From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher


The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of Yale, Buel,
Ball, Michigan Circuit, Elmer, Midland, and Caro Camp, Michigan; and Glendale
and W Hollywood, California. (1929-1938)

"Outline lost" is written on the bottom of the note giving the places where this
was preached. However, there is an outline in the envelope containg this sermon.
Apparently, he later found it. The long form is of handwritten notes on both
sides of three sheets of paper. Unfortunately, the sheets are numbered wrong,
making this a very difficult sermon to type up. I had to make some adjustments,
hoping that I have it all in order! My grandfather's convictions are stated
clearly and with no apology, so hold on! Today, this sermon would put him in the
categories of both" Radical Holiness" and "Christian Right".


Things That Grace a Nation, Farm, Home, Church, and a Man's Life

Text- Romans 5:1,2 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Grace is defined by Webster as any excellence, favor, or honor in behavior or
demeaner." It is spiritual beauty of character, and above all, "the unmerited
favor and love of God toward man in Christ." There are various things that add
grace and attraction to the various walks of life.

I. Things that Grace a Nation

  1. A great commercial enterprise with other nations

  2. A large and strong army and navy of fine, well trained men, all ready for
action.

  3. Great wealth of natural resources and large industrial cities as well as
extensive farms [agriculture].

  4. A population of good law abiding citizens.

  5. Good laws and strict law enforcement on those who disobey the laws.

  6. Fine educational schools and colleges.

  7. A land full of churches and church going people.

But, if the goal of a nation is pleasure and amusement, seeking all of the
worldly graces will prove a curse =, and in the end, their fall and damnation. A
nation, in order to stand, must not forget God, the Sabbath Day, the House of
Worship, and the Word of God.

[Inserted in the notes of this sermon are several articles and pictures. A
tract, titled "Why Has God So Signally Blessed America Above Other Nations" by
A.E.Crowell is excellent but too long to print here. There are several clippings
from a periodical called, The Michigan Lord's Day Leader. One clipping has a
picture of several young people holding a banner which reads, "Do you Want A
Wide Open Town? Vote No!"  There are other young people holding signs which
read, "A Vote No is For LaGrange." On the back of that particular clipping is a
picture of George Washington praying at Valley Forge. Many of the articles are
good about keeping Sunday as a national day of rest. There is also a short
article on grace, Sentence Sermons, by Rev. John G. Hessler, clipped from The
Free Methodist. Back to the sermon!:]

Our nation, you might say, was founded on the Word of God (eg.Constitution). And
the early leaders such as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, were men of
prayer and faith in God. They say that Washington, at headquarters in Valley
Forge, tied his horse to a tree and earnestly, fervently prayed. I believe it.
It has been the power of our nation.

Now they want to take the Word of God out of our schools. This birngs a
disregard for the Bible and the church, or the very foundation for government.
Thus, our nation is being filled with law breakers and a disregard for
government. Less than 17% of of the population in America attend a Protestant
Sunday School. The editor of the Christian Adocate said that in a town of 8,000,
he could not find a Sunday evening service except at a Salvation Army Church. It
is estimated that about 8,000 Protestant churches stand vacant and deserted in
our land, and about 60,000 are practically dead, as during the year of 1929,
they haven't gained a single new member. About 40,000 more only gained one or
two new members. Something is wrong in our land. It costs the American people
$500,000,000 annually for lasses through crime. In Detroit alone, it costs more
than $18,000,000 annually for crime done, and people pay for it in higher costs
of everything and in taxes. Crime
  in Michigan in the last 25 years has increased 288%. [This was in 1929!]

II. Things that Grace a Farm

  1. Good buildings

  2. Fence rows all trimmed out

  3. Weeds all out of the fields. On my father's farm, we had to pull out the
wild mustard, wild carrots, etc.

A good dog even graces a farm, especially because it shows cooperation and love.

"Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound." God makes the decay of
vegetable, plant life, and animal life a blessing as the chemicals go back to
the earth where it would otherwise be a nuisance. Then through decay, life
grows. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone."

III. things that Grace a Home

  Brother Hazzard spoke of a home where everything was right in its place, but he
wondered what was wrong as it seemed so lonesome around there. At last he
thought, there is no sound of a child's voice!

  1. An obedient child graces a home. Some prefer dogs or cats in their place!

  2. Pictures grace a home. Some things grace pictures too. As a man painted a
picture of the Lord's Supper, and had a cup so beautiful it attracted attention
from Christ, so he painted over the cup so Christ would grace the picture. Do
you have pictures that grace your home?

  3. Music graces the home.

  4. Above all, the Bible graces the home.

  5. Divine Love and family worship grace the home.

  6. Thanks for food, cooperation and love grace the home.

IV. Things that Grace a Church

  1. Unity, love, cooperation, power, and fire from heaven grace the church. Bud
Robinson, praying so loud in a formal church, said that God was so far from
there. Large crowds are attracted to a fire in a church. First time in 50 years
that they had any fire in that church or they would have had a larger crowd.

  2. Books kept in good shape and cleanliness grace a curch.

  3. Graceful Christians, full of grace, grace the church. Things that grace our
profession is possessing the goods.

  The world thinks that things that grace them is to be vain and proud as
possible and see who can get the nearest like the devil wants them to: money,
dress, tobacco, liquor, etc.

  4. Things that grace a worldly church: They think there should be a large pipe
organ with a choir of worldly dressed singers and a minister dressed like the
world to give them a political speech, etc. But we should be different. We have
passed from death to life.

V. Things that Grace a Man's Life

   Strong convictions grace a saint of God. I couldn't ride a street car on
Sunday or buy gas, or go to a restaurant, write letters or send them on Sunday I
can't shave, blacken shoes, or go visiting just to visit on Sunday. I got a good
switching going swimming on Sunday. We couldn't send our milk out on Sunday.

  You should read the tract, 'Others May, You Cannot".

  Grace is more than the external; it is the power of God in the heart, and thus
adjusts the external. My mother said my sisters were letting their hair grow out
and lengthening their dresses, and God was working in a wonderful way. Grace on
the inside will bring the graces of the Spirit on the outside.

  When an individual weakens in their convictions and doesn't walk in the light
and obey God, they will go down just the same as a nation or church does.

  It is not enough for a man to just be a good moral man with everything nice
around him to enjoy. Without God, he has no more hope than the vilest sinner.
But, bless God, we who are redeemed have hope, and we glory in tribulations,
"knowing that tribulation worketh patience, patience experience, and experience
hope."


I hope you enjoyed this sermon.

Yours for Radical Holiness,

Richard D. Swift

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                                   February 2011

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher.


[Editor's Note- The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches
of Yale, Ball, Buel, Michigan Circuit (1929-1932); Elmer, Michigan; and
Glendale, Clifornia (1934-March'35).

[This is a serious sermon, a warning to those in the churches he was preaching
at. Readers, the same things that graced churches, homes, and Christians in 1929
(referring to last month's sermon) are the same things neccessary in the 21st
century. The same kind of holiness preached in 1929, is the same kind of
holiness neccessary in the 21st century and the same kind of holiness neccessary
to make it into heaven. We are living in much more modern days now than when my
grandfather preached this sermon. Unfortunately, the days are more wicked,
compromise with the world is more prominent, and the love of many has waxed even
colder. At the end of this sermon, I am inserting exerpts from Auntie Coon's
"Early Free Methodists" and B.T. Robert's "Pungent Truths"-"#140 Dress Should be
Plain".

[Readers, I'm not doing this out of mere enjoyment, although I do enjoy my
grandfather's sermons. I'm not doing this out of historical nostalgia or
curiosity, although there are things of historical value in these sermon notes,
written on the backs of old letters and advertisements, and dates and places
attached to each sermon. No, I'm doing this out of a passion! The Holy Spirit
has placed this burden on me to type, ever so slowly and clumsily, these hard to
read, hand written sermons out and send them to friends and relatives. If one
soul is changed by something stated in these, it will be eternally worth it
all!]


             If the Righteous Scarcely Be Saved

Text- IPeter 4:18 "If the Righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly
and the sinner appear?"

Now as Christ has suffered in the flesh, so will everyone that renounces sin and
forsakes the ways of sin. For those who live in sin are hailed by the world as a
good fellow. But, as soon as we renounce the ways of sin, as those mentioned in
verse 3 [lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries], we become a reproach to those who continue in sin, and
right then, the wicked will persecute as it says in verse 4. Some would even be
glad to put you to death or have you put to death if you forsake sin and
renounce it and become a rebuke to it in their lives. For instance, in the case
of John the Baptist, when he revealedHerod's sin to him. Herod had him bound and
put in prison and would have killed him, but he was afraid of the people. Why
was all this done? Because John revealed Herod's sin to him and told him it was
not lawful for him to have his brother Phillip's wife. And later, when on
Herod's birthday, the
  daughter of Herodias danced well, Herod promised her anything. Herodias
instructed her to ask for John's head, and Herod had John beheaded in prison,
just for the sake of a silly, good for nothing dancing girl. Oh say, that spirit
is in the hearts of men and women today. And if you uncover sin and carnality in
their lives, look out for your life! Yes, you will lose your friendship with
lots of professors [of holiness] if you uncover and reveal carnality in their
lives. Now, I don't say that you are compelled to bear this reproach and
suffering. You can be like a jelly-fish and never be a rebuke to sin, but you
cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ and not suffer persecution or not be evil
spoken of. Please bear that in mind. Even your presence will be a rebuke to sin,
and because you are clean and contend for holiness and freedom from sin, many
will speak evil of you (v.4).

But why should we fear what man may do to us? He can only destroy th body, but
rather fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Another
reason why we should be willing to suffer with Christ here is found in verse 7-
"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto
prayer." There is no time to waste in entering into the revellings of the
wicked. We must be diligent, working out our own salvation and winning others,
because the days are evil, and the end of all things is at hand.

Therefore, think it not strange if they call you a "flat tire" or "covered
wagon" or "horse and buggy" or "1492" or "you'll have to wear leggings now
because you go to the Free Methodist Church". No, you don't need think it
strange or feel bad, but get blessed and rejoice, and shout for joy, "inasmuch
as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings" -verse 13,14. Glory be to God! Peter
says, "Happy are ye." Praise God! "For the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth
upon you." "On their part, He is evil spoken of." They are not hurting you, but
it is the Christ and Spirit of God which they are speaking evil of. For, on your
part, God is glorified in you. He is exalted in your bearing reproach for Him.
Hallelujah!

Verse 15- "Now don't suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as
busybody in other men's matters." Just mind your own business and keep your nose
out of other people's business. Only have a backbone and glorify Jesus Christ in
your life. Hold up Christ where-ever you go and manifest His Spirit at home and
abroad and rebuke sin when it is neccessary, then you need not be ashamedif you
suffer, for God will get glory out of it. Praise His Holy Name!

Verse 16,17- "For the time has come that judgement must begin at the house of
God." There has so much sin of various description entered right into the pales
of the church, that the very judgements of God must begin right there. You don't
need to go outside the church to bear reproach for Jesus Christ today. Just
exalt Christ and specify and rebuke sin in the church, and I tell you, you are
going to be evil spoken of. (I might say right here, that is one reason so few
wanted to hear Brother Mudge is because he harped on the sins in our
congregation that were so manifest, and carnality don't [sic] like it. Isn't
that right? Who says Amen?) You rebuke the modern evils and sins that are
creeping into our midst today, and carnality is blind and can't see it. And the
carnal mind will hold you right up to disdain and reproach.

Some folks who want to dress like the world, the flesh, and the devil dictates,
will speak evil of you if you reveal their sin and show them they are on the way
to hell if they do such things, for God demands separation from the world in
dress as much as in anything else. He demands modesty, and I declare unto you,
no grown up woman is modest when she has her knees and chest and more on display
to the gaze of red blooded men, wicked or godly. A man has to have sanctified
eyes right here in the the Free Methodist Church these days.

It is the same thing with raising children. If you are conscientious in bringing
your children up in the fear of God and hold them to a strict line of dicipline,
there will be those who donot have divine love for their children but merely
human, and are spineless when it comes to disciplining their children, who will
speak evil of you and think you are too strict. Well, children should be taught
to respect their parents and others and not be impudent and impolite. Then they
should be taught to fear God, and respect His House, His Day, and the things of
God.

"Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." This is another thing that will
receive severe judgement of God, and that can be found right in our church. Many
of our own people will be severely condemned, and perhaps many eternally
condemned for not remembering God's Holy Day and keeping it sacred. But on His
Day, many of our people are seeking pleasure, going from the House of God and
religious services, visiting on His Day. Seeking gain on His Holy Day various
ways. Oh friends, will you be guiltless when judgement begins with you as a
church member? God says, "Judgement must begin at His House." Where are we going
to stand as our influence is spreading out to our neighbors and around the
world?

The old fathers and mothers used to testify to what God saved them from: dress,
Sabbath desecration, etc. But where are the mothers today who are testifying to
plainess of dress and modesty, and preaching the rules of the church, and
courtesy to their sons- against whistling jazz to the girls? Where is the father
who testifies to how God gave him light on selling milk and doing business, etc,
on Sunday?  Now, the carnal mind used to think they were throwing clubs and
would speak evil of them, but in a short time, received the light and walked in
it, and not obeyed merely the Rules of the Discipline but also of God. Where
anger used to rule their life, now it is not only controlled but cast out. With
the poet, "Anger I no more shall feel, always ever always still." Yes, in the
midst of trials and pressure, the old fathers and mothers of Israel kept sweet.
Well, pilgrims, if they they could, we can. Praise His Holy Name!

Now if these who are so careful and conscientious scarcely make it thru or can
scarcely obtain grace and courage to make it thru; not that God's grace isn't
full, and free, and sufficient, but the opposition is so great, and the cares of
this life and the decietfulness of riches are so powerful that even the godly
can scarcely find time to pray and live godly. Now if they who labor so
diligently to endure unto the end can scarcely be saved, where shall the
careless, indifferent, and easy going find entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven
and eternal life? The ungodly, backsliders in heart, and sinners will not be
able to stand before God at the judgement. they are the devil's property. He has
them.

Now, for instance in the words of the text- verse 18: Think of a godly man like
David ever failing God. It took all there was of him with all the grace he could
obtain to make him an overcomer and bring him back to God. He repented of his
evil and was restored to grace and was scarcely saved, you might say, for he had
failed God and presumed upon the grace of God, and might have been cut off and
eternally banished from the presence of God.

Think of Solomon. He was a man of God and recieved wisdom from God until no
wiser than Solomon ever lived. Yet, he made a fool of himself by having so many
wives. Three-hundred concubines and seven-hundred wives is about nine-hundred
and ninety nine too many wives for any man. Yet, he may have made it thru and
had the favor of God in his latter days.

Sampson was a man of God and had the favor of God being a child of promise.
Keeping the Nazarite vows, he had power with God. He slew a lion with his bare
hands and ate honey out of the carcass later. He slew 1000 Philistines with the
jaw bone of an ass and drank water from the jaw bone after the battle to quench
his thirst. But, he made a fool of himself by laying his his head in Delilah's
lap and telling her his secrets.

Now we see the folly and foolishness of David's sins and of Solomon's life and
of Sampson's, but where is the man among us today who's service to God was is as
great as David's, Solomon's, or Sampson's and others who were scarcely saved? I
hold these men in great reverence for waht they did and for repenting of their
evil ways in time to be saved.

An example of the righteous scarcely being saved is also found in the case of
Lot and his family. Noah got ready just in time.

Titus, a young brave Roman general besieged the City of Jerusalem with 60,000
trained warriors in April of A.D.70. But the righteous escaped safely from the
city as the Roman army was delayed by an Unseen Power. The righteous, being
forewarned of God, escaped for their lives, while the wicked remained and were
punished. For three and a half years, the siege continued until famine weakened
the city and it was taken by Titus. One lady of rank, when starving, took her
infant child and cooked it for food. Moses' prophecy in Deuteronomy 27:57,
uttered 1500 years before, was fulfilled to the letter. Micah 3:12- "Not one
stone shall be left upon another." Thirty eight years after they crucified
Christ, their house was left desolate in ruins.

Now, have you that righteousness which Christ imparts, which will give you
passport to glory? "Except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the
Scribes and Pharisees" and rich young ruler who ran to Jesus, "you shall in no
case enter the Kingdom of Heaven." you will perish with the ungodly.



[Excerpts- "When we came out there was not one of us who indulged in light and
trifling conversation, joking or jesting, tale-bearing or back-biting, now so
common among us. Bias pieces and ruffles, with the fashionable cut of the
garment were laid aside, not even a bow found on a hat or bonnet.
Holiness unto the Lord might truthfully have been written upon all we
possessed...
O, ministers of the entire connection, I beseech you by the mercies of God
that ye AGAIN present your bodies ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God. For Christ’s sake and for the sake of the people to whom you
minister, instead of some of you, looking at the boy preachers whom God
has anointed, and sitting as critics upon them, get down yourselves,
consecrate clear down through, back to the anointing you once had, until it
can be truly said their ministers are a flame of fire. You can have it, none of
you are too sick. There are among you, could God get you in His
hands, Wesleys, Whitefields, and Redfields, but the path they took is the
one you must take, martyrs if need be for the truth’s sake."
- By Auntie Coon- "Early Free Methodists" (I have the entire tract which was
found in my grandfather's sermon notes)

"If you consecrate yourself to the Lord to dress plain, as he commands,
then carry it out in all particulars. Do not let the costliness of the material
of your dress be a compensation to your pride for the plainness of the style in
which it is made. Do not pay more for one piece of cloth, because it looks
better, than you would have to for another that would be equally serviceable. Be
consistent throughout. If you do not put on gold or pearls, then do not put on
any imitation of gold or pearls. Not only avoid evil, but avoid the appearance
of evil. If you lay aside your necktie, do not button your collar with a large
brass button that looks like gold. If you have abandoned cigars, do not put a
dude smoking-cap on your head. If a young lady can not wear a feather on her
hat, then she should not bunch up a quantity of ribbon to take its place. If you
have renounced the devil, then renounce the devil’s substitutes. If you are a
child of God, then dress like a child of God. Formerly hypocrites were described
as those who
  “steal the livery of Heaven to serve the devil in.” Now the order is
reversed, and professed saints steal the livery of the devil to serve God in. Do
neither. Stand out in your true colors, an humble saint of God, clothed with
humility, perfectly transparent, a living epistle known and read of all men."-
From B.T. Robert's "Pungent Truths, Dress Should be Plain" (I have the book)

I gleaned these two exerpts from "Preserving the Past, the DNA of the FMC" by
Gerald W. Coates]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                                     March 2011


An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of Yale, Ball,
Buel, Michigan Circuit; Caro, Michigan; Olive Branch Mission, Louisiana; W.
Hollywood, California; and Pomona, California.

The long form of this sermon is lost. The bare outline of it has page "1"
written on it. Page "2" is from a different sermon, with the text IICor 5:17
titled, "New Creatures in Christ Jesus". Page "3" of the sermon is from an
outline of Matt. 5:13 titled "Salt of the Earth". Page "4" is on a Gospel tract
entitled, "What Sin is Destroying Your Soul?" It can be assumed, based on the
fact that pages 1 and 3 are wrtten on the backs of Y.P.M.S. Youth Camp So.
Calif. Conference of the Free Methodist Church, that my grandfather wrote the
bare outline of the long form for preaching in the Pomona, California FMC. The
long form, outlined as page "1", must have been preached in the earlier churches
and subsequently lost. Anyway, it's common practice for preachers to include
parts of other sermons into one sermon.


                           Sowing and Reaping

Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap."  This is proven!

1. God's truth is immortal.
2. Nothing happens by chance. Caused by a force for good or evil. The whole
universe is governed by God's law and not by chance. We know the kinds of seeds
we plant will produce like fruit in the material and spiritual world.  Sow corn
and reap corn. Sow to the flesh and we shall of the flesh reap corruption.

The illustrious Earl of Beaconfield, reached the pinnacle of renown and in three
years said, "Youth is mistaken, manhood is a struggle, old age is regret." Not
so for a Christian. Lord Byron: "My days are in the yellow leaf".
But he that soweth to the Spirit reaps life everlasting. Example Paul: "I have
fought a good fight."

IICor. 5:17 "New creatures in Christ Jesus."
1. Simple- we must be born to enjoy life.
2. So in new birth, Old things pass away: New hopes, new joys, new friends, new
new books, new papers, new homes, new habits, new convictions.
3. a. Some babes are born alright but soon die for various reasons.
    b. Same with babes in the spirit. If satan can get them out of divine order,
he knows they will soon die spiritually.

Ways to get of divine order:
1. If called to labor for God, doing secular work instead.
2. Getting too deeply in debt for various reasons.
3. Not taking hold and pushing God's Word.

Results:
1.Vacillating experience.
2.Non successful in business

Some examples:
1. Lot, 2. Balaam, 3. Sampson.
Ther new year comes on with new times- weather, etc. So we change quickly when
born of the Spirit.
Too many proffessors living on past experiences as the Israelites on old manna.
Must keep our experience new! Must press forward with pure motive: not for
praise of man, but of God.

Matthew 5:13- "Salt of the earth"

Food is tasteless without salt. Typical of Christian influence. Christian
influence is made up of small acts. Influence for good or bad is small at the
beginning, but grows into great things. It endures forever!

How can we preserve a good influence?
1. Avoid questionable conduct.
2. Be true to your word.
3. Live as you testify.
4. Say and do nothing evil.
5. Avoid the appearance of evil.

What sin is destroying your soul?

Is it Idolotry? God said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." He who
loves aught else more than God is being ruined by this sin.

Is it Profanity? It is written, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain, for God will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain."
This sin is a fatal fire. It has destroyed millions.

Is it Sabbath-Breaking? "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy", echoes from
our Maker, and he who desecrates this law must reap a fearful harvest.

Is it Disobedeince to Parents? God commands, "Honor thy father and thy mother
that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy Hod giveth thee." The
violation of this command is a like eating fatal poison.

Is it Murder? "Thou shalt not kill" is the divine requirement. To disregard it
in word or deed is to leap into a fatal fire.

Is it Adultery? God forbids it. It is afascinating yet fatal opiate, and he who
takes it destroys his own soul.

Is it Dishonesty? God says, "Thou shalt not steal." He who cheats another
commits this crime, and thus welcomes the halter which satan places around his
neck.

Is it Lying? "Thou shalt not bear false witness, for "all liars shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire."

Is it Covetiousness? This is greediness of gain, and like all other sins, wrecks
the soul. "Thou shalt not covet."

Is it secret Sin? It saps the life out of the soul like a deadly worm a
beautiful tree. God shall bring every secret thing to light.

Is it Drinking? "No drunkard can inherit the kingdom of heaven."

Is it Lust? All who do lustful deeds or harbor lustful thoughts must be born
again or forever perish.

Is it Self-righteousness? Jesus teaches that he who seeks to enter heaven some
other way than that of the cross is a thief and a robber.

Is it Love of Pleasure? "Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" are warned
of a fearful doom.

Is it Unbelief? He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him."

Have you accepted God's Remedy? If not you should do so without delay.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:7Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6,7

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap.8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Galatians 6:7,8

[Reader, how is it with your soul? If you have not recieved Christ, why not do
so right now?]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                                     March 2011


An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of Yale, Ball,
Buel, Michigan Circuit; Caro, Michigan; Olive Branch Mission, Louisiana; W.
Hollywood, California; and Pomona, California.

The long form of this sermon is lost. The bare outline of it has page "1"
written on it. Page "2" is from a different sermon, with the text IICor 5:17
titled, "New Creatures in Christ Jesus". Page "3" of the sermon is from an
outline of Matt. 5:13 titled "Salt of the Earth". Page "4" is on a Gospel tract
entitled, "What Sin is Destroying Your Soul?" It can be assumed, based on the
fact that pages 1 and 3 are wrtten on the backs of Y.P.M.S. Youth Camp So.
Calif. Conference of the Free Methodist Church, that my grandfather wrote the
bare outline of the long form for preaching in the Pomona, California FMC. The
long form, outlined as page "1", must have been preached in the earlier churches
and subsequently lost. Anyway, it's common practice for preachers to include
parts of other sermons into one sermon.


                           Sowing and Reaping

Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap."  This is proven!

1. God's truth is immortal.
2. Nothing happens by chance. Caused by a force for good or evil. The whole
universe is governed by God's law and not by chance. We know the kinds of seeds
we plant will produce like fruit in the material and spiritual world.  Sow corn
and reap corn. Sow to the flesh and we shall of the flesh reap corruption.

The illustrious Earl of Beaconfield, reached the pinnacle of renown and in three
years said, "Youth is mistaken, manhood is a struggle, old age is regret." Not
so for a Christian. Lord Byron: "My days are in the yellow leaf".
But he that soweth to the Spirit reaps life everlasting. Example Paul: "I have
fought a good fight."

IICor. 5:17 "New creatures in Christ Jesus."
1. Simple- we must be born to enjoy life.
2. So in new birth, Old things pass away: New hopes, new joys, new friends, new
new books, new papers, new homes, new habits, new convictions.
3. a. Some babes are born alright but soon die for various reasons.
    b. Same with babes in the spirit. If satan can get them out of divine order,
he knows they will soon die spiritually.

Ways to get of divine order:
1. If called to labor for God, doing secular work instead.
2. Getting too deeply in debt for various reasons.
3. Not taking hold and pushing God's Word.

Results:
1.Vacillating experience.
2.Non successful in business

Some examples:
1. Lot, 2. Balaam, 3. Sampson.
Ther new year comes on with new times- weather, etc. So we change quickly when
born of the Spirit.
Too many proffessors living on past experiences as the Israelites on old manna.
Must keep our experience new! Must press forward with pure motive: not for
praise of man, but of God.

Matthew 5:13- "Salt of the earth"

Food is tasteless without salt. Typical of Christian influence. Christian
influence is made up of small acts. Influence for good or bad is small at the
beginning, but grows into great things. It endures forever!

How can we preserve a good influence?
1. Avoid questionable conduct.
2. Be true to your word.
3. Live as you testify.
4. Say and do nothing evil.
5. Avoid the appearance of evil.

What sin is destroying your soul?

Is it Idolotry? God said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." He who
loves aught else more than God is being ruined by this sin.

Is it Profanity? It is written, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain, for God will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain."
This sin is a fatal fire. It has destroyed millions.

Is it Sabbath-Breaking? "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy", echoes from
our Maker, and he who desecrates this law must reap a fearful harvest.

Is it Disobedeince to Parents? God commands, "Honor thy father and thy mother
that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy Hod giveth thee." The
violation of this command is a like eating fatal poison.

Is it Murder? "Thou shalt not kill" is the divine requirement. To disregard it
in word or deed is to leap into a fatal fire.

Is it Adultery? God forbids it. It is afascinating yet fatal opiate, and he who
takes it destroys his own soul.

Is it Dishonesty? God says, "Thou shalt not steal." He who cheats another
commits this crime, and thus welcomes the halter which satan places around his
neck.

Is it Lying? "Thou shalt not bear false witness, for "all liars shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire."

Is it Covetiousness? This is greediness of gain, and like all other sins, wrecks
the soul. "Thou shalt not covet."

Is it secret Sin? It saps the life out of the soul like a deadly worm a
beautiful tree. God shall bring every secret thing to light.

Is it Drinking? "No drunkard can inherit the kingdom of heaven."

Is it Lust? All who do lustful deeds or harbor lustful thoughts must be born
again or forever perish.

Is it Self-righteousness? Jesus teaches that he who seeks to enter heaven some
other way than that of the cross is a thief and a robber.

Is it Love of Pleasure? "Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" are warned
of a fearful doom.

Is it Unbelief? He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him."

Have you accepted God's Remedy? If not you should do so without delay.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:7Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6,7

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap.8For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Galatians 6:7,8

[Reader, how is it with your soul? If you have not recieved Christ, why not do
so right now?]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                         April 2011

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

[Editor's note: This sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of
W.Hollywood, CA (Dec.6,1936), Pomona, CA (Dec.8,1946), and MiraLoma, CA
(Dec.1949) This sermon is based on "Why I Believe the Bible" by David James
Burrell, DD,LL.D (1844-1925). The Roman numeral points are the chapter headings
in that book. The title of the book is not mentioned in the sermon. Appearing at
the top of the first page of this sermon, there is written, "Forward! The Story
of the Conversion of David James Burrell". The only other clue that this sermon
came from a book is the beginning sentence under the VIth point. So I had to do
some research and finally found out the title of the book. Burrell was president
of the Anti-Saloon League of New York state. He was also President of the Lord's
Day Alliance for many years. He pastored the  Marble Collegiate Church, New York
and contributed to "The Fundamentals, A Testimony to the Truth" edited by
R.A.Torrey. Because of the
  sermon's length (21 points), I've elected to divide it into three parts, one
per month.]


              The Bible: Inspiration and Power

II Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of
the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Romans 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope.

IITimothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works.

I. The Antecedent Presumption

If the Bible contained both truth and falsehood, I as an honest man could not
believe it. It is not however, true in just spots, but is true and trustworthy
from beginning to end.

The presumption: "If there is a God anywhere in the universe, and if that God is
our Father, He would certainly not leave us in doubt as to the great problems in
which are unsolved the issues of eternal life." Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

II. The Claims of the Bible Verified

A. 1. It claims to be inspired. IITimothy 3:16
    2. In a definite and singular way IIPeter 1:21
    3. This claim made for all Scripture IITimothy 3:16. However, not all 
Scripture is for the same purpose. IITimothy 3:17

B. Is the claim of the Bible verified? If tested as in a court of justice, we
must have a fair minded jury that is unprejudiced. Jesus said in John 7:17 "If
any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God,
or whether I speak of myself."  If any man is not willing to know the truth, "if
he be convinced against his will is of the same opinion still."
The only way to prove the Bible is to live it.

III. The unaccountable Unity

The Bible contains a volume off sixty-six books, on many themes, by some forty
plus writers of various tongues and nationalities, writing at intervals over a
period of sixteen hundred years, on all degrees of moral and social life. Yet,
these sixty-six books form a harmonious and consistent whole, yielding one
system of doctrine, one code of ethics, and one rule of faith and for all
mankind.

There are two volumes of books in the Bible, the Old and the New Testaments. The
harmony and perfect accord runs through both. Augustine said, "The New Testament
is enfolded in the Old, and the Old Testament is unfolded in the New." Both
volumes are comprehended in John 3:16. The trail of atoning blood is traced from
the gateway of Paradise so that "The seed of the woman could bruise satan's
head."

There were four hundred years of great darkness [between the Testaments], when
behold the Bethlehem star shines, and the angels sing, "Glory to God in the
highest, and peace on earth, goodwill to men!" The Old Testament was
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. The Old Testament patriarchs looked forward
to Christ as we look back. We must have a knowledge of the Old to comprehend the
New. There is but one God, and He has given us but one book, the Bible. The
Bible alone points the Divine Plan of Salvation.

IV. Its Completeness

It was written to abide full and complete, supplying the human race with all
moral and spiritual needs from the beginning to the end of time. The "Scripture
is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, reproof,
correction, and instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be
thoroughly [or completely] furnished unto every good work."

V. Its Sufficiency

The Bible supplies all moral and spiritual light to lead all classes of men to
repentance. See Isaiah 53:11. It meets every requirement. The Parable of Dives
and Lazarus pictures the choices of men and the results of choices. The Word of
God is true. "The soul that sinneth shall die."

VI. Its Literary Value

This chapter is explained by another of the Lord's parables, viz. the
Householder and his Treasury found in Matthew 13:52. This represents an oriental
home at eventide with the host showing his wealth, old and new to his guest.
Just so with one who knows God's Word. He is to bring forth the wealth of the
Scriptures(Old & New) to impress his guests. the commission is to all, "Search
the Scriptures". Many biblical scholars of the centuries give glowing tribute to
the literary value of the Bible.

"A glory gilds the Sacred page,
Majestic as the sun:
It gives a light to every age,
It gives but borrows none.
The Hand that gave it still supplies
the gracious light and heat:
Its truths upon the nations rise,
They rise but never set."

The Bible simply as a literary work:

1. Its poetry. Solomon, etc. "Glory to God in the highest", etc.

2. Eloquence: Judah pleading with his brother in the Egyptian court for their
brother, Benjamin. Aaron's plea to Pharoah, "Thus saith the Lord, Let my People
go!" John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, "Repent ye, repent ye, for the
Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Peter at pentecost, Paul on Mars Hill, but
Supreme over all, "Jesus spake as one having authority."

3. Historical wealth: Here we have the only authentic record of the beginning of
time, "In the beginning, God..."

4. Scientific prepositions. It teaches botany, biology, astronomy, geology,
zoology, and other departments of science.

5. The ethics of scripture. It is the universal standard of morals. Here is the
source of all civil, social peace, and order. Outstanding examples are Enoch,
Abraham, David, Elijah, Ruth, the three Marys, Paul, Sons of thunder, all who
are saved from sin. Again, Jesus outshines them all.

6. The Bible storehouse yields a wealth of doctrine. It teaches our origin and
our destiny, the fact there is a God, heaven, hell, and final judgement. In all
these fields, the bible yields a wealth no other book can yield. Jesus is the
hidden Treasure of the Word of God. The Bible is the best selling Book!

VII. Its Up to Dateness

The Bible is the oldest book in the world, yet it is the most up-to-date. The
Bible is so constructed by Divine wisdom as to meet with approval by the
progress of the ages.

1- The Bible is a book of science abreast with the age. "In the beginning, God
created the heavens and the earth." Scientific propositions of Scripture have
been greatly criticized but still remain as proven facts.

2- The Bible is a book of history. The unearthing of the scriptural accounts of
the exodus, of writing before Moses time, the Hitttites, etc.

3- The Bible as a master-piece of literature. The once most popular books become
almost forgotten, but the Bible still lives and is the best-seller of the world.
Many are prejudiced against the Bible who donot know for themselves at all what
it contains.

4- The Bible as a reigious book- the secret to opposition of the Bible is found
in the key words, "The carnal mind is enmity against God." There has nothing
ever been found to blot out the sinful past but the blood of Jesus. John 3:16.
The Bible has come to stay. "The Word of God abideth forever."

Part 2 next month,
For Radical but sweet Bible Holiness,
Richard D. Swift

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                         May 2011

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

[Editor's note: This sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of
W.Hollywood, CA (Dec.6,1936), Pomona, CA (Dec.8,1946), and MiraLoma, CA
(Dec.1949) This sermon is based on "Why I Believe the Bible" by David James
Burrell, DD,LL.D (1844-1925). The Roman numeral points are the chapter headings
in that book. The title of the book is not mentioned in the sermon. Appearing at
the top of the first page of this sermon, there is written, "Forward! The Story
of the Conversion of David James Burrell". The only other clue that this sermon
came from a book is the beginning sentence under the VIth point. So I had to do
some research and finally found out the title of the book. Burrell was president
of the Anti-Saloon League of New York state. He was also President of the Lord's
Day Alliance for many years. He pastored the  Marble Collegiate Church, New York
and contributed to "The Fundamentals, A Testimony to the Truth" edited by
R.A.Torrey. Because of the
  sermon's length (21 points), I've elected to divide it into three parts, one
per month. This is part II]


              The Bible: Inspiration and Power Part II

VIII. Its Tone of Authority

THERE are three lines of evidence in favour of Christianity; namely, oral
testimony, Scripture and personal experience. These when combined are conclusive
and irrefutable. "A three fold cord is not easily broken."
First: As to Oral Testimony.
Peter says, "We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of
his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, 'This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased!' And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we
were with him in the holy mount."
The Apostle was here speaking to those who had not seen Jesus in the flesh. He
himself had heard his sermons, seen his miracles, witnessed his wonderful life.
In particular, he had been with him in the Mount of Transfiguration, had seen
his homespun garments flutter aside for a moment revealing the royal purple, and
had heard the Voice saying, "This is my beloved Son!" All this was no dream, no
fable, no hallucination; he had seen and heard it. And there were others who, as
eyewitnesses, were prepared to testify in like manner as to the divine character
and mission of Christ. This sort of testimony is still offered to sustain the
Gospel claim. But you say, " This is mere hearsay." We answer:
1I) Such hearsay has valid weight as evidence. In fact we are all the while
accepting evidence of this sort without a murmur. How do we know that light
travels at the rate of 186,000 miles a second? Only because certain persons,
after investigation, have said so. How do we know that melancholy remnants of
the British and German fleets are lying at the bottom of the North Sea? Men who
were present have told us so. How do we know that Croton water is fit to drink?
We rest on the assurance of scientists who have analyzed it. I suppose that
ninety-nine per cent. of our knowledge comes by hearsay. We receive the
testimony of eye-witnesses, as a matter of course, unless there is some definite
reason for rejecting it.
(2) Such evidence, in favour of Christianity, has a cumulative value for us. In
Peter's time there were only a few witnesses who could say, "That which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands
have handled of the word of life, declare we unto you." We, on the contrary,
have the testimony of a great multitude which no man can number. For the little
procession of eleven men who originally came down the outer stairway from an
upper room in Jerusalem has increased along the centuries from hundreds to
thousands, from thousands to hundreds of millions. They have passed by the light
of fagot-fires and under the shadow of dungeons and gallows-trees, declaring the
testimony of Jesus and singing his praise in hosannas that blend like a chorus
of many waters and mighty thunderings issuing from the heavenly gates. Hundreds
of millions of Christians living to-day are prepared to testify as to their
personal experience
  in the truth of the Scriptures. They certify with one accord, "We were sinners,
troubled with a certain fearful looking-for of judgment. We came to the written
Word for knowledge as to the Incarnate Word; and finding Christ we have found
salvation through faith in him. Thus the peace that passeth all understanding
has come into our hearts. We have not followed cunningly devised fables. We
speak from experience. We know whom we have believed and are persuaded that he
is able to keep that which we have committed to him until that day."
It is submitted that so great a body of testimony is of overwhelming weight. To
a reasonable man it must be quite conclusive, unless some definite rebuttal is
forthcoming. Certainly no court of justice would reject it.

The Second line of evidence is Scripture itself.
Of this Peter goes on to say, " We have also a more sure word of prophecy (i.e.
more sure than hearsay), whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light
that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the daystar arise in your
hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private
interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
The fact that Scripture is "more sure" than oral testimony is thus clearly based
upon its ultimate authority as the inspired and veritable Word of God.
It is obvious that there must be somewhere a final criterion of truth. There are
standards of weight and measure at Washington for the testing of every pound and
yardstick in our country. It cannot be supposed that the Heavenly Father would
set his children adrift without a trustworthy chart for their direction. This is
the rationale of the Scriptures. They were intended to be an ultimate and
infallible rule of faith and conduct. -And they are so received, despite all
controversy, by the Universal Church. The man who rejects them is bound, in
justice to himself, to discover some other court of final authority, where he
may seek, amid the noise of conflicting voices, a confirmation of spiritual
things.
The apostle justifies his confidence in the Scriptures by adding that they "came
not by the will of man; but through holy men who spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost." If this means anything, it means that the men who wrote the
Scriptures did not sit down of themselves, with stylus and parchment, saying, "I
will write an account of the Creation," or, "I will write the history of
Israel," or, " I will write a prediction of the Messiah," or, "I will write
doctrine and ethics;" but they proceeded to their work and performed it under
the immediate direction and control of the Spirit of God. The figure is that of
a vessel under sail. They were "moved" by the divine Breath as a ship is borne
onward by the wind filling its canvas. In other words they wrote what they were
directed to write by the Spirit of God.
Still further, the apostle says that the Scriptures so written are not " of any
private interpretation." The word here rendered " private" is idia, literally
"one's own." This means that no man is his own interpreter. When we speak of
"the right of private judgment" with reference to Scriptures, we mean to exclude
all human interposition between the soul and God; but alas for one who
approaches Revelation in the dim light of his own unaided reason. The finite
cannot grasp the infinite. "Spiritual things are spiritually discerned." God,
who gave the Scriptures, must help us to understand them. Wherefore the Holy
Ghost, by whom the sacred page is illuminated, is represented as "anointing our
eyes with eyesalve" that we may wisely read it.
The chancellor of Queen Candace, riding in his chariot, with the sacred scroll
of the prophet Isaiah before him, knit his brows in perplexity as he read the
Messianic prediction, "He is led as a sheep to the slaughter; and, like a lamb
dumb before his shearers, so he openeth not his mouth." Philip, the evangelist,
walking alongside and hearing him, asked, "Understandest thou what thou
readest?" He answered, "How can I, except some man shall guide me?" He was then
guided by the Spirit; and straightway the truth flashed upon him.

The Third line of evidence is also named by Peter; to wit, Personal Experience.
We are like wanderers in the night; voices are heard about us, saying, "This is
the way, walk ye in it;" better still, the Bible is given us as a lantern
"shining in a dark place;" but, when yonder we see the light of the morning, our
perplexity is over. Thus personal experience adds final confirmation to oral
testimony and Scripture. Peter says we do well to listen to the word of
eye-witnesses and to give heed to the lamp-light of prophecy "until the day dawn
and the day star arise in our hearts."

A woman once came running into the city of Samaria, saying, "I went out to
Jacob's well to draw water; and a wayfarer met me who spake as never man spake
of spiritual things; he told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the
Messiah for whom we have been looking? Come and see!" Her friends and neighbours
followed her back to the well and heard him. They besought him to be their guest
and he abode with them two days; and many believed because of his word. Then
they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying; for we have
heard him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the
world." Thus in the last reduction a man is savingly convinced only by personal
experience; when he can say, "I have met Christ, have made his acquaintance,
have reasoned with him by the way, and have learned to reverence and love him."

It is evident, however, that the final reference with respect to spiritual truth
is to the Bible itself. Hearsay is not infallible; personal experience is
confined to the purview of a single soul; but the Scriptures are the Court of
Final Appeal because they speak with the authority of a supreme and omniscient
God.

It might be supposed that a book like this, dealing with spiritual truths all of
which lie beyond the bailiwick of the physical senses, would speak with some
measure of reserve or uncertainty; but there are no ifs or perhapses or
peradventures here. How could a divine book speak that way? We want no guesses
about life and immortality. We must know. We want authority; and there can be no
final authority with respect to such problems except that of a divine ipse
dixit. Wherefore the Book says always, "Yea and Amen," and " Thus saith the
Lord," and, "Verily, verily, I say unto you."

Put an "if" into the Decalogue and you lay a charge of dynamite under the
morality of men and nations. Put an " if " under the manger at Bethlehem, and
you destroy the happiness of a million homes. Put an "if" under Calvary, and you
make us Christians of all men most miserable. Put an "if" under the empty
sepulchre in Joseph's garden, and straightway our visions of life and
immortality vanish into thin air. But blessed be God, there are no ifs in the
Bible. It gives no uncertain sound. It speaks as becomes the Oracles of God.

IX. It Trustworthiness

The marvel is not that there are variations and discrepancies here, but that
they are so trivial and insignificant. They are indeed of such a character as to
convince any candid mind that they had no place in the original autograph but
have crept into the text in the process of transmission along the ages.

Singular to relate, there is none that affects in the slightest degree the
integrity of the doctrine and ethics of the Book. If the destructive critics are
taken at their word the Bible is full of frightful errors; its prophecies have
failed, its history is unhistorical, its science is unscientific and its
chronicles are myths. It need scarcely be said that, so far from being a true
statement of the case, not a single error has yet been indicated which cannot be
most reasonably explained as either purely imaginary or unimportant. But here is
a marvellous thing: these enemies of Scripture are themselves insistent with one
consent, that the errors in the Bible which they so loudly exploit, do not in
any degree impair the integrity of its doctrinal system and ethical code!

These things being so, we are warranted in concluding that the inspired Book has
in some manner been singularly safeguarded in its transmission along the
centuries. The same gracious God who protected his secretaries—those " holy
men who wrote as they were moved by his Spirit"—from all possibility of error
in the original autograph, has apparently by a special Providence so protected
the flying scroll in its journey down to us, that transcribers and translators
have left an "infallible rule of faith and practice" in the versions now current
among men.

If it be urged again that we are not practically concerned with the original
autograph, inasmuch as no living man has ever seen it; we observe that a like
objection could be offered against Christ himself with equal force on precisely
the same grounds. The objection proves either too little or too much. No living
man has ever seen the Incarnate Word of God. He lived only thirty-three years in
this world of ours and then vanished from sight. The only knowledge that we have
of him, apart from the Scriptures, is through his followers; for every Christian
is, so to speak, a current version of the Incarnate Word. Christ, like the
Bible, has suffered by transcription through the ages.

X. Its Influence on Personal Life

THE ultimate test of life and character was aptly set forth by our Lord and
Saviour in the words, "Ye shall know them by their fruits." And the question
which followed was one that appealed to the common-sense of all, "Do men gather
grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Certainly not. If a man wants a cluster of grapes he will go to a vineyard for
it and not to a thicket of thorns. Or if he is searching for figs he will go not
to Scotland, "the land of the thistle," but to Arabia, the garden of figs.

Why so? Because like produces like. This is one of Nature's laws. "And God said,
Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed and the fruit tree
yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself; and it was so."

Would you know the Bible, now? Test it under the same law of fruitage.

It proposes to save men from the penalty and power of sin. Of all the religions
of the world this is the only one that suggests the possibility of blotting out
a mislived past and so removing the handicap of hope and aspiration.

It proposes also to sanctify the forgiven sinner or, in other words, to build up
his character in truth and righteousness. And this it does by placing him under
the transforming power of the Spirit of God.

Thus the Bible develops character. Who shall explain the subtle metaphysical
force in this Book which somehow gets hold of the lingering possibilities in the
soul of a reprobate and transforms him, changes his heart and conscience and
will, so making a new man of him?

XI. Its Influence on National Life

As for England it was publicly affirmed by Queen Victoria that the Bible was
"the secret of its greatness."

As for Germany, at the close of the Franco-Prussian War it was declared by Pere
Hyacinthe to his people that the reason for their calamitous defeat lay in the
fact that they were irreligious, while every German soldier had a Bible in his
knapsack.

As for America, its whole constitutional fabric is permeated with the teachings
of the divine Word.

Of the other nations now most rapidly coming to the front Japan stands foremost.
A dozen years ago a Japanese student asked to be enrolled as a member of the
church to which I minister. His name is still upon its roster. At the conclusion
of his post-graduate course at Columbia University he received the degree of
Doctor of Laws. On the eve of his departure to his native country he left with
me his Japanese Bible as a token of friendship. I said to him, "Are you going
back to advocate the teachings of that Book?" His answer was: " I love my
country. We want your light, your freedom, your constitutional rights."

The first of these principles is the Rights of Man, as formulated in the word
"equality,"

The second of the great ideas which underlie our Republic is the Sanctity of
Law, as formulated in the word, "government," which is the antithesis of
personal independence.

The basis of social order is the just recognition by every man of the rights of
his fellow-men. One who dwells alone in the desert may do as he pleases; but if
another join him his personal freedom is so far forth abridged as that he is now
free only to do that which does not trespass on the freedom of the other man. As
still others arrive there comes to be a compact; that social compact is
government, whose basis is law.

The third of our great national propositions is the Voluntary Principle in
Religion: which is formulated in the word " non-conformity," the antithesis of
which is the uniformity of a political church.

The fourth of the great Scriptural ideas is one which has not yet found its
realization in our Republic; that is the duty of Communication, as it is
written, "To do good and to communicate, forget not." This finds its best
expression in universal evangelization, which is the antithesis of war.

XII ITS PLACE IN THE FOREFRONT OF EVENTS

Modern progress was struck by 1 Wiclif, A.d. 1380. In the Museum at Prague there
is a symbolical picture of the Reformation as a fagot-fire to which Wiclif is
applying the torch. His watchword was, "Let us get back to the Bible!" The
search-warrant which Christ himself placed in the hands of the people when He
said, "Search the Scriptures," had been snatched away and appropriated by the
Pope and hierarchy. So far as the people were concerned the Bible had long been
a closed book, kept in cloisters or chained to the highaltars of cathedrals.
When given to the multitudes it was recited in an unknown tongue. Wiclif said,
"I will translate the Scriptures into the vernacular; so that every ploughboy
may read them as he toils among the furrows." His Bible on being published was
immediately placed in the Index Expurgatorius. He himself was persecuted to the
death and after; for by order of the Council of Constance his bones were burned
and their ashes cast upon
  the river which carried them to the sea. But the keynote of Protestantism had
been struck: "A true Bible and an open one!"

In that same picture of the bonfire at Prague there is another man blowing the
flame. This is Luther, who nailed the ninety-five theses of Protestantism to the
chapel door at Wittenberg, A.d. 1517. While still in monastic orders he had
happened upon a volume of the Scriptures. He knew them only as a forbidden book.
He read it furtively until he came to the place where it is written; " There is
none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Meanwhile he had grown lean and haggard. The friars saluted him, " Good
appetite, brother Martin "; but the refectory had no charms for him. He returned
again and again to the forbidden book. Presently he read, " By the deeds of the
law shall no flesh be justified." The peril of his spiritual state overwhelmed
him. At length he came upon the words, "What the law could not do, in that it
was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and for sin condemned
  sin in the flesh." Then the light began to break!

(1) Let us affirm at the outset that the Bible stands foremost in maintaining
the sanctions of domestic life.

(2) The Bible leads the way, also, in the betterment of social life. It stands
for law and order and all the conditions that make a community a desirable place
to live in.

(3) Furthermore the Bible is at the forefront of our industrial life.

(4) Further still the Bible, as we have already seen, is at the forefront of the
world's national life.  Our country is a Christian country. It was founded, we
repeat, on the principles laid down in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on
the Mount; and it has developed along the lines marked out in the divine Book of
the Law. In the year 1777 a strange thing happened. The Revolutionary War had
arrested the output of the printing presses, and the result was a famine of the
Word. Congress was petitioned to relieve the situation; and what did Congress
do? It authorized the importation of twenty thousand Bibles from Holland to be
distributed among the people! Would Congress go so far in these days? I fear
not. But this is what our forefathers thought of the Book of the Law.

(5) Finally, the Bible leads the march in international affairs. And now you are
pointing across the sea and saying, " Behold the war of Christian nations! Is
this the best that an open Bible can show for itself?" The point is well taken.
But Christian nations are no more perfect than Christian men. The inconsistency
would be unnoted were it not for the universal conviction that the prevailing
war is not the outcome of loyalty to the Scriptures but in violation of them.

XIII IT IS CHRIST'S BOOK
THE storm-centres of religious history are Christ        and the Bible.       
As to this Jesus which is called the Christ, who is he? Is he what he claimed to
be, the only- begotten Son of the Father, or a trickster and dis- sembler? This
is the Chateau Hougomont around which the Waterloo of the centuries has been
waged; for it is understood on all hands that if Christ could be disposed of the
fabric of Christianity would vanish into thin air. And when the controversy has
not been about Christ it has centred in the Bible. What is this old Book? Is It
what it claims to be, "God-breathed," or is its distinction due only to certain
venerable associations? Are there any clear characteristics which lift it out of
the category of other books? Can it be received with confidence as an
"infallible rule of faith and practice "; or are those who so regard it merely a
sort of fetich-worshippers? Is it the Truth, or does it only contain truth, that
is, more or less
  of it? What think ye? It is significant that both Christ and the Bible are
characterized as "the Word of God." How indeed could God reveal himself to men
otherwise than by his Word? He is seen in nature but not clearly. It would be
difficult for a man to look so far " through nature up to nature's God " as to
be able to say " Abba, Father!" He would be much more likely, standing amid the
bewildering glories of the earth and overarching heavens, to cry aloud in
desperate desire, " O God, if thou art or wheresoever thou art, speak to me!"

Let us now observe what the Bible has to say about Christ: and afterward what
Christ has to say about the Bible. It will thus appear how they stand together
as complementary each to the other.

To begin with, the Book is something more than a mere biography of Christ. To
say that its purpose is exclusively to outline the scheme of salvation, in its
narrow sense, may furnish a taking phrase but not a complete statement of fact.
There are many things in Scripture which have no direct bearing on the way to
escape from the penalty and power of sin. And whatever the Book contains,
whether theological, ethical or scientific, is absolutely true. Thus it is
written, "All Scripture, given by inspiration of God, is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work," i.e.,
that he may have a well-rounded and symmetrical equipment for life every way.

What now, on the other hand, was the attitude of Christ toward the Bible?

To begin with, he was familiar with it. He learned it memoriter in his boyhood;
and ever after made it his " infallible rule of faith and practice." In each of
His three temptations in the wilderness He used it as effective foil against the
adversary. When urged to change stones into bread to satisfy his hunger he
answered, " Nay, I cannot! For I remember what my mother taught me out of the
Book, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of God.'" When urged to cast himself down from a pinnacle of the
temple to prove his Godhood by his superiority to natural laws, he answered
again, " Nay, I cannot! For I remember what the Bible says, 'Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God.'" And when urged finally to avoid the agony of the cross
and accept the world's sovereignty in return for a single act of homage rendered
to its de facto prince, he answered, "I cannot! For the Book says, 'Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy
  God, and him only shalt thou serve.'" Thus in every case the Bible was his
stand-by. "It is written" was enough for him. And blessed is every one of his
followers
  who can defend himself in like manner with the sword of the Spirit which is the
Word of God.


XIV EXCURSUS Jesus: His Book

Again, we say that by the fruits of the Word, we know it is the very Word of
God.
1. It makes a happy home.
2. In the workshop: the Golden Rule and diligence
3. In busines: Faithful stewards
4. In Institutions of learning, those who took the Bible for their guide stood
out distinctly.
5. In hospitals, we see it is a Good Book to die by.
6. In church, we sing because of the Bible.
7. In legislative halls, they can truthfully sing, "Our Father's God to Thee,
Author of Liberty..."

"The Book that was good enough for my Lord and Saviour, is good enough for me".

Part Three, Next month! Chapters 15-21.

Yours for Radical Holiness

Richard D. Swift

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

June 2011

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher and my grandfather

[Editor's note: This sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of
W.Hollywood, CA (Dec.6,1936), Pomona, CA (Dec.8,1946), and MiraLoma, CA
(Dec.1949) This sermon is based on "Why I Believe the Bible" by David James
Burrell, DD,LL.D (1844-1925). The Roman numeral points are the chapter headings
in that book. The title of the book is not mentioned in the sermon. Appearing at
the top of the first page of this sermon, there is written, "Forward! The Story
of the Conversion of David James Burrell". The only other clue that this sermon
came from a book is the beginning sentence under the VIth point. So I had to do
some research and finally found out the title of the book. Burrell was president
of the Anti-Saloon League of New York state. He was also President of the Lord's
Day Alliance for many years. He pastored the Marble Collegiate Church, New York
and contributed to "The Fundamentals, A Testimony to the Truth" edited by
R.A.Torrey. Because of the
sermon's length (21 points), I've elected to divide it into three parts, one
per month. This is part III]

XV. It is the Church's Book

Paul says in Ephesians, the church, "is built upon the apostles, Jesus Christ
being the chief cornerstone., in whom, the whole church fitly framed together,
groweth into an holy temple in the Lord." Christ is a tried and precious
foundation stone for the church.

(1) If Christ is the Chief Cornerstone, the Bible is the Rock Foundation.

(2) The Church is not only founded on the Scriptures, it is her duty to to
safeguard and preserve them to future generations. The Jew was chosen to be the
custodian of the Word but failed.

(3) The church is commissioned to proomulgate or spread the Scriptures to the
uttermost parts of the earth. Thae command is to preach the Word.

XVI. It is Everybody's Book

One of the most convincing arguments in favor of the Divine origin of Scripture
is their adaptations to the needs all sorts and conditions of men.

(1) Atonement; Christ suffered for us in our stead.

(2) Justification by faith. To be saved, we must believe in the Deity of
Christ and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek.


XVII. Its system of Doctrine

(1) Comprehensive- satisfactory for every religious problem.

(2) Relative value in practical life.

(3) Strength in universal adaptation. Profound yet simple

(4) Truths arranged in a coherent system from creation to future events

XVIII Its Moral Code; The most reliable rule to live by for the individual, for
society, for the church.

XIX. Its plan of salvation
We may trace the Redemption by the blood from Eden to the Cross upon which
Christ died.

XX. Its enemies
Some methods of false prophets, worse enemies than infidels:

A. He tells you he believes the Bible, but only those parts which don't condemn
his own sins.

B. More authority placed on his church's doctrine than on the Bible.

C. Denies authorship of Moses of the Pentateuch. Questions Inspiration of
Scripture.

D. Mixes truth with error and then claims there are errors in Scripture.

E. Claims errors in translation to belittle the original translation.

F. Claims historical and scientific errors arer in the Bible while claiming
doctrines are reliable.

G. Claim that only experts or scholars can determine the accuracy of Scripture.

H. Claim that we are mistaken in locating and discerning their destructive
purposes.

I. They accept a human Christ while denying His deity.

J. Most athiests and infidels reside right within the church as wolves in
sheeps' clothing.

XXI. Its Indestructibility.
In every age, the Word of God has been attacked by the devil's crowd, and
believers have been depressed and fearful.

Findings of archeologists continually verify the validity of the Pentateuch.

Theology of the Bible stands as the philosophy of God and stays intact against
the insanity of modernists and infidels.

[From here on, my grandfather, Reed Swift, closes with his own personal
observations]


Personal reason for believing God's Word, the Bible: "The proof of the pudding
is in the eating." Come and see and taste for yourself. It has been 45 years
since Burrell first found Christ and his calling at the death bed of a stranger.

1. Free thinkers and hell stinkers have changed their names from infidels to
Christians. They call themselves progressives, but we proceed with God. Christ
approved the Bible as the Power of God unto Salvation to everyone that believeth
(and faith cometh by hearing), so His Book is good enough for me. A loving God
will never leave His children to wander confused without a spiritual guide.
Advanced liberalism of the day, wherever found, avowedly denies the three great
doctrines of the Bible. Viz.

a. A personal God, Holy, Just, and Good;
b. Man created with a Divine birthright, but fallen into sin, and thereby
alienated from God;
c. The God-man, Jesus Christ, through Whom an at-one-ment is effected between
God and man.

To disbelieve these, one might as well believe in buildings being designed and
erected without an architect or in effects without causes.

2. In practice we find the Word of God is our "infallible rule of faith and
practice." Jesus said to search the Scriptures. Life is thru Christ. Experience
teaches us just this very thing.  Our success in building character for
ourselves and others is governed by our intimacy with Christ, the Incarnate Word
as revealed through Christ, the Written Word. Nglect your Bible and you starve
your soul. Obey and live!

3. Give us the mind of God for our ministry, for man's ideas fail to convince of
sin, righteousness, and judgement to come. Burrell says, "The only
sensationalism which is permissible in the pulpit is that which borrows its
lightning from the bolts of heaven." This applies to the pew as well. We need to
make people feel the Divine Personality of God as Moses di Pharoah. How can we
unless we have Him within? Then He will help us reveal the blackness of
sin.Don't stop until God strikes the truth home to the guilty heart. David
cried, "Have mercy O God."

We believe in: 1.The Incarnation of God manifest in the flesh; 2. Atonement-
Look and Live; and 3.The Resurrection- death and hell are at our living Christ's
command. Behold, the Cross of Christ is the magnet of salvation. Isaiah 5:11-
"My Word will not return void."

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                                 August 2011


An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a Holiness preacher


The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Church Yale, Buel, Ball,
Michigan circuit in 1931 and at the Free Methodist Churches of Caro, Michigan;
Glendale, W. Hollywwod, and Pomona, California.

The long form (written out) of the sermon only went through the 1st point. He
had written II to begin the second point but never wrote the rest of the sermon
out in long form. The rest was added to the outline form, written on the back of
an invitation, which reads, "You are invited to ...St.Clair County Sunday School
Convention Monday May 18, 1931 Convention Theme: Learning to Live the Christian
Life." Unfortunately, he cut the rest of the invite off so as to just use the
back of part of it for his sermon outline. The First point is in long form on
the backs of three advertisement pages. One is for a steel cabinet from
MacTaggart-Hoffman Co. Port Huron, Michigan. It's dated 1931. The cabinet was
advertised for $28.00! and was 36x18x78 inches with double doors.


"Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, Thou hast ordained strength." Psalm
8:2

Ordained strength- Founded or Chosen strength. as in the case of Moses in Exodus
2:6. It was here, strength was "founded"-"ordained" right in this babe for God
put it in the heart of Pharaoh's daughter to have compassion on the baby Moses,
even when she knew he was one of the Hebrew children.

This 8th Psalm begins and ends with an exclamation that contains admiration. He
admired what he cannot fully comprehend. "Oh Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy
name in all the earth."

Arrangement of the 8th Psalm:
"I. Infants
II. The Heavens, with moon and stars
III. Man himself"- Adam Clark

I. Infants

David here speaks as a prophet and gives the exellencies of God's Divinity,
goodness, and power which 1st appears in infants. "Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings thou hast ordained strength." God gives them power eat and grow. Then
they begin to talk while mere babes. God does this.

(1)a. We think of Moses (top of the page)as example of Infants

   b. Jesus Himself was an innocent, pure babe and ordained strength that He
might still the enemy and the avenger. Luke 2:12

(2). The children who cried "Hosanna" in the temple, knew Jesus through His love
and miracles. Matthew 21:15,16
But his made the chief priests and scribes sore displeased. Children have a
right to praise God and give glory to His name. They are the greatest in the
kingdom of Heaven, because they are the most innocent and free from guilt. We
have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, but God is pleased with
childrens' innocence. There is no reason why children shouldn't be enthusiastic
Christians today as wel as when Christ was on earth. I think, if we can't see
them saved in their childhood simplicity, the chances are small to see them
saved after they get out into sin.

(3). Babes, meaning childlike acceptance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His
plan for our lives. We are considered simple children and fools by the
worldly-minded, but I believe it takes simplicity and humility to be children of
the King of kings Who is coming to reign over all the kingdoms of the earth
soon. By the simple prophets who obeyed even to death, the ignorant fishermen,
the humble confessors, and the faithful martyrs, hath He stilled the enemy and
the avenger, confounded the worldly-minded, and stopped the mouths of devils.

II. God's Glory Revealed in the Heavens Psalm 8:3- "When I consider thy heavens,
the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;"

III. What is Man? Psalm 8:4-8- "4-What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and
the son of man, that thou visitest him?

  5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him
with glory and honour.

  6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put
all things under his feet:

  7All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

  8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through
the paths of the seas."

(1) Base, vile, miserable, from the dust

(2) He can know God and love and serve Him. And, God visits him with:

    a. Temporal blessings
    b. Iluminated mind with the Holy Ghost
    c. The Law and the Gospel
    d. Christ
    e. Being made lord over the fcreatures.

Man's mistakes limit God's power. Psalm 8:1,9 "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is
thy name in all the earth!"

1. He is the self existing God!

2. God is master over ALL circumstances from cancer to tumors to the small tooth
ache! Think of David, the Hebrews, Daniel!

3. God is not a far off God! We must depend on faith, not feelings!

1. Trust God as a friend

2. He is the God of details. That reason that is childlike simplicity moves God
and heaven; not pride.

3. Nothing happens but by permission of God. He loves us!

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon. Now, for the book review.]



A Review of Disp(s)ensational Truth by Clarence Larkin

False Doctrines and Erroneous Teachings in "Disp(s)ensational Truth"

Clarence Larkin credits his work to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. However,
there are at least ten false doctrines and erroneous opinions taught by Larkin
in his book.

1. Gap Theory of Creation- Pages 21-24

The Institute for Creation Research refutes this false doctrine. Neither Adam
Clarke or John Wesley believed in this doctrine. Yes, I've read Earth's Earliest
Ages by G.H. Pember. God created the entire universe in six twenty-four hour
days. Sin with its curse of death came on the world due to the sin of Adam and
Eve. Those who hold to the gap theory only do so to accomodate the theory of
geological ages. Unfortunately, this theory is held by "local flood' advocates
and every "Christian"? racist organization.

2. Denial of the Sabbath- Page 31

Larkin teaches that the command to keep the sabbath or one day in seven is done
away with in the New Testament. Even some antinomian disp(s)ensationalists don't
believe the sabbath was done away with. The Jewish Sabbath was replaced by the
First day of the week, which we call Sunday.

3. Keswikian/Suppressionist theology of sin and salvation- Page 52

Answers to the Plymouth Brethren by Daniel Steele refutes this false doctrine.

4. Denial of Entire Sanctification as a Second work of Grace- Pages 55 and 56

This is enough reason to quit reading this book and to doubt any of the author's
other opinions on the second coming of Christ.

5. Futuristic interpretation of Daniel's 70th week Pages 70-72

No Bible teacher or expositor believed in this theory before the middle of the
1800's except the Plymouth Brethren. ALL early Protestant writers and leaders
and John Wesley, Adam Clarke, W.B. Godbey, Daniel Steele, and several other
early Methodist and holiness writers believed Daniel's 70th week was fulfilled
by the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ and ended at the
Crucifixion of Christ. The futuristic interpretation of Daniel's 70th week is
the foundation of ALL Dispensational Premillennialists: pre, mid, or post
tribulation.

6. Pre-Tribulational Secret Rapture/ Misinterpretation of Matthew 24:29-31-
Pages 79,80

The teaching of a "pretribulation rapture" began in the churches of America and
England in the 1800's. Although H.A. Erdmann was a proponent of the futuristic
interpretation of Daniel's 70th week, he at least got his interpretation of
these verses right. The 29th verse begins with, "After the Tribulation of those
days". There is the sound of a trumpet and the gathering of the elect. This is
the Rapture (translation of living saints) and Resurrection of the dead in
Christ "After the Tribulation of those days". IThessalonians 4:16,17 says, "For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Does that sound like a secret rapture? NO! IIThessalonians 2:1-3 says, "Now we
beseech you, brethren, by
  the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together [the rapture
and resurrection of IThess.4] unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or
be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that
the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition;" We see here that the day of Christ or Rapture
is not to occur until after a falling away (apostacy) and revealing of the man
of sin (antiChrist). The early Christians, early Protestants and John Wesley,
Adam Clarke, and W.B. Godbey believed the rapture (they didn't call it that) was
after the Tribulation. Again, only American and English churches which never had
to endure the tribulation of persecution and martyrdom believe in the pre-trib
doctrine. A picture of the Raptured saints is given to us in Revelation 7:9-17.
In that
  passage, we learn that this great multitude of saints "came out of great
tribulation". Folks, the orthodox teaching is that the Tribulation began shortly
after Pentecost with persecution and martyrdom and continues to this day!

7. Anti-Holiness interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount- Page 86,87

8. Belief that the disembodied souls of  "pre-adamites" of the earth of Genesis
1:2 became the origin of demons- Page 101

Any belief in a preadamite race of humans waters down the doctrine of atonement
and the Scriptural teaching that Adam was the first man.

9. Interpretation of the Seven Churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3 as
representative of seven church ages- Pages 128-132

  This interpretation was refuted by both Wesley and Clarke and is refuted by
Institute for Creation Research founder, Dr. Henry Morris in his Defender's
Study Bible.

10. Placing the Rapture of the Church in Revelation 4;1,2 and misinterpreting
Revelation 5:8-10 as being the Raptured saints- 128-134

John is not a "type" of the church in Revelation 4:1,2. Telling him to "come up
hither" cannot mean the rapture! The 24 elders of Revelation 4 and 5 are
symbolic of the souls of the Old and New Testament saints. HA Erdmann in his
Notes on Revelation refutes these false claims and places the Rapture in the
Sixth Seal of Revelation 6:12-17. The description given by the opening of the
Sixth Seal is very similar to that in Matthew 24:29-31. Therefore the Rapture
and Resurrection of the dead in Christ occurs during the opening of the Sixth
Seal and before the opening of the Seventh Seal of Revelation 8.

Most of Clarence Larkin's Disp(s)ensational views are taught in Dake's Annotated
Reference Bible and the Scofield Reference Bible. The system of
Dispensationalism is based on the writings of John Nelson Darby (1800–1882)
and the Brethren Movement. Writers and teachers of this new eschatology
(compared to the older historicist) include J Vernon McGee, Dwight Pentecost,
W.E. Blackstone (Jesus is Coming), Hal Lindsey (Late Great Planet Earth), Tim
LaHaye (Left Behind series), John Hagee, David Jeremiah, Jack Van Impe, etc.
None believe in Holiness and most are antinomian Keswicks.

The Futurist interpretation of Daniel's 70th Week has its origin in the writings
of Roman Catholic Jesuit Francisco Ribera (1537–1591). He wrote a 500 page
commentary on the Book of Revelation. This commentary established the futurist
interpretation of Bible prophecy. It was meant to counter the Protestant
assertion that the Papacy is the antiChrist and Roman Catholicism is the Beast
of Revelation 13. He taught that the 1260 days/42 months/time, times, half a
time of Daniel and Revelation was to be taken literally and was half of Daniel's
70th Week. Joseph Seiss (1823–1904), a Lutheran theologian and writer, is
known for his religion writings on pyramidology and dispensationalism. His
writings helped modernize and systematize dispensationalism and a futurist
interpretation of Daniel's 70th Week and the Book of Revelation.

The Historicist interpretation of Daniel's prophecies in Daniel 7-12 and the
Book of Revelation were the teachings of the Christian church up until the time
of Augustine. They were the teachings of ALL Protestant leaders, teachers,
expositors, and preachers until Darby came along. Until Darby, ALL Christians
were "Post Tribulation". They believed the Tribulation began with the
persecution of Christians soon after Pentecost. They believed that the
Tribulation would get worse when the "Great falling away" and the "man of sin
(antichrist) was revealed. ALL Christians believed Daniel's 70th Week ended with
Christ's crucifixion until Darby came along.

I'll stick with Adam Clarke, John wesley, Daniel Steele, A.M. Hills, and W.B.
Godbey and the orthodox historