Exhortation

[rockytopva]

I am working on a video on Exhortation. I have a document that contains the rules to govern the Cripple Creek camp meeting on 09/12/1823. On the ninth rule it is stated, “No persons or persons are to occupy the stand except the preachers and the exhorters.”

The Methodist in those days had a class of minister called exhorters. These so called "Exhorters" would encourage and help breathe life into the camp meeting of the day. And what importance they put on exhortation as the exhorter class had a place with the preachers and evangelists and would sit to the left and right of them on the stage during divine service!

The Exhorter of the time was typically uneducated. And to describe such a man we turn to DL Moody....

Dwight Lyman Moody was born the sixth child of Edwin and Betsy Holton Moody in Northfield, Mass. on February 5, 1837. Dwight's formal education ended in the fifth grade, and he rapidly tired of life on the farm. He left home at age 17, seeking employment in Boston. Failing to secure a desirable position, he asked his uncle for a job. Reluctantly, his uncle hired him to work in the retail shoe store he owned. Employment was conditional upon his attendance at the Mt. Vernon Congregational Church and Sunday School taught by Edward Kimball. Kimball spoke to Moody of the love of Christ. Shortly thereafter, Moody accepted that love and devoted his life to serving God. The following year brought Moody to Chicago with dreams of making his fortune in the shoe business. As success in selling shoes came, so did an interest in providing Sunday school for Chicago's children and the local YMCA. With the equivalent of a grade school education, he went from Sunday School teacher to evangelist, preaching to millions. His lack of education never hindered him. Most of his life he struggled to spell properly, use correct punctuation, and speak with proper grammar. Action, not reading theology was the hallmark of his life.

At age 62, a few weeks before his death, he was still preaching up to six times a day. Although he read the Bible diligently, he read little theology or church history, other than the writings of his friend, C.H. Spurgeon. Pragmatism,or practical application, not the life of the mind, engaged his interest. Second, he was never ordained. He was a businessman type evangelist. While all of his great evangelist predecessors were ordained ministers, Moody broke the mold. Technically, he was a lay preacher, and he insisted that people call him, “Mr. Moody.”

Dwight L Moody began as a simple exhorter with a wonderful gift of encouraging others in the Christian faith. Moody would become a great evangelist preaching to millions. When DL Moody was in England a jealous American preacher, annoyed and embarrassed over Moody’s miss-use of the English language, asked an Englishman why the English loved the shoe salesman when there were so many greater educated preachers in the United States. The Englishman’s reply was, “Because the shoe salesman preaches with tears.”

 

[Dave L]

I am working on a video on Exhortation. I have a document that contains the rules to govern
the Cripple Creek camp meeting on 09/12/1823. On the ninth rule it is stated, “No persons or persons are to occupy the stand except the preachers and the exhorters.”

The Methodist in those days had a class of minister called exhorters. These so called "Exhorters" would encourage and help breathe life into the camp meeting of the day. And what importance they put on exhortation as the exhorter class had a place with the preachers and evangelists and would sit to the left and right of them on the stage during divine service!

The Exhorter of the time was typically uneducated. And to describe such a man we turn to DL Moody....

Dwight Lyman Moody was born the sixth child of Edwin and Betsy Holton Moody in Northfield, Mass. on February 5, 1837. Dwight's formal education ended in the fifth grade, and he rapidly tired of life on the farm. He left home at age 17, seeking employment in Boston. Failing to secure a desirable position, he asked his uncle for a job. Reluctantly, his uncle hired him to work in the retail shoe store he owned. Employment was conditional upon his attendance at the Mt. Vernon Congregational Church and Sunday School taught by Edward Kimball. Kimball spoke to Moody of the love of Christ. Shortly thereafter, Moody accepted that love and devoted his life to serving God. The following year brought Moody to Chicago with dreams of making his fortune in the shoe business. As success in selling shoes came, so did an interest in providing Sunday school for Chicago's children and the local YMCA. With the equivalent of a grade school education, he went from Sunday School teacher to evangelist, preaching to millions. His lack of education never hindered him. Most of his life he struggled to spell properly, use correct punctuation, and speak with proper grammar. Action, not reading theology was the hallmark of his life.

At age 62, a few weeks before his death, he was still preaching up to six times a day. Although he read the Bible diligently, he read little theology or church history, other than the writings of his friend, C.H. Spurgeon. Pragmatism,or practical application, not the life of the mind, engaged his interest. Second, he was never ordained. He was a businessman type evangelist. While all of his great evangelist predecessors were ordained ministers, Moody broke the mold. Technically, he was a lay preacher, and he insisted that people call him, “Mr. Moody.”

Dwight L Moody began as a simple exhorter with a wonderful gift of encouraging others in the Christian faith. Moody would become a great evangelist preaching to millions. When DL Moody was in England a jealous American preacher, annoyed and embarrassed over Moody’s miss-use of the English language, asked an Englishman why the English loved the shoe salesman when there were so many greater educated preachers in the United States. The Englishman’s reply was, “Because the shoe salesman preaches with tears.”

I noticed some time ago how emotion sells a product. People always buy what they don't need at an emotional level. So a good sales guy knows how to create an emotional bond between the customer and the product. Even Hitler sways through emotion when you can't understand a word he is saying. This is why some preachers can be very dangerous and deceptive.

 

[rockytopva]

George Clark Rankin describing the old exhorter, Robert Sayers Sheffey, at the Cripple Creek camp meeting around 1870….

The rarest character I ever met in my life I met at that campmeeting (Cripple Creek) in the person of Rev. Robert Sheffey, known as Bob Sheffey. He was recognized all over Southwest Virginia as the most eccentric preacher of that country. He was a local preacher; crude, illiterate, queer and the oddest specimen known among preachers. But he was saintly in his life, devout in his experience and a man of unbounded faith. He wandered hither and thither over that section attending meetings, holding revivals and living among the people. He was great in prayer, and the Cripple Creek campground was not complete without Bob Sheffey. They wanted him there to pray and work in the altar. He was wonderful with penitents. And he was great in following up the sermon with his exhortations and appeals.

He would sometimes spend nearly the whole night in the straw with mourners; and if the meeting lagged he would go out on the mountain and spend the entire night in prayer, and the next morning he would come rushing into the service with his face all aglow shouting. And then the meeting always broke loose with a floodtide. He could say the oddest things, hold the most unique interviews with God, break forth in the most unexpected spasms of praise, use the homeliest illustrations, do the funniest things and go through with the most grotesque performances of any man born of woman.

It was just Bob Sheffy, and nobody thought anything of what he did and said, except to let him have his own way and do exactly as he pleased. In anybody else it would not have been tolerated for a moment. In fact, he acted more like a crazy man than otherwise, but he was wonderful in a meeting. He would stir the people, crowd the mourner's bench with crying penitents and have genuine conversions by the score. I doubt if any man in all that conference has as many souls to his credit in the Lamb's Book of Life as old Bob Sheffey.

 

[Frank Lee]

When I was only 4 or 5 both me and my 2 year old brother came down with typhoid fever. We were hospitalized and came near to death. There was an eccentric old time preacher that came to pray for us. My mother said he could be seen walking from one place to another in all kinds of weather.

Being highly educated in all kinds of institutions does not a preacher make. The call is the critical thing. If called by God it will be plain. Also if not. Unfortunately many can't discern the difference.

Brother Amos is a perfect example. Looking at the h ost of "TV preachers" I am appalled at the deadness of their words. Lectures of astounding dryness and admonitions on conforming to legalism, laws, traditions and denominational doctrines. I have attended denominational "revivals" where the speaker, a DD, spoke eloquently on his own righteousness, goodness, morality and lack of sin.

Had I been a sinner searching for God that speaker would have convinced me that I was never ever going to be as worthy as he. I would have left that place more wounded and desperate for God's help than when I came.

There are multitudes that are doing God and man a disservice by their standing before groups of needy souls.

A man sent from God to encourage or preach carries the anointing and it will be evident.

Yes, called individuals are rare and do a good work.


Hebrews 10:24 KJVS
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

 

[rockytopva]

One of the exhorters in our church was an old saint by the name of Dallas….

