, our four children, all married now. I've taken maybe one of our little children when they're little, a little grand
child, would get a hold of maybe daddy or granddaddy's razor blade. (Uh-oh, I'm looking at a little girl that's probably done something like that.) And when I try to take it away, may think this little child didn't thank daddy or granddaddy. And I know some great big ol’ six-footers almost that have tried too, when I try to take one of the devil's blades away from them or poison or something. Run out and see a child playing in the yard getting in the ant poison out there, and run out! try to take it away before the child eats. Maybe the child will cry. It didn't want to have that pretty thing, goodie, taken away from them. But back to this.
The word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
thank God for that,
and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
They tell us this word in the English a 'discerner’ is a translation of the Greek word 'kritikos' from which we get our Anglicized word 'critic'; Word of God is a critic. When you hear somebody say, "I don't believe in him, he criticizes..". Then you think you believe in a preacher who gives soothing syrup, who gives sweet oil or something. "Don't believe in such a preacher!" Christ said, "He that gathereth not with Me", does what?
(answers from audience) "Scattereth abroad."
"Scattereth abroad." Christ said, "He that gathereth not with Me, scattereth abroad". You can't serve. God and mammon. Either you'll hold to the one, love the other, or you'll please the one, forsake the other, so forth. You can't serve two masters. Nobody can serve two masters.
Now, the 5th chapter of Hebrews, speaking of the Lord Jesus. Look at the 7th verse.
Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.
Why do you suppose the Lord Jesus was of an attitude like that? I wonder how many of us here have ever been in anything like that, attitude, over somewhat similar problems, not that His wasn't an infinite ... to an infinite degree of course, and ours very finite. But it certainly should be to some degree, in some degree we should enter ... Have you ever wept over conditions? Back in Ezekiel 8th chapter we're told where God said to a man with a linen garment to go throughout Israel and put a mark on everybody that sighed and cried for the abominations done in Israel. Put a mark on the one that sighs and cries. Well the Lord Jesus when He was on earth,
In the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered, that's when He was in the voluntary capacity as the Son of man on earth, and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him, perfect as the Son of man born and who "grew in favor ... in stature and favor with God and man", we read you remember of the Lord Jesus after the flesh, called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizadek. Of whom we have many things to say, now listen carefully. Paul said, "I have a lot of things to say about the glorified Christ, I have a lot of things to say about Him". "Well go ahead Paul, we're ready, all of us Jewish believers", to whom he's writing in the book of Hebrews, "all right Paul, go ahead. We'd like to hear more". Of whom we have many things to say, hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Now, I imagine some of them didn't like that as well as they liked the first part. The risen Christ, Melchizadek priest "of whom we have many things to say". "Go ahead." "Writing to my people, I can't tell you though, you're dull of hearing." "Now is that nice preaching? I don't like that kind of a preacher." Many still say like doubtless some of them did. They were all dull of hearing unless they were sick of it now, by now.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, you ought to be teachers,
ye have need that one teach you again what be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat.
Now notice carefully please why were these Christians who were old enough to be teachers had they grown in grace and the knowledge of the Lord, they were old enough to have become qualified as teachers, but Paul said, "You are in a condition ... you've got to go back on a milk diet." Any of you grown men ever have a doctor say, "Well I'm sorry, but you're going to have to cut out meat and going to have to cut out this, you're going to have to cut out that, and you'd better go on a milk diet". "Me, go on a milk diet? Me, go back to the bottle as it were?" Well that's not near as humiliating to any big he-man my friend as it was to these Christians here when they heard it. "You have"
become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat,
what's happened?
For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness,
this word is told about in the 4th chapter that's "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, joints and the marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart". You're unskilful in the use of that sword, the word of righteousness. "Well what made us unskilful, Paul?"
Every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness for he's a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age., even those ...
Brother Wayne King and I yesterday had three hours and a half nearly ...
(comment from audience) Wayne Allen.
Wayne Allen again, thank you. Wayne Allen and I had nearly three hours and a half yesterday afternoon with one of the most outstanding Fundamental Bible teachers, radio preachers and teachers, in Southern California, in his study. And if I had told him, I did give him the same in other words, but if I had said, "You know, you're pretty big fellow and have that honorary degree Doctor of Divinity to be using a bottle". He'd have thought I was contemptuous, insulting, and wrong. I'd have been neither one of the three. I'm not going to try to prove that to you now, I mean, my statement there...
But, works that way, in this company here., "By the time you ought to be teachers you've become such as have need of milk",
everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he's a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Do you believe that? You believe that we won't grow in the gospel of the grace of God in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, we won't grow, we won't be healthy Christians while we're living on earth down here, if we don't meet head on the obstacles. that our gracious God and Father let's us. meet? And does that mean that we'll meet the devil in his various disguises and deceitful methods. and false faces and camouflages? It certainly does. "Little children, in the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I've overcome the world.' What is it that says overcomes the world for you and me?
(answers from audience) "Even our faith."
"Even our faith." "And faith cometh by ..."
(answers from audience) "Hearing."
"Hearing. And hearing ..."?
(answers from audience) "By the Word of God."
You there, you Jewish believers, are babies. You can't use the Word of God skillfully. You've got to go back on a milk diet, you can't take meat. "Meat belongs, to those who are of full age,"
of full age, even to those who by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern both the good and the evil.
Now I'm giving all of this you see more or less as a preliminary to speaking on the subject, "Rock and Roll Religion". None of you should have come out this afternoon of course if you don't want to give me an hones.t hearing, and I'm glad to presume I say that you're all going to do that, have been doing it all day. Do you believe there's a value in these passages that I have given? My dear friends, the cruellest man on the face of the earth is a preacher who doesn't warn God's people lovingly. Well that would include of course giving them the truth that will enable them to detect error.
Now all of you try to listen please. You young ladies over here and boys and all, try to listen, won't you please? Don't be idle and looking around. Gird up the loins of your mind and listen. It isn't accidental that millions of people are going out of the Methodists., Baptists, Presbyterian, Lutheran, this, that, and the other denomination into the various cults; they're being swept by the millions. The "Jehovah's Witnesses" alone, so-called, claim over 8 million people. It isn't accidental. They've had Sunday School, they've had ? 's teaching, but the preachers are being made to believe and they encourage their people to believe that we are not supposed to "try the spirits", that we're not supposed to "prove all things". I plead with you to make me prove that I'm a genuine minister so far as you have opportunity. Paul said, "Timothy, make full proof of thy ministry". And again we're told, "He that is of the light cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they're wrought in God".
Yesterday when this man differed, "Now I'm going to speak frankly, brother Johnson". I said, "Go ahead, I want you to". He said, "You have a very bad reputation". And I said, "I'm well aware of that. And believe me, believe me, I take no diabolical pleasure, I take no miserable, cheap, ungodly, carnal pleasure in hearing that I'm not a popular preacher. On the other hand", I said, "do you believe that all Christians are going to stand at the judgment seat of Christ, and that we're going to give an account as to whether or not we suffered with Christ?" I said, "I heard you just 'while ago on the radio on Philippians 2 bringing out, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus". I heard you bring out those several downward steps that the Lord Jesus took, "He being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, came down, down, down, and found in fashion as a man, then humbled himself, made himself of no reputation". And I heard you ask the audience, including me, "What does that mean?"" And I said, "I wished I could have spoken right back through my car radio and it came out your microphone right by you, "It means, among other things," and I called his name, I'm not going to now, "it would mean among other things. that you, a blood bought saved sinner who says that you want to have the mind that's in Christ, would want to make yourself of no reputation, accepting Reverend Doctor So-and-So." Was I right? Was I right? Can I have the mind of Christ who made Himself of no reputation, no reputation, humbled Himself, made Himself of no reputation, and allow you to control up and be the degree of Doctor of Philosophy?" My dear friends., what does the Scripture mean when you read things like that? But now back to this.
"By the time you ought to be teachers, you've become such as have need of milk, have, to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God. Don't you know that milk sucking's for babies, but meat is for those that are full grown",
even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Now I read to you from the 4th chapter that the Word of God is quick and powerful, living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. Now, suppose this afternoon in any one of the ... (I don't know how many auditoriums in this building, there are several, below here I think there are three levels where they have. the same auditorium, I ... on the same plane, same time, and there's one ... two or three more and one much larger, two much larger, good deal larger), suppose you and I were to go from here ... let's suppose the "Jesus Only" Pentecostalists have the largest auditorium or ... anyway down in the basement, it seats 600 or more, this is only approximately 400 capacity I think. Suppose we go down to that larger, more than 600 auditorium, and it's jammed, and you hear somebody sing, as they sing, "Hallelujah, glory to Jesus, how I love Him," tears streaming down the cheeks. I've heard such many a time where I've been dealing with many of them in the last 30 years ... last 40 years.
And then suppose we believe and go to another scene in that auditorium and the Four Square Pentecostalists and we hear somebody sing, "Oh hallelujah,glory to Jesus, I love You with my whole heart, shammakutchrosaloosen", speak in tongues. I forgot to bring the "Jesus Only" speaking in tongues because they do.
And then we would hear that the "Jesus Only" say, "Unless you're baptized in water by immersion in the name of Jesus only, you'll go to hell". That's their teaching. Jesus is the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the trinity is a doctrine of the devil they say. Jesus is the Father ... is. putting on a Lightning change act; you know when He pretended to pray to the Father, and when on the cross He said, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me", He was just putting on a ... a side game of horse trickery. But anyway, they say Jesus is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And you've got to be baptized in water in the name of Jesus only. Now if you can baptize like the so-called "Church of Christ" teaching: "in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the remission of sins", you'll go to hell. Now they positively teach that. But if you're baptized in water in the name of Jesus only for the remission of sins then you'll get the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues which is,the only evidence. that you've been baptized by the Holy Spirit. That's their teaching.
And so we heard one that sang, testified, "Oh when I came out of the water, hallelujah, glor-r-ry to Jesus, the power of God, the Holy Ghost came in my soul, shammadoncalacha", and he said, "Well I declare. I wouldn't anymore say that that's a counterfeit of the devil, I'd be. afraid." And then they'd go over to the Four Square Pentecostalists, and they say you do not have to be baptized in water for salvation, it's an outward sign of an inward work. It's supposed to follow real conversion. And Jesus is the Son, God the Son, and the Father's God the Father, and the Holy Spirit is God the Holy Spirit. And though you should be baptized in water and nothing is. baptism but immersion, they teach, though you should be baptized in water, yet you shouldn't be baptized in water until after you're saved and then it should be in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And you hear one of them, "Ahh ... I tarried for the baptism and I had ... the power of God came over and I was baptized with the Holy Spirit and spoke with tongues. Hallelujah, shammacantellus".
And you say, "Well I declare. Now this crowd positively and consistently teach that that crowd is of the devil". Now don't forget I didn't say that; I'm quoting them. Is brother Len Baker here? Not here this afternoon; he used to be in that. He tarried for the baptism and got it and spoke in tongues. But now he's sure it was a counterfeit of the devil.
But now how can I tell that this is a counterfeit and this isn't, or that this is the genuine and that's a counterfeit, or vice versa? How can I tell? Or they both are counterfeit? They can't both be right, can they? This one can't be right in saying that's of the devil if these are not of the devil. And yet they both want to be just as fervent as the other ... I've watched them different times and can see no appreciable difference at all in the sincerity. And when I hear them speak in what they call tongues, one is just as supernatural as the other. I can no more distinguish any more sincerity here than there or here ... or there to here. I cannot tell. And you can't tell either. If you happen to be attending this meeting only and take your ? of ? to be overwhelmed by their conviction and testimony and performance, then you will become one of them probably. But if you happen to start over here and go to this crowd and follow them and get the ... believe in their sincerity and then get the experience from them, you'll believe. in that doctrine. And that's what makes the various cults and isms and scisms. How can we know? Is it important that we do know? My dear friends, don't you believe it's important that we know ? no you know, do you recognize that professing Christian people are divided and ? ? ? ?
I heard a woman this morning on the radio when I was riding along; I believe it was last night, last night, saying that, "A lady went into one of the Pentecostal ecclesiastical organizations and said that she got up and said, tried to say, "Oil was on her hands", and they told her, "Sit down, sister". And she went into another one of the Pentecostal ecclesiastical hierarchy and they stood up ... give a testimony and said, "Oil was on my hands", miraculous oil. And one of the elders or somebody got a hold of her and took her out of meeting. But she said, "Glory to God, Hallelujah", and said she was branding some of the Pentecostalists that haven't fallen for the new wrinkle, "oil on your hands!'. That's the newest that the Pentecostalists are claiming around you know, "oil on your hands".
In yesterday afternoon's paper right below the ad we put in is a much larger ad of course. A. A. Allen, a big picture of him standing almost like on top of the crowd but he's on the platform I suppose, "Under the world's greatest gospel tent, hundreds delivered from demons' power and unclean spirits. Scores delivered from tobacco, dope, drink, and other habits.. Miracles of healing take place as Allen prays the prayer of faith for the sick. A A Allen returns to Southern California. And down from A A Allen. Hear Allen ..." I don't know how many times Allen appears here, "Allen", "Allen", "Allen", "every night Allen", and the name of Christ not once. Allen, one, two, three, four, five times, Reverend Allen, and the name of the Lord doesn't appear once in the whole thing. But anyway, he's supposed to be super-duper spiritual. Now Allen, it is claimed, that that miracle of oil on the hand first happened in his meeting, he started it please, of that "oil on the hand".
Now... only last night I heard a Pentecostal lady preacher ridiculing the new formal Pentecostalism; Pentecostalism: speak in tongues, have healing, but they don't accept this modern "oil on your hands" business. And she was testifying about how badly one of the oil handed sisters fared when she went into this stiff Pentecostal. Now, Christians, that are God-fearing and want to help, will say, "Dear look, I want to know what came of these matters".
Now, one of the brethren here, brother Southall, brought this magazine to me this morning, "Signs of the Times". It's a Seventh Day Adventist xerox, "Adventists Vindicated". Now I heard the other day that the Bible Institute bookroom had put out Donald Grey Barnhouse's magazine and the so-called "Christian Life" magazine, because both had recently come out endorsing Seventh Day Adventists. And this Seventh Day Adventist magazine gives part of that.
Adventism Vindicated
One of the most epoch making events. in recent church history is the publication of an article on Seventh Day Adventism in the September issue of Eternity. It exploded a religious circles like a hydrogen bomb and its fallout is being carried on the winds of theological arguments clear around the world. "Are Seventh Day Adventists Christian?" was the title of the article and it was written by none other than Or Donald G Barnhouse, editor of Eternity, and one of the most highly respected of all evangelical leaders.
Well here's one preacher that hasn't respected him for years, because I saw what a stuffed shirt, Lord Chesterfield, brilliant manipulator of the Word of God he was. I studied his movement carefully, and checked him up in light of the Word of God. And I wasn't surprised when I heard that he who had won his reputation in Fundamentalism by his national radio broadcast (the first one in this country, a Fundamentalist station, he had the first hook-up ... before Charlie Fuller had ... on a nationwide broadcast) and he was preaching beautiful truth that caused him to be kicked out of his own Presbytery (he's a Presbyterian preacher), kicked out of the Philadelphia Presbytery for having been too severe (this is about two years ago now), and a good many of ... I heard McGee, McGee of the Bible Institute (a Presbyterian also), I heard him say, "I am not fit to unlace the shoes of Dr Barnhouse", imagine using that figure, McGee used that over the radio, "I am not worthy to unlace Dr Barnhouse's shoes, but I want to go on record saying that I am deeply grieved that he would have endorsed and gone back into the Philadelphia Presbytery ... and to work under the national council, federal council". Well to me it's quite interesting and rather to be expected that he would then begin to hob-nob with a very rapidly growing sect, the Seventh Day Adventists. Now, it is almost unbelievable my friend! Now you see I didn't start this you see. I told you that the Bible Institute said, "We've got to put his book out ... magazine out". Well ... why? Is there no way to ... guard against such in-and-out, in-and-out, back-and-forth?
Now what about the Seventh Day Adventists? The Seventh Day Adventists' fundamental teaching is that Mrs White was, Mrs Ellen G White, was caught up in heaven about 1860 plus, about a hundred years ago, she was caught up in heaven and was being shown the wonders in heaven, when all of a sudden she saw the Ten Commandments, the original tables of stone. And while she was looking at them, she saw a halo around the fourth commandment (now this is her own fundamental teaching), a halo around the fourth commandment, and she asked the attendant angel what was the significance of that halo around the fourth commandment. And her attendant angel said that means that the fourth commandment, the third angel's message concerning the fourth commandment; the seventh day observance, will be the sealing message for the closing of this church age until Christ comes back. And there's a verse about sealing some people you know, and she turned it to part of the church. And so that's the essential Seventh Day Adventist doctrine. That's what makes them a different sect. The Adventists' William Miller started in 1843, and then '44. And then Mrs Ellen G Harmon, Mrs Ellen G Harmon was in that movement that William Miller started, and we still have the Advent Christian, but Mrs White got a special revelation about the seventh day and she added the Seventh Day to the Advent, and so we have the Advent Christian and the Seventh Day Advent, that's Mrs White's crowd.
Now watch. And Mrs. White said that the mark of the beast is Sunday keeping. And she went to great lengths and all of her teachers (I have books like that in paper of Seventh Day Adventists), she went to great lengths. in trying to prove that the name of the pope, the numerical equivalent to his name in Latin is six six six, the number of the man of sin whose name is the number of man, Revelation 13. And then she went back to Daniel and found that the antichrist will think to change times. And then she found (probably from some others), she found that Constantine in 300 and something in conniving with the pope passed a law that in the Roman Empire Sunday must be observed and not the Jewish sabbath. And the Seventh Day Adventists say now the pope changed the date. The pope, not named, its numerical value is six hundred three score and six: six six six. Now that proves he's the antichrist. And the mark of the beast for antichrist will be that he's going to think to change laws, the mark will be to keep Sunday, it'll be a mark in your right ... your forehead or your right hand, having to do with thinking and worship. And so they've got a system built up. You will have the mark of the beast and be annihilated.
Now, how could Donald Grey Barnhouse then say we have been wrong? Here’s a quotation from Barnhouse's article, he said ..."Of course they're Christian. The change is a remarkable one, since it consists in moving the Seventh Day Adventists, and I have seen it, out of the lists of anti-Christian and non-Christian cults into the group of those who are our brethren in Christ." And the Seventh Day Adventists teach that the message regarding the fourth commandment has been out since Mrs White got it and came buck from heaven, and they're preaching the gospel of the kingdom and it means that you've got to keep the Ten Commandments and the sealing part of it is the seventh day Sabbath. And the message has been out and they say it's got to be preached to all the world for a witness and then Christ will come back. And that's the reason they have their heartstring gathering meetings where they go down and beg money, a little group of singers that is in the streets you know singing and then a worker going door-to-door and say, "This is the harvest, and gather we're Christians", and then get money from anybody they can get to pay their missionary bills and scattered hospitals and propagate (now watch), propagate their seventh day observance. That's the key message, you see. And they say, when you ask them, and Barnhouse is quoted as saying, "I have very carefully investigated for a hundred hours", I believe he said here, "I've carefully investigated", and one or two of his brethren went with him and talked to big Seventh Day Adventists and, "I've just ... I've discovered that they must be regarded as Christian".
Seventh Day Adventist preacher that we met the other night, said, "Now the Seventh Day Adventists teach" ... or, "it is said.that they teach that everybody who doesn't keep a seventh day sabbath has the mark of the beast. He said that is not true. And I said, "Now wait just a minute. Isn't it your teaching that when the truth, the third angel's message on the subject of seventh day observance, when the truth comes to you, and you reject it, then you have the mark of the beast?" You see, that's their way out. And the message has been going with increasing tempo and zeal for nearly a hundred years now. And if you don't have the mark of the beast, it's because you have never heard the message yet. That's their way out you see. But it's God's message mind you, it's the sealing message.
Now the reason I'm emphasizing this is it's sowing and it is rocky. I heard that the so-called "Christian Life" magazine has, been put out too of the Bible Institute bookroom because of an article by the fellow that helped Barnhouse, "Are the Seventh Day Adventists Christian?" in which he gave them a clean bill of health. And there isn't an evangelical preacher-teacher in the last 75 years that I know of that hasn't condem... branded the Seventh Day Adventism as a false cult! The Seventh Day Adventist White prophet: Jesus Christ had a mortal body and these are words written verbatim et literatim, word for word, letter for Letter, "That inspite of bad blood and inherited meanness, Jesus conquered where he was weakest. Inspite of bad blood and inherited meanness, Jesus conquered where he was weakest. And that his blood contaminated with the accumulated depravity of 4000 years was surging and seeking to break forth and destroy like a tiger in a cage. But inspite of bad blood and inherited meanness,he conquered where he was weakest."
I have used that for 30 years. I lived in Glendale for seven years, second strongest Seventh Day Adventist colony in the nation. And I used to preach there on Seventh Day Adventism and Christianity. And I brought out, as their writings there, and I said, "How can a Seventh Day Adventist believe" ... now I'm not saying that there're not some Christians among them, but I'm talking about the system, the doctrine, the denomination, "How can", listen, "how can a Seventh Day Adventist have a Christ who shed His precious blood for their sins when their Jesus has accumulated depravity of 4000 years surging and seeking to break forth from his veins like a lion in a cage?"
My friend, I'm bringing this out to help you realize that we're living in awful days of increasing confusion. Now this is really going to cause a whole lot of talk in ? ... didn't I say, "Well, what about?" The Seventh Day Adventists ... listen, the Seventh Day Adventist preachers so far as I know unless it's very recently, have refused of their own accord to meet with other preachers in ministerial meeting. And most all preachers that I know about say, "We don't want to meet them, cause they say we've got the mark of the beast because we don't keep ... or will have because we don't" ... and if you keep ... if you eat pork ...
Mrs White said open... (and I mustn't go 'farther with this now), Mrs White about ...
By the way, I'm on the subject of rock and roll religion. People wouldn't believe my friends in this business of "good god, good devil"; "Well after all, they have big crowds; after all, look at the way God blesses them". You should have heard that Fundamentalist Bible teacher, used to be at the Bible Institute, one of the leaders down there, yesterday afternoon, you should have heard him say, "Well Paul said, "Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. One observe one day above another"." "Well," I said, "my dear brother, do you mean to say that you endorse- the Seventh Day Adventists who stay the seventh day is the sabbath and if you don't keep it you'll have the mark of the beast?" He said, "Paul said, "One observe one day above another", " he said., "It's not my place to try to tell the Seventh ..." I said, "Well what do you preach for on the radio?" And he had just said, I asked him, I said, "You're a graduate of Dallas. Theological Seminary aren't you?" He said, "Yes. I sat at the feet of Lewis Sperry Chafer for four years." He said, "I count him the greatest Bible teacher of our time", (he's dead now). He said, "I wouldn't anymore put myself in the scales with him that I would", words to that effect, "talk". And I said, "What about his book on grace?" One of the greatest books that I've ever known of on the subject 'grace', Lewis Sperry Chafer's book on grace. I said, "He mentioned the seventh day sabbath hundreds of times so far as I can recall in his work on grace, bringing out that if you believe that the seventh day sabbath is for today you cannot believe in the gospel of the grace of God, because you're confused, you're mixing law and grace, you're mixing the Ten Commandment program that ministers death.
Now why is it that Barnhouse wants to ? Because the Seventh Day Adventists have an international hook-up, because they have more and more hospitals, because they're more and more genteel, they got a lot of big fine medical doctors, and Barnhouse wants support and wants to be a brother with all going concerns, just like he went back to the federal council.
My friends, it all comes down to this, "Supposing that gain is godliness". Turn with me please to 2 Timothy the 6th chapter, "Supposing that gain is godliness". You and I... Listen, the Spirit taught Christians walk by faith and not by sight; we walk by faith and not by sight. I Timothy, the 6th chapter,
Begin at the 3rd verse,
If any man teach otherwise-, and consent not to wholesome words., even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings., perverse. disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is, certain we we can take nothing out of the world. Having food and raiment, therewith be content. But they that will be rich ...
Mark you, that doesn't mean rich only in oil, rich only in United States' stocks and bonds.. "They that will be rich": rich in 'my' church, ‘my' organization, rich in the number of people that come to hear 'me' preach, rich in the size of 'our' choir, rich in the kind of musicians 'we' can get to attract attention, "they that will be rich". The contrast here is between godliness ...
One of my questions to be answered this afternoon is, "Is a still, small voice assisted by mob psychology?" Now listen carefully, I think ... I started to say, this fellow yesterday afternoon, he said, "Why at Angelus Temple, there are a lot of people saved. I see people all over the state who say they were saved at Angelus. Temple." "Well", I said, "I ... I told you awhile ago that I believe people are saved in Roman Catholicism, but it's in spite of Roman Catholicism. Here goes a hungry hearted sinner into a Roman Catholic temple, meeting house, and they hear, and they hear ... he hears a priest read some Scripture (they _do sometimes), maybe a psalm, a hymn s.ung, something about the death of Christ, and then that sinsick soul looks at a crucifix, and he looks beyond that statue, crucifix, in the light of what truth he's heard, looks beyond that and cries out for salvation.
God who knoweth the heart saves that soul. But", I said, "don't credit Roman Catholicism with it. I believe people are saved in ... in the Roman Catholic... but is it ..." I said, "What does God bless?" I said, "Are you going to endorse Aimee McPherson's meeting?"
"Well God blesses it."
I said, "My dear brother. What does God bless? Anywhere?" I don't want to weary you who heard me give this this morning, but ... I said, "I, I've heard preachers say they think the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon was the greatest gospel preacher, since Paul, that man of Lon... of London, that preached so ... so many years, a tabernacle finally seating 5,000 people, and ... and so on. And, "I said I've read enough of his sermons to believe he's the great preacher of evangelism. But I said I understand that he smoked cigars ... that he used tobacco to his death."
He said, "Yes, smoked a cigar, black cigars". He said, 'I’ve been looking for them ... I’ve been looking for a cigar. "What he meant by that; but that was his rejoiner.
Then, I said, "I've given this as an illustration. If I could only get in the habit of smoking black cigars, using tobacco like Spurgeon did, then I'd be a great preacher like Spurgeon."
He said, "That's silly, that's ridiculous. You're, you're contending every minute it was his cigar smoking that made him a great gospel preacher."
"Yeah. Yeah, that is what I'm contending. Nothing serious of course, but by way of illustration. What was it that made Spurgeon comparatively a great preacher of the gospel? It was only what he preached and believed from the Word of God! And I want to distinguish between his cigar smoking and his gospel preaching. Is that "all right to do that? I want to distinguish what God can do in a life as a result when I can believe God is doing in Pentacostalism and in ... in Roman Catholicism, and Lutheranism, and all. You can't endorse it all.
There's not anybody here that's for two churches this afternoon. You can't possibly be. No one of us can be but for one at a time. You know what I'm for? I'm for everything that I believe is ... that is of God in all of them. Can you be for more? Can you be for more that you believe that is of God than is in all? You can't believe in the Jesus Only speaking on water baptism in the name of Jesus only for salvation and believe in the Four Square Pentecostalist teaching on water baptism in the name of the Trinity after you're saved. You can't believe both of them, can you? See. And you can't believe in the Seventh Day Adventist doctrine if you don't keep the seventh day Sabbath you'll have the mark of the beast, and believe as Donald Grey Barnhouse, a Presbyterian, say you're saved by grace and ... you can't believe both of them.
So what is it that these fellows are endorsing? They're endorsing the external religious machinery. They're endorsing the brotherhood of the clergy. They're endorsing institutionalism! My friends, that's the sect of the day, that's leading up to that horrible system, the grand finale, Revelation 17. When the devil's counterfeit that of whore, Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth, will have all that are dwelling on earth, worship her! as she works with the beast, the antichrist.
One of my questions to answer this afternoon is: "What conditioning is necessary for the final mass worship of the antichrist?" If I had told the eva... I kind of like to go back to Richmond, Virginia with the Moreys and there's a dear lady back there, Mrs Ferguson, whose husband said, "We're coming out of the Baptists. We don't believe it's Biblical. We've seen some of the truth of our completeness in Christ. We're coming out." Well she wasn't too strong for the Baptists she said to some of her friends. But she thought that anybody that criticized Dr Donald Grey Barnhouse ... "Oh-h", she said, "I hear him on the radio and I never heard anybody preach it so gloriously." Well, I told her that I'm glad for all the truth he preaches, but I said, "Now we've either got to join the same thing he's joined and endorse all he does or we don't. Now I'm not a Presbyterian and I have reasons for not being, Biblical reasons; he's a Presbyterian. So I can't endorse that. Well now here he preaches the deity of Christ. I say, "Amen, Lord bless that truth." When I hear him preach salvation by grace, justification by faith, I say, "Amen, Oh Lord, wing that to hungry hearts on the radio", see? When I hear him preach that Jesus Christ is coming back bodily to catch His church away..." and the Seventh 'Day Adventists say that's a lot of hooey, it's ridiculous ... when I hear Donald Barnhouse preach that Christ is going to come back at the end of the Tribulation and restore the kingdom to Israel and reign on earth for a thousand years, and the Seventh Day Adventists say that's a lot of hooey, that the devil ... that the earth will be burned up and be a crisp, a cinder, and the devil like as a scapegoat is going to run up and down the cinders of the earth for a thousand years bearing sin. That's Seventh Day Adventist teaching on that subject. Aren't they alike..? Can't you agree with Barnhouse and Seventh Day Adventists? My dear friends, this whole world system is getting ready for the final phase of Babylon, Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots, that old whore. The word 'Babylon' means confusion. The first occurrence of it is in the 10th chapter of Genesis. The beginning of Nimrod's kingdom was Babel we're told. And in the 11th chapter, the Tower of Babel.
(gap on tape)
... and they all came in one place with one language, and they said, "Go to, let us build us a city, and let us get us a name, and let us build us a tower lest we be scattared abroad". Genesis 11. And they started in. Then God said, "Let Us go down and confound their language". And that was beginning of Babel, He confounded their language with a babel of tongues so the hod-carrier would get an order from the brick-Layer, they had bricks for stones, "Bring me some hod", and the hod-carrier, "Le-le-le-le-le, what are you talking about here?" And they couldn't get ... understand each other with all those different languages and they had to stop building.
Well the final form of Babylon is Revelation 17, and then the destruction of it, Revelation 18. Listen my beloved Christian brethren, you who believe that ther's such a thing on the way as Mystery Babylon, I mean it's final form, it's been working. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians, "The mystery of iniquity doth already work". Do you believe that? Are you an infidel and think you're a Christian? Would you ... listen, do you belive God has anybody to try to warn the people and prepare the people against the accelerating speed with which the devil is bringing his movements in, to confuse and to bewilder the people. "if the trumpet give an uncertain sound", Paul said in I Corinthians 14, "if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, how shall the people prepare for war?" You ask me what Donald Barnhouse believes now. I say, "Well don't ask me what he believes, except in churchanity and in building the big-shot Donald Grey Barnhouse", because when I hear him preach beautiful justification by faith and then say the Seventh Day Adventists are evid... undoubtedly Christian. And he said that after a careful investigation of their doctrine. It may be that next Sunday afternoon a week I'll speak here on, "Are Seventh Day Adventists Christians?" something like that; you pray for me. I confidently expect to do it the Sunday before in Alhambra. Maybe Sunday afternoon I’ll announce it over the radio, God willing, "Are Seventh Day Adventists Christian?" But back to this now.
Do you believe Mystery Babylon's on the way? Do you believe it's been working for years, and will wind-up in the most horrible spectacle, the most ... listen, the most magnificent spectacle this world will have even seen? Do you really believe we're on the way? Do you believe we're near that time? I am not a prophet. I've steadfastly and prayerfully sought to never prophesy, but to just be student of the inspired prophecies. But I believe that we are probably on the very verge, the very verge of the end of this age:, the very end. God help me to believe what I'm saying, I mean when I say I believe "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself". What does that mean? It certainly won't mean we'll be mixed in with the Mulligan stew of Babylon religion. "Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure." "Laying aside every weight", quit ourselves from everything that would deter us from being clean-cut servants of Jesus Christ, not all confused. God help us to see the need today.
"Are some healing campaigns psychologically similar to rock and roll music?" Certainly! The rock and roll music I understand from some of the secular papers and a few snatches I've heard from time to time on the radio, such things as a big dance, wasn't it? down in one of the service ... the ? the army camps ... what do you call it, those ... ?
(answer from audience) Canteen.
Canteen. Had a big dance." had a big dance down there. ? of course are the girls with a soldier. And when the rock and roll music got underway, there was a riot and there were knives, they drove them crazy. And that ... people think ... when this fellow Elvis Presley (I said this morning that I expect to mention his name this afternoon, and I'll ask God to wash my mouth after I've mentioned it), they say he has, at least six new Cadillacs, and the Times magazine wrote him up as one referred with all of its subtle satanic suggesting that they could dare to without open filth and vulgar... well, open it was, of course, about his experiences with girls, say what a fast fellow he is and all.
But when he goes into a place to drink beer ... the Los Angeles Times, I thought...
I might have it here but I didn't, Friday morning had two headlines, I mean across the whole page, boxcar they call it, boxcar headlines. "Elvis Presley in Drunken Brawl" ..."in a Brawl, Arrested" or something like that, "Blacked a Fellow's Eye"; I've forgotten the words, Elvis Presley. Now why did the Los Angeles Times as sober and fine a newspaper, as I think it is as newspapers go, the Los Angeles Times, not the Examiner, not the Herald, but the Times, Los Angeles Times Friday morning, two headlines, two boxcar headlines, "Elvis Presley". Why? Because it gets them circulation, gets them money. Well why do that? Who’s this fellow? Why he's a more ... he's a very common, low type, that has a unique method of being vulgar, sensuous, and something like the crooning of Frank Sinatra when he started out. The modern gold-grabbers, the modern vultures that are quick to find anybody ... sensuous Mae West a few years ago it was, and then who ... Monroe was it? and featured that which the vultures feed on and all other ? ? ? that we ask God to keep us from.A surgeon must deal with filth, a surgeon must deal with contagious. diseases, but he usually tries to put on sterile gloves, not only to keep from adding to the verus or virus there but to keep from getting it himself, see, so forth. And I know that I need to be with things like this very, very ? and ? I've been in many when I used to lead the singing for evangelistic meeting; the preacher
used to always have one afternoon, one meeting for men only and one meeting for women only, and I've led the singing for more than one evangelist when I thought the evangelist really enjoyed being just as vulgar as he could while still having a pretty good spread of being a preacher ? It's like some of these movies advertised for men only, men only.
My friends, we're living in awful days. I'm not a sour pessimist, I'm on the winning side. I think that the sun of righteousness is going to burst the cloud for His own and catch us away maybe 'fore long. I want to be faithful. The Scriptures do not promise and prophesy what ... what I heard Oral Roberts 'while ago, coming down here on the radio, I heard him on the radio, listened purposely when I ... his program before this afternoon, I've heard him along time, I heard, I heard Oral Roberts say, "I believe", he was in a ... in a dialogue with ... with one of his assistants and said, "Well brother Roberts, if you believe that ... that these things are for today, why I understand that preachers say that that's for another time and not for today". And he said, "The Lord said, "I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly". And He wasn't ... He was talking to men and we need ... He said, "Why", calling his assistant's name, he said, "don't you believe that everything that God has said is for us?" "Why yes I do, brother Roberts." "Well I do too. Everything that God has said, because "Heaven shall pass away and earth, but My word shall not pass away." Therefore it's all for us." Now that was damnably crooked. If I could have spoken over the radio I'd have said, "Robert, when we: read in Exodus the 12th chapter, "Put the blood of a lamb one year old, skin it, and take hyssop and dip it in his blood and put it over the top and side posts and when I see the blood I’ll pass over", is that for us in 1957, -56?" Go, over yonder, and march around the walls of Jericho for six days tooting horns and then the seventh day march around seven times and shout and the walls will fall down." All right, I'm going to Jericho." You notice, I said that was damnably crooked for him to say over the radio, "Everything that God says, because His Word will never pass away, and everything He says is for us". That was satanically, viciously, deliberately, damnably false and Roberts know it.
But most of his crowd, "Look at the ? , listen to the testimonies." Have you ever heard one go in, say, "I went in on a peg leg. And brother Roberts prayed the prayer of faith for me, and all of a sudden I got a brand new leg and threw my peg leg away"? No, I haven't heard it either. You ever heard one say, "I went in with a cork arm and brother Roberts prayed for me and threw my cork arm away because I got a new one all of a sudden"? They do tell stories though about ... daggers tells about cases in his Dallas campaign where the Lord filled teeth, filled teeth. And he said one lady went ... said her teeth with ... had more than once filled with gold fillings. But not all of them were gold fillings, some of the were other materials. I think God was impartial and unfair, because He filled one fellow's teeth with gold, "I sure want mine filled with gold too. I want to know why."
Rock and roll religion. Listen my friend, we're living in a day when people are swept by the media that the devil has allowed men to invent, newspapers, automobiles that can get us places fast and so forth, and radio in the car, radio and now television, people can be whipped together, and that's all part of the conditioning ... God help us to look at these things, not as accidents. God knew that these inventions were coming. He knew what they were going to be used for by the god of this world, not that God can't overrule of course and use them, but that ... but the Lord knew what these things were going to have a part in. We read in the book of Daniel that the devil is going to glorify craft. When I heard that Vice President Nixon was ? to beat the Democrats to the punch in advocating a four day work week, four day work week. And automation is coming. If we get atomic energy, boy oh boy oh boy. Won't need to but just have a few machines do the working and we'll have all the extra time for what? For "cultural" activities. Do you know what is means? It means cocktail lounges, and road
houses, and gambling joints, and greased roads to hell. That's what people do with extra hours.. How many today use, extra hours? The best people on the face of the earth ... this earth my friend are people that are busy. Almighty God cursed the ground for what? We're told in Genesis the 3rd chapter, "God cursed the ground for man's sake".
But now back again. This rock and roll, anything that can trick the people, that only the Word of God can divide between the soul and spirit. We read in ... we read in Philippians the 3rd chapter about, "Those who worship not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly". Now what's the meaning of that? They worship "whose god is their belly" rather, in the language of Philippians 3. And Romans 16, "whose god is their belly" ... "who, who serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly". Now watch. What's the meaning of that? "Whose god is their belly. Whose god is their belly. Whose god is their belly." That's the soulish man, that's the seat of the senses. "Well it seems to me." "I heard." "I felt." "I saw." "Well I never was so stirred." "A feeling like light ... light went fell on my head and down my body. Hallelujah. Glory." The rock and roll music does the same thing. It just puts people into a frenzy and a fury, the rhythm and all of the imagination and syncopation and the soulishness. It has the same thing. It's psychological dope, it's intoxicant. We read in the Scriptures of those that "are drunk, but not with wine". My dear friends, everyone of us should be afraid of crowds. We should be afraid of those things that are popular. Because ? ? ? and giving attention to, I mean with a sense of admiration. We're on the verge if not already swept in the sensual realm. The sensual. "The just shall live by faith" and "faith cometh by hearing" and "hearing by the Word of God".
What do you think the namby-pamby, easy-going Christians, I mean who were carnal, over-grown babies, what do you think they thought when they heard that the apostle Paul in Asia toward the last of his ministry was over there alone, Paul said, "Timothy, I would have you know that in Asia all men forsook me". Well he certainly didn't have the blessing of God upon his ministry did he? Because if he'd have had the blessing of God upon his ministry there'd have been crowds packing him. There'd have been converted dance musicians ... Wayne, Wayne Allen (I got it right that time), Wayne Allen told me that in the Youth For Christ movement, the meeting's right up here in Los Angeles at the Bible Institute auditorium, they will have performing on the platform Saturday night, men, and maybe some others, from the regular World Dance Orchestra. The bigger ... the big name dance bands, they’ll get them to come in there if they can and say, "Well maybe that'll get them saved", get them to come in there and play their instruments, and of course it thrills the kids, you know, the teenagers, and they're hooped up you know when they have this thing swing dance and the boogie-boogie rhythm to gospel words, you know, to gospel words.
My dear friends, what is it that God wants you and me to abhor? We're told to "abhor that which is evil". Does that mean abhor a poor, foul-breathed, blear-eyed, drunken bum fall in the gutter vomiting? No! We pity him. We ought to be able to reach down and help that poor victim. But it's the smooth, scheme, clever people. It's the religious leaders. Who was it that murdered the Son of God, as to plotting, desiring and plotting His murder? It was the chief priests, "Christ began to show His disciples how He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the chief priests, and the elders, and scribes, and be put to death". You remember that in the 16th chapter of Matthew? It was the religious leaders.
Oh my dear friends, "the just shall live by faith" and "faith comes by hearing" and "hearing by the Word of God". Read the 11th chapter of Hebrews over and over again about those who "by faith", "by faith", they wouldn't accept deliverence from this physical trial and persecution, they were thrown in dens and to ... lions and caves, and they were sawn asunder, and they starved so they wouldn't be kept a better resurrection. Let's read those chapters and say, "Oh God, help me to be, a Christian in my walk and my speaking, help me to not be conformed to this world".
Listen, I know the thrill of having a crowd, God bless you, I know the soulish, the sensual thrill of standing on a platform, with a grand piano and fine pianist here, a grand piano like that and a fine pianist here, and Maurice Johnson's the song leader, 250 fine singers. Last time I had' that songleader, the Los Angeles County seat convention was Glendale High School, and the thing was jammed, and all eyes were on me. And I know the soulish thrill, what a crowd can give you. I can appreciate something very definitely about Billy Graham. Any actor or actress that has some native ability, that loves leadership. I used to preach on the front gate when I was six years old, I got out on the gate, stood on the gate, preached to people walking by, when I was six years old. My mother taught me ... she was an elocution teacher. I've forgotten it, understand, but my mother taught me to speak, teaches since I was knee high to a duck. I was about four years old when I said my first speech, "0h the ragged man, he works for Pa; he's a good example". I know the thrill. I love to be before people, and I've got to be careful. I know the thrill, I know the thrill standing there and having the crowd follow me. ? ? , "Now over here you sing. Over here and out here, you sing. That quartet up in the balcony there, now to accompany them on the piano, you echo." I used to be considered ... I know the thrill, I know the thrill here in Long Beach speaking to between 5-7,000 people Easter sunrise service when I was the speaker, years ago... I know the thrill, I know the emotion, I know mob psychology.
People asked me during Aimee Semple McPherson's trial in 1926, that's when I was back east, they said, "Don't you believe Mrs McPherson's just out for the money?" ; different ones. I said, "I don't for a second believe she's just out for the money. I think Aimee McPherson would rather have 5300 people passing that Angelus Temple, 5300 people worshipping her any day than $5000 put in her hand. She loves her audience, she loves her audience, her people. There's a ... there's method... ? You think Hitler... why Hitler was lifted clear out of his natural self by a bunch of mobs screening when they asked him. Any other, an actor, if an actor can't get the right response ... I was reading the other day, somebody talking about the response from the audience, how to get a response, I mean one of these singers, you know, a response. You know what it means. You get a hold of Youth For Christ, he knows what it means. And start off, you know, ? that thing, boogie-woogie. And ... and what kind of a response did he get from Youth For Christ? You really got one didn't you? And they he'd try to be sober and just play, "Ahh, he's lost his touch, he's lost his ..."
Franklin Steward (?), father of Four Square Gospel preacher, preaches today in a Four Square place that's on the table, head of the Youth For Christ, said, "Maurice Johnson's some kind of cult, or bordering on a cult", something like that. And he told you didn't he, "About to lose your touch", about to lose his touch. Why
I think I could easily ... you think I couldn't swing people, I mean to some real degree, take advantage of what it takes to pump people up and kid them along you know, "Hallelujah, glory to God". ? ? ? ? But I despise those things.. The apostle Paul ... why was the apostle Paul forsaken by all men in Asia? "Timothy, I would have you know in Asia all men have forsaken me." I said to this big Fundamentalist yesterday, I said, "My dear brother, I've asked God often, "Oh God, don't let me have any pleasure in hearing that I have an un... that I'm unpopular. Don't let me have any of that morbid, diabolical, martyr complex. I'm not trying to make enemies." My dear friends, I know though that the servant isn't greater than his lord.
Let me draw toward a close. "Is mass evangelism more sensual than spiritual? Is the still, small voice assisted by mob psychology?" Let me tell you what I've
learned for years and years in evangelistic conferences. I was a member for four years of the conference of International Federation of Christian Workers, headquarters Siloam Springs where John Brown was centered then, he's more or less centered in Long Beach now, and where evangelists from all over the country and the singer and some Chautauqua workers. For three years I went to Winona Lake, Indiana, the largest gathering of evangelists and ... and Christian workers in all the world at that time, annual gathering. And I heard lectures from not only Billy Sunday and then Rodeheaver, I attended song leader classes more than one time taught by Rodeheaver, Hammontree, and other older men. And I heard evangelists talk about methods., and I studied courses in Moody Institute and elsewhere about evangelistic work. How many times I've had an evangelist say to me, "Maurice", or, "Brother Johnson", years ago they didn't use personal pro... first names so much as they do now because now they're immitating ... immitating the service. clubs more with Bill and Dick, Tom, and Harry, Or Bob, Or Billy Graham, and Or ... Or Bob Cook, and then... Or Bob business you know, and Or Jack, and Or Jekyll and Hyde.
(audience laughs)
But anyway, anyway, I used to have an evangelist stay things like this, "Now I'm going to lead up, and I'm going to lead up to a story about a mother whose boy was driven away from home by an angry father, and the mother kept her lamp lit in the boy's room or the front room every night. And when you ... when I close at the close by the stormy three nights when the boy comes in ...'' course the second reason, I knew the cue, but I rebelled against it; I didn't for awhile. And he'd say, "Now, I'll give you a signal, and as soon as I say, [(MMJ pleadingly] "Is there any mother's boy here tonight that wants by the grace of God, "I'm going to come back to my mother's God?" He said, "Have the pianist ? play an interlude, prayerfully, but just ? ? , get ready to sing [MMJ sings] "Where is my wandering boy tonight, though ? ? will, but bring him to me with all his blood, and tell him I love him still". And then he says, "Who comes? Who comes?" And some mothers begin to weep and cry, go over and slobber on the side of ? 's shoulder, and some boy start, and the ice would be broken, and there'd be a landslide of conversions.
Conversions to what? The kind of conversions that you talk to a year later, six months later, "Well, I don't know. I tried it once. Yeah, I was converted in a revival meeting last summer." I learned some of that because we had repeat engagements in several places the next summer in the South. And I met some of the fellows and looked up some that had been gloriously converted the year before. And they were ingloriously back in the world, the flesh, and the devil. I begin to say, "Oh God, help me to have what I know Thou wouldst give me: heaven born hatred for trying to assist the still, small voice of the Spirit of God by death-bed stories and sob-sister meeting mother in the skies. And that doesn't mean that I'm ... that I'm discounting the power of a godly mother and a godly mother's prayer. I'm talking about working on the tear sac of an ungodly fellow.
Where did Peter preach a thing like that that caused 3000 to be saved?! Where is your clever "drawing the net"? Hyman Appleman tells about in his book ... one of the book titles, "Hold A Revival", how to draw the net. He said, "Every evangelist reading this knows that an evangelist suffers more when he draws it than at any other time. He has agony of soul when he draws the net." And where do you find that? I'll tell you. Habakkuk, where we have drags to catch the fish, and they burn incense with their drags; they're nets we're told.
My friend, there isn't any net necessary to catch a man that has heard the gospel of the grace of God. Paul said, "I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it", not soulish singing, not mob psychology, not ??
Jack Shiner in quite a booklet that he had printed, Bob Goddard gave me the copy that he got in Jack Shiner's meeting in ... Fresno, a little while ago.
Quite a booklet, Jack Shiner put it out, and what to do. No one's to do personal work but those that have badges. Let's you keep out the Seventh Day Adventists I guess, and ... and J.W.'s, and others. Only those that have official badges can do personal work. And in this he says, "The method will be: in the auditorium while every head is bowed and every eye is closed, all you personal workers stand, and watch", in other words, "I'm lying like a modern evangelist", like Billy Graham does too, "while every head's bowed and every eye's closed". He's lying, and he knows he's lying.
In the Billy Graham meeting, I stood up and watched when he said, "Every ... while every head's bowed and every eye's closed", and the personal workers all over including the platform stood up. They were trained to do it, they were told to do it. Certainly, I know the trick. And as soon ... and he said, "While every head's bowed and every eye's closed, I want to know, for instance, if anyone on my right will stay, "Billy, or brother Graham, pray for me. I want to be right with God."" And you put up your hand over there thinking that he told the truth, that people's heads are bowed and the eyes are. closed, and all the spotters are watching, and one of them is.
You stay, "Well doesn't God bless that?" My friend, God used Balaam's ass, but the donkey won't get any blessing in hea... reward for it at all. That's chicanery, that's crooked, that's mob psychology. And the people that are soundly, genuinely saved in anybody's revival meeting are saved when they tune out every other voice but the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit. You believe that? You think the Holy Spirit in introducing Jesus Christ to a sin-sick soul is helped ... I hear on the radio you know, I hear this same fellow say, "Now I'm going to pray", and I saw his apparatus, records that he has over there to play in his study yesterday, and so he starts a prayer and puts a record on, some pipe organ, "Our heavenly Father", then he ... if he wants to add to it, he'll go up a little louder.
Paul and Silas must have had an awful handicap in the Philippian jail when they're praying. Just suppose Peter and Silas could have had a pipe organ to accompany their prayer. I'm telling you it could have really been winged to that jailer's heart, wouldn't it? When Peter and Silas were beaten you know, and their feet were in stocks, and they were there in the inner dungeon, and Peter and Silas prayed ... I mean Paul and Silas prayed (thank you), Paul and Silas prayed. Just think of how much more effectively they'd have been if there'd have been a pipe organ to play "Pomp and Circumstance" [laughs] or "Ave Maria" you know or something. Wouldn't that have been fine? Boy, that prayer would have really gone to heart.
Don't you see my friend that we've got a caricature today called "evangelism"! Now I did not criticize anything that God's doing in spite of Romanism, in spite of Pentecostalism, in spite of Mormonism, in spite of any and all isms. God blesses His truth. But let's not forget, as I said this morning to some of you in another place, if I put my hand in, or get a cup or a quart measure and dip out a quart of wheat and I go out and sow a field. What will come up? "Well, if you're sincere, it makes no difference. The sawdust will come up too, if you were sincere." That's just the same kind of asinine chatter that a lot of Christians give today. "I think if they're sincere." Well you just sincerely sow sawdust and see if it comes up splinters or toothpicks (laughs). That won't come up wheat ... it won't come up wheat will it.
My friends, these conditions (and I'm drawing to a close), these conditions are necessary ... I mean God's permissive will; not for you and I to have a voluntary part in, but they're necessary, they're a part of what God saw the culmination of is the world swept into a horrible mass worship of the devil's Christ. How do you think the master deceiver of all deceivers is going to work the world up to that point? Do you think he's going to do it by coming dressed in red and snorting brim stone and spitting pitchforks, something like that, you know, with a long tail and wolf ears and bull's hoofs and stay, "I am the devil, the murderer who comes but, but to kill, steal, and destroy. Come and jump on my lap, into my arms." ? He's coming transformed as an angel of light and wisdom. And only as you and I use the Word of God humbly and prayerfully can we distinguish between the soul and the spirit.
Now I close with this. What is the Lord's program today? Why the Holy Spirit came in the world, Christ said He was going to. The ... the night Christ was betrayed, He said, "When I'm going away, it's necessary that I go. But if I go not away the Comforter will not come. But if I depart I’ll send unto you. And when He's come, He'll not speak of Himself." That's one reason I don't believe in these Pentecostal movements because they're constantly talking about an 'it', an experience, an 'it', whether healing or soulish, 'it'. "When the Holy Spirit came," He said, "He would speak of Me. He will take the things of Mine and show them to you. He shall glorify Me."
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for I believe it's the power of God unto salvation. I believe the only people, I repeat, I believe the only people who've ever been saved are people who individually were alone, whether they were in a crowd of 10,000 is beside the point, they’ve got to get alone where they can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and let Him introduce them. It may be through a preached word, yes. It may be through personal work; I won't question that. It may be through a gospel song, yes. I'm glad to believe that some people made their decision for Christ while I was singing gospel songs in the years gone by. I'm glad
to believe it; I do believe it, too. I've sung sometime when I believe the Spirit of God was almost taking me out of my body, when I sung the "Ninety-Nine". I've broken down and wept as I sang [sings], "But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed, Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through, Ere He found the sheep that was lost." I sung it in my heart crying out, "Oh God, burn it to the heart of some poor lost soul out there".
So I'm sure God used it, but He uses only instruments that are yielded to Him (I said His overruling providence). And so far as blessing us ... blesses those of us who tremble before His Word and don't get seared from the world. If we can put on a show like Hollywood, if we can just advertise, "The famous Hollywood playboy Stuart Hamblin is going to sing" [sings, claps his hands, stomps his foot],
Ain't going to need that ? no longer,
Ain't going to need that liquor.
No, I thank God for Hamblin's conversion, but I don't know just what he was converted to. I hope it was to Jesus Christ. But you listen to songs like that my friend, that's rock and roll. That's what works people up into a soulish frenzy (sings, claps his hands, stomps his foot),
Ain't going to use that pipe no longer,
Ain't going to ply that sidewalk.
Change the words a little: rock and roll, dance, music, syncopation, it's the kind of band music, the maestro music that hit the new type of thing, rhythm, they'd never had a hit of course, but I mean it's the thing that gets people soulish, it fires people, people can be intoxicated to their emotions, of course.
Why do you think the bawdy houses very well ... now don't you misunderstand me brother Tedford, God bless you, I remember very well the first time I ever heard the rock and roll music, the boogie-woogie. It was ... I mean on anything like a big scale, it was in the First World War, brother LaForce, in Ft Worth at Camp Bowie outside of Ft Worth. And of course the the soldiers, we didn't call them G.I.'s then, but soldiers, and that time of awful Ft Worth streets, and I was driving a jitney, part of the time, and had to quit school to help my father, got o job driving o jitney in competition with streetcars, had a Model T Ford. And ... the shine parlor; many of them operated by Greeks, had Negro orchestras, remember three of the biggest shine fellows in Ft Worth, really, as they say in slang, make a killing, by having built up here sort of a mezzanine floor with o piano with all the front off yo know, stripped down to action, and a mooning saxophonist, and accordion or trumpet, and the piano, altogether three, sometimes snare drum. And I heard ... now mind you they were praying; they make a prayer as no gospel ... I guess Elvis, Elvis Presley has learned from some of the colored fellows in the South. They could turn loose, and they would pray up there while the boys were shining, they would just keep shining ... "now your shining" [makes sound of], and but ... their music and their rhythm and their syncopation and their songs ... they'd be pretty stale stuff for the radio today, though I’ve recognized it as being filthy in those days, 1914,-15, ? , it was filthy. And I heard that they had it regularly every night of the week down below Calhoun Street in the red light district that was in a legalized section of Ft Worth. And that's where that music really did its work, that's what it's for.
That's the aspect, part of human nature that responds to that unbridled, lawless ... that's what it is, it's o giving yourself away, it's giving yourself away, to be wafted away in the waves of syncopation that stirs what? Your new nature? Wrecking people's life in its nature. It's for the basest, the lowest, and that's exactly the appeal to the teenager in Youth For Christ and so forth. It's exactly the view. And it's much of its view in the big tent campaign. It's the love of o big crowd, and mob psychology. I of course am Not saying that there couldn't be o crowd like there was at Pentecost, 3000 of whom were saved. There must have been a lot of thousands there. But what did Peter do to get the crowd and to get them saved. Read Acts I and see.
And what's God purpose today and program today? He said, "Father, I pray that the believers be one that the world may believe Thou has sent Me." If the Christian people of Long Beach, all the blood-bought saved sinners of Long Beach, that could would come together for instance Sunday afternoon down on the beach or on the bandstand to sing and testify, it would be the most magnificent and magnetic method of reaching the lost that could possibly be put on. I mean come together because they're together in Christ, come together because they love one another, love Christ, come together to sing and testimony. That's the only kind of moss (if I may call it), moss demonstration God wants. Not to come together by clever advertisement and by on agreement that "for the time being we'll leave out our Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian denominationalism and we'll all come together and pretend that we're really together for three weeks to put on a sham union, a pretense of being together."
My friend, all of that acting is preparing the way for the people to he swept together and swept down the stream when the most masterful actor the devil has ever had in this world will come, the antichrist.