The White Garments

[rockytopva]

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. - Revelation 3:5

I was fortunate to have come to Pentecostal Holiness back when the revivals were good and would last for a week or so. I remember that people would fall out in the Spirit and sometimes would have to carried out of church. I have been to Pentecostal Holiness churches where people would shout, run out of church, run down the road a piece, and them come back in.

But, not only was there a noise, emotion, and activity... But there was an unexplainable richness there as well. The people lived like the Waltons. There was a sense of love and community There was also a decency. When I came in as a teenager I literally had all of that born within my Spirit. I was like... Holy Smokes! Now I have got the Holy Spirit speaking to me too!


I remember, after great revivals, and with much activity around the alter, that the people would begin to sing...

The windows of heaven are open!
The blessings are flowing tonight!
There is Joy! Joy! Joy! in my heart
Since Jesus made everything right!
I gave him my old tattered garments!
He gave me a robe of pure white!
I am feasting on manna from Heaven!
That is why I am so happy tonight!

My gosh! How the Spirit would break out like a floodtide after singing such songs! Like fingers of light shining down on a cloudy day beautifying the scenery of God's landscape!

As a teenager I felt white garments after participating in such good religion. As a Star Wars fan I have often wondered what a glorious outfit is awaiting for us in heaven! All that Holy Spirit made me feel as tall as Luke Skywalker as a teenager!

There is a Pentecostal Holiness church by the old community of Norris Run where people would run down the road a spell!

 

[Harry3142]

Emotionalism and adrenaline rushes can give one a sense of exultation. But we need to remember that God wants the motivations which dictate our actions to conform to what his own Spirit implants in all who accept his Son's atoning sacrifice:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26,NIV)

If our actions have as their impetus the motivations which are listed as 'the acts of the sinful nature', then those actions must be seen as sinful due to the motivations which led to our committing those actions being sinful. Just as a poisoned tree cannot yield good fruit, no action which proceeds from any of these motivations can be seen as anything other than evil.

However, if our actions have as their impetus the motivations which are listed as 'the fruit of the Spirit', then we have assurance that they are conforming to what God wants of us, due to their underlying motivations being what God has provided to us through his Spirit. Their importance to our behaving in a manner that pleases God is emphasized by the words which immediately follow their listing: "Against such things there is no law."

 

[IanLC]

I grew up in a Pentecostal Holiness church of the African American Christian experience. The church name was Jerusalem United Holy Church (formerly known as Jerusalem Holy Temple founded in 1923 by Rev. Mother Annie Slade)

Other fiery churches in the area which were either Pentecostal, Holiness or Apostolic were Galilee Pentecostal Holiness Church, Greater Shinning Light Holiness Church (Elder Leak), Smyrna Church of Christ (Bishop Graves), Saint Stephenson Apostolic Church, Mt. Carmel Holiness Church, Saint Mariah United Holy Church (Rev Lettie Cohen), Benaja Mt. Zion Holiness Church of God (Bishop Kellam), First Assembly of God, Church of God, Salvation Army Church and Trinity Holy Tabernacle (Bishop Nicholson) among others.

I remember the great "joy in the Holy Ghost!". The Word was preached and in some instances still is preached with such fire and godly zeal! Holiness was the standard and was lived inwardly and outwardly. The dress, character, talk, conversation, habits, soul and all were changed and people strived to live a Christ like life in modesty and holiness. There was an equilibrium and balance of ecstasy and emotion and decency and dignity thus having order. There were times of great praise and worship and then times of silent contemplation and prayer. The church mothers would enter the church and before anything was done they would either kneel in their seat or at the altar and PRAY! Prayer meetings were important aspects of the church service and lives of the saints. Jesus not the Holy Spirit was the center of the service, doctrine, preaching and lifestyle of the saints. Even when one tarried or waited for the Holy Ghost is earnest prayer they would utter "Jesus, Jesus Jesus" or "Jesus fill me with the Holy Ghost", "Thank You Jesus", "The Blood of Jesus" and among others would be spoken by the seekers seeking the infilling of the Holy Ghost and He would show up with signs and manifestation (tongues and praise)! Seekers received salvation yet tarried for sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost! Prophecy was heard yet tested by the Word and discerned by the spiritually sound. Healing was a true aspect of the service physical, emotional, spiritual and mental healing. Devotion and testimony services were times you could express your highs and lows of life before the congregation and share in singing and the praising of the Lord! You could also appeal for prayer and know that the saints of God were praying for you! Professions of people being saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled and fire baptized were readily heard! The Altar was a place of sacredness and sanctity where people as one church mother would say "met God at the altar". People would weep, wail, shout, dance, fall out, jump, run, purge, tarry, praise and worship and also confess at the altar! Deliverance was a true and important fact of life, belief, salvation and experience! The church would not believe that you were saved if your life after you confessed did not display that profession of salvation. HOLINESS was the standard! Yet even when you did fall there was no judgement but rebuke and correction in love and restoration. Yes they were tough and straightforward in their correction but you knew it was from love! Prostitutes, drunk addicts, drunkards, thieves and robbers and the outcasts of society would come and sit outside the church to listen to the singing and praising of the saints. Many would come in and receive deliverance, salvation, sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Baptismal services were a time of great rejoicing and praise! Also feet washing and communion were sacred times of contemplation and silent wonder! Revival was a time of great renewal and expectation was well as salvation and praise. Demons were cast out and people freed from binding and satanic and demonic spirits. Miracles, signs and wonders were experienced! Jesus was the center of the service and the Holy Ghost was in charge of the flow of the service! God truly blessed, saved, sanctified and filled us with His love, presence, glory and power! The three distinctions of faith, experience, and doctrine were
1. Saved by Jesus (salvation in Jesus alone!)
2. Sanctified by the Word of Jesus (lifestyle of holiness and righteousness made possible by the blood of Jesus)
3. Filled with the Spirit of Jesus (fruit of Jesus and Jesus the only baptizer in the Holy Ghost)

We also sung the above song but with a few different words,

The Windows of Heaven Are Open
And The Fire is Burning Right Now (some say tonight)
I've Got Joy, Joy, Joy in my soul
Jesus made everything alright!
I gave up my old filthy garments
And He gave me a robe of pure white
And now I'm feasting on manna from Heaven
That is why I'm Happy RIGHT NOW!

 

[rockytopva]

Thanks... UHCAlan... Much joy experienced with that song! What people do not realize about times a century ago is that there was not much in the form of entertainment in these mountains. No cable TV, Internet, you may get two channels if the sky was clear enough,no amusement parks, as the counties were dry no bars. Pentecostalism was our entertainment. My grandfather use to attend revivals that would last for weeks. Granny said that sometimes he would not get home until 3 AM, but would have no problem rising for work a couple of hours later. I am told that these mountains would ring with prayer. What kind of entertainment the Holy Spirit gave us is better than anything this world has to offer. My Grannie's dad died when she was twelve and they were on hard times. There was an old gentlemen that would come up the holler singing, "You can't do wrong and get by because the all seeing eye is watching you!" She remembered those words all her life and would tell me a many of time, "Son, you can't do wrong and get by!"

 

[IanLC]

Thanks... UHCAlan... Much joy experienced with that song! What people do not realize about times a century ago is that there was not much in the form of entertainment in these mountains. No cable TV, Internet, you may get two channels if the sky was clear enough,no amusement parks, as the counties were dry no bars. Pentecostalism was our entertainment. My grandfather use to attend revivals that would last for weeks. Granny said that sometimes he would not get home until 3 AM, but would have no problem rising for work a couple of hours later. I am told that these mountains would ring with prayer. What kind of entertainment the Holy Spirit gave us is better than anything this world has to offer. My Grannie's dad died when she was twelve and they were on hard times. There was an old gentlemen that would come up the holler singing, "You can't do wrong and get by because the all seeing eye is watching you!" She remembered those words all her life and would tell me a many of time, "Son, you can't do wrong and get by!"

Amen the older saints would admonish us with words such as "sanctify yourself", "watch how you walk on the cross one foot slip and your soul is lost", "Jesus loves you but not your sin", "either holiness or hell", "pray and push and when that fails push and pray", "prayer will fix it", "hand it over to Jesus", "I've tried Jesus and I know Him" and simply "Jesus loves you!" They believed and instilled in us that God was not only an intellectual contemplation or sealed away in dead doctrine but a living God that wants to commune and abide with His people! And as "Holy People" we were God's people through the blood of His son Jesus!

 

[rockytopva]

My experience came with a lightsaber by the way :lol:

A century ago there was not much in the form of entertainment in these mountains. No cable TV, Internet, you may get two channels if the sky was clear enough,no amusement parks, as the counties were dry no bars. Pentecostalism was our entertainment. My grandfather use to attend revivals that would last for weeks. Granny said that sometimes he would not get home until 3 AM, but would have no problem rising for work a couple of hours later. I am told that these mountains would ring with prayer. What kind of entertainment the Holy Spirit gave us is better than anything this world has to offer. My Grannie's dad died when she was twelve and they were on hard times. There was an old gentlemen that would come up the holler singing, "You can't do wrong and get by because the all seeing eye is watching you!" She remembered those words all her life and would tell me a many of time, "Son, you can't do wrong and get by!"

These revivals were nearly identical to the Methodist revivals of the 1800's. I did a devotion on one of the saints named Robert Sheffey, who was as closest as the old Saint Francis of Assisi as I could find...

http://www.christianityboard.com/topic/18564-the-life-of-george-clark-rankin/?p=203287

There was a man named George Clark Rankin who records this account in his "The Story of My Life or More Than a Half Century as I Have Lived It and Seen It Lived" George Clark Rankin. The Story of My Life Or More Than a Half Century As I Have Lived It and Seen It Lived Written by Myself at My Own Suggestion and That of Many Others Who Have Known and Loved Me who was the only other one to have recorded anything of the old Cripple Creek Meetings.

Page 240

The circuit was a large one, comprising seventeen appointments. They were practically scattered all over the county. I preached every other day, and never less than twice and generally three times on Sunday.

I had associated with me that year a young collegemate, Rev. W. B. Stradley. He was a bright, popular fellow, and we managed to give Wytheville regular Sunday preaching. Stradley became a great preacher and died a few years ago while pastor of Trinity Church, Atlanta, Georgia. We were true yokefellows and did a great work on that charge, held fine revivals and had large ingatherings.

The famous Cripple Creek Campground was on that work. They have kept up campmeetings there for more than a hundred years. It is still the great rallying point for the Methodists of all that section. I have never heard such singing and preaching and shouting anywhere else in my life. I met the Rev. John Boring there and heard him preach. He was a well-known preacher in the conference; original, peculiar, strikingly odd, but a great revival preacher.

One morning in the beginning of the service he was to preach and he called the people to prayer. He prayed loud and long and told the Lord just what sort of a meeting we were expecting and really exhorted the people as to their conduct on the grounds. Among other things, he said we wanted no horse- trading and then related that just before kneeling he had seen a man just outside the encampment looking into the mouth of a horse and he made such a peculiar sound as he described the incident that I lifted up my head to look at him, and he was holding his mouth open with his hands just as the man had done in looking into the horse's mouth! But he was a man of power and wrought well for the Church and for humanity.

Page 241

The rarest character I ever met in my life I met at that campmeeting in the person of Rev. Robert Sheffy, known as "Bob" Sheffy. 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 Cripple Creek campground was not complete without "Bob" Sheffy. 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 now and then 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 at the top of his voice. 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" Sheffy.


Robert Sheffey... Virginian Saint

 

[FHII]

I'm enjoying reading this, if nothing else for the history and culture part of it. I don't mean to offend by saying that....

One thing I have to say about this is that people do the wildest things to support their favorite football team. Dress like idiots, wear facepaint, wear nothing but shorts when it's below freezing at the games, and go wild when their team scores a touchdown. They party before the game, during it and after. Might even take time off of work to attend the game! All normal behavior, by society's standards.

But show that type of emotion and enthusiasm for God and his Word??? You get branded as (at the very least) a zeolot and extremist. Maybe even a cultist (in a bad way). Not endorsing Pentacostalism, but appreciating their joy!

 

[Webers_Home]

.
†. Rev 3:18 . . I advise you to buy from me . . . white garments, that you may
clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be exposed.

That's an interesting statement. The garments aren't for concealing one's
nakedness; but for concealing one's shame.

†. Gen 2:25 . . .The man and his wife were both naked and were not
ashamed.

In the beginning, people were 110% comfortable in the buff. And apparently
they were 110% comfortable in the buff even in the presence of God. But
the forbidden fruit incident changed all that.

†. Gen 3:6-7 . .When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make
one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband
with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they
knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made
themselves loin coverings.

The curious thing about that event is the rush to cover their pelvic regions,
not in the presence of God, but in each other's presence. Even as lawful man
and wife, neither wanted the other to see themselves with their clothes off.
That's how sensitive Adam and his wife were about their bodies just moments
after tasting the forbidden fruit.

This all suggests to me that when people stand to answer for themselves at
the Great White Throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15, some there won't
be afforded the slightest stitch of clothing, but will be standing before God in
full frontal nudity.

I think that even exotic dancers and porn stars, who are normally
comfortable seen in the buff by their fellow man; won't be comfortable seen in
the buff at the Great White Throne. I don't know what it is; but the presence of
God has a way of seriously disrupting people's composure. I suspect that even
the most hard-core sinners you can possibly imagine will be wishing for
somewhere to hide when they stand before God sans the white clothing that
Jesus is offering.

Buen Camino
/

 

[rockytopva]

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

 

[Webers_Home]

Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth
his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

I don't think the garments of Rev 16:15 are the white garments of Rev 3:5
and Rev 3:18. The clothing depicted at Rev 16:15 is one's own clothing
rather than the Lord's. The picture is of a man robbed of his wardrobe by a
burglar for lack of vigilance; which is, I gather, the meaning of watchfulness;
for example:

†. Matt 24:42-44 . . Be on the alert, for you do not know which day your
Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known
at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the
alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this
reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you
do not think he will.

Christ is an unusual intruder in that regular intruders don't want their victims
to know they're coming. Christ wants people to know so they can get ready.
But alas, many will go on business as usual as if there's nothing to worry
about.

†. Matt 24:37-40 . . For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the
days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the Flood they were
eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the
day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the Flood
came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

The antediluvians had no excuse for not understanding because God,
through Noah, warned those slackers in plenty of time that big, big trouble
was on the horizon.

†. 2Pet 2:5 . . Noah, a preacher of righteousness

It's not hard to guess the topic of Noah's sermons.

"I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence
because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth."
(Gen 6:13)

"I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the
heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth
will perish." (Gen 6:17)

God even gave Noah's audiences a deadline, so had they wanted to; they
could have started a countdown to doomsday as a sort of Mayan calendar
event.

"Then the Lord said: My spirit shall not strive with man forever . . . his days
shall be one hundred and twenty years." (Gen 6:3)

Noah was 600 years old when the Flood came (Gen 7:6). So the deadline
was reckoned from the time he was 480. Honestly, unless those people were
too stupid to do simple arithmetic; they had no excuse for being caught off
guard by the Flood. But they were off guard not because they were stupid;
but because they didn't take Noah's preaching seriously enough to get ready
for the big event.

†. Prv 22:3 . . A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes
precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.

Buen Camino
/

 

[IanLC]

I'm enjoying reading this, if nothing else for the history and culture part of it. I don't mean to offend by saying that....

One thing I have to say about this is that people do the wildest things to support their favorite football team. Dress like idiots, wear facepaint, wear nothing but shorts when it's below freezing at the games, and go wild when their team scores a touchdown. They party before the game, during it and after. Might even take time off of work to attend the game! All normal behavior, by society's standards.

But show that type of emotion and enthusiasm for God and his Word??? You get branded as (at the very least) a zeolot and extremist. Maybe even a cultist (in a bad way). Not endorsing Pentacostalism, but appreciating their joy!

Well thank you! I've said that several times! And I know your not endorsing Pentecostalism but all I say is the bible says God is a consuming fire and we would be baptized with the Holy Ghost & fire! I have never known a person to touch a fire and they don't at least say ouch! Same with the Holy Ghost you are going to show some signs and one of those signs and fruit is JOY!

 

[afaithfulone4u]

I'm enjoying reading this, if nothing else for the history and culture part of it. I don't mean to offend by saying that....

One thing I have to say about this is that people do the wildest things to support their favorite football team. Dress like idiots, wear facepaint, wear nothing but shorts when it's below freezing at the games, and go wild when their team scores a touchdown. They party before the game, during it and after. Might even take time off of work to attend the game! All normal behavior, by society's standards.

But show that type of emotion and enthusiasm for God and his Word??? You get branded as (at the very least) a zeolot and extremist. Maybe even a cultist (in a bad way). Not endorsing Pentacostalism, but appreciating their joy!

I have seen the sports scenes on the news and have often said that same thing That wouldn't it be great it those in the stadium would all of a sudden turn and show that same excitement for God & His Son! God is something to get excited about, if people only knew~