1. He was a very happy man and would shout in church and run the aisles.
2. In his religion was a, “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
3. He would shout like none other
4. He was a good husband and family man
5. Though not book learned, he was very mechanically inclined and a large soul. He and his wife were close all of their time together.
6. You can hear Dallas shouting in the attached video

Going to church was enjoyable in those days. The people would stay at the altar until the Holy Spirit came upon them. In which some would shout, some would run the aisles, some would speak in tongues. Every blessing was unique, which made going to church fun as we did not know what God was going to do next. Dallas was a joy to have in church and his shouting was very merry. I use to love going over to his place as we are neighbors and would help them at their small dairy farm, and they would always offer me something to eat. I would work the restaurant of the morning, the hayfield in the afternoon, and then go to revival at night. And after a summer of that the good Spirit came on me as well.

Dallas was a large soul who had such a joy and love for Christianity, this is the life I will use as a reference point of an Exhorter…

1. An Exhorter possesses a wonderful joy
2. An Exhorter is sanctified, and very clean in all his ways.
3. An Exhorter is filled with the Holy Ghost, possessing all the fruits thereof.
4. An Exhorter is industrious, and takes delight in all his surroundings.
5. Exhorters are good altar workers, and take to it with great delight
6. Exhorters have no fear, and if a weapon is launched against them will simply… “Ride it home to Glory!”
7. Exhorters are very much spiritual and loving. They would sit back in their pews in the church and weep. If one of them were to look back and catch the amazed look in my eye they would weep, “The Holy Ghost!” “The Holy Ghost” while pointing to souls laid out about the altar.
8. Exhorters have no delight in evil, do not care much for the news, have little political ambition, are not members of the “what’s wrong with the church” club, do not gossip, or run any kind of political game behind an established leaders back.

Dallas...

And a picture of the old Virginian saint, RS Sheffey. I am thankful for our Pentecostal Holiness church for keeping the methods of exhortation alive, as it was given to them by the Methodist church 100 years before them...

And a video of Dallas shouting in church...

 

[Frank Lee]

The anointing is the thing. Without it we are gloves without hands in them. In my "picking up hitch hiker years" I would only stop for those that were told me. I've sat praying for the anointing to come while talking to them. Sometimes it came but not always. I don't know why not. When it does you know.

The denominations that deny the baptism of the Holy Spirit and gifts he brings are just dead. They are like birds that can't fly. The Holy Spirit gives wings and flight to our spiritual lives. Denominations live by works of the flesh and are without strength and anointing. You can listen to their preachers a short while and know they are without the anointing.

There are many such on this site preaching their doctrine of "God no longer does that, Jesus no longer baptizes in the Holy Spirit, there are no more gifts of the spirit, there is no more prophecy, Jesus does not does not speak to his sheep". Their entire message is about what God can't or won't do.

It is anti gospel. They are birds walking not flying. An anointed speaker for God can present a rebuke from God in a way that makes it easily receivable.

 

[Dave L]

The anointing is the thing. Without it we are gloves without hands in them. In my "picking up hitch hiker years" I would only stop for those that were told me. I've sat praying for the anointing to come while talking to them. Sometimes it came but not always. I don't know why not. When it does you know.

The denominations that deny the baptism of the Holy Spirit and gifts he brings are just dead. They are like birds that can't fly. The Holy Spirit gives wings and flight to our spiritual lives. Denominations live by works of the flesh and are without strength and anointing. You can listen to their preachers a short while and know they are without the anointing.

There are many such on this site preaching their doctrine of "God no longer does that, Jesus no longer baptizes in the Holy Spirit, there are no more gifts of the spirit, there is no more prophecy, Jesus does not does not speak to his sheep". Their entire message is about what God can't or won't do.

It is anti gospel. They are birds walking not flying. An anointed speaker for God can present a rebuke from God in a way that makes it easily receivable.

All believers have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. No matter what denomination...........

 

[Episkopos]

All believers have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. No matter what denomination...........

All believers have a bible and have read about this. But that's where the experience ends with many modern believers.

 

[rockytopva]

All believers have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. No matter what denomination...........

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not flesh or human ego.

When we had a plating department in our facility I worked under a chemist. This chemist was very smart and very good at math. When he laid out equations he did so in very neat handwriting and there would be much activity as he turned the results of an analysis into an addition. I would take his calculations and put them in the form of visual basic functions and sub procedures.

Of all the years I worked with this man I had one opportunity to witness to him. I made my presentation while he was analyzing adhesion under a microscope in which you could hear the sounds... Scratch, scratch, scratch! Scratch scratch, scratch! After my presentation he just continued to look under the microscope as if ignored everything I said so I just continued in my work. Then... The scratch scratch, scratching stopped! And he speaks!

"You know what I think it is?" He says while continuing to look under the microscope... "I think it is arrogance!"

And then, without taking his eyes off the microscope, he continues his work... Scratch, scratch, scratch! Scratch scratch, scratch! I did not reply but went about my work. Inside I feared he was right. In many cases the unction that possesses believers is mere flesh and ego than anything else. The apostle Paul claimed that the glorying was not good and just a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Just a little ego makes the whole batch bad!

 

[Frank Lee]

God clearly showed me birds walking and birds flying. I will draw a meme on this soon.

The walking birds cried out to those flying "you must come and walk and stumble along with us. Your flight is false. Your wings have been given you by evil forces. Your ability to wheel and soar over us is vanity and and against the nature we learned. The smallness of our wings is the way it should be. Your enlarged wings that enable you to fly are unnatural growths.

Your travel will be incorrect until you land among us and begin to struggle along and walk in your own strength and cease this ridiculous flying.

Such are the words of those never yielding to Jesus and his promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Those demanding that we who believe abandon what God so lovingly gave and confirmed. They are clouds without rain. While denying they are affected by mens doctrines they adhere to traditions and to constant rejection of the Holy Spirit of the living God whom they profess to serve without reservation.

They are blind birds walking, leading others into their stumbling ways.

Although they profess to follow scripture they deny everything that is contrary to their baptism of denial. When asked what Jesus says to them they are completely silent. They are profit less lawyers demanding that others be as dead and lifeless as they.

Though many words be written they can only hold to the brainwashing they received from other deniers of God's unchanging nature.

Only God can change them through some event in their lives. But even God will not forcibly change those that persist in their rejection of his word as written.

Let the wingless birds stumble along their halting way. Crying out to the soaring birds above "halt your useless flight and come stumble with us".

I will continue to fly with the wings given me by the savior who alone baptizes with his eternally available Holy Spirit.

 

[Episkopos]

God clearly showed me birds walking and birds flying. I will draw a meme on this soon.

The walking birds cried out to those flying "you must come and walk and stumble along with us. Your flight is false. Your wings have been given you by evil forces. Your ability to wheel and soar over us is vanity and and against the nature we learned. The smallness of our wings is the way it should be. Your enlarged wings that enable you to fly are unnatural growths.

Your travel will be incorrect until you land among us and begin to struggle along and walk in your own strength and cease this ridiculous flying.

Such are the words of those never yielding to Jesus and his promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Those demanding that we who believe abandon what God so lovingly gave and confirmed. They are clouds without rain. While denying they are affected by mens doctrines they adhere to traditions and to constant rejection of the Holy Spirit of the living God whom they profess to serve without reservation.

They are blind birds walking, leading others into their stumbling ways.

Although they profess to follow scripture they deny everything that is contrary to their baptism of denial. When asked what Jesus says to them they are completely silent. They are profit less lawyers demanding that others be as dead and lifeless as they.

Though many words be written they can only hold to the brainwashing they received from other deniers of God's unchanging nature.

Only God can change them through some event in their lives. But even God will not forcibly change those that persist in their rejection of his word as written.

Let the wingless birds stumble along their halting way. Crying out to the soaring birds above "halt your useless flight and come stumble with us".

I will continue to fly with the wings given me by the savior who alone baptizes with his eternally available Holy Spirit.

This is a great post!

 

[rockytopva]

And the full video on Exhortation. Hope she does a million views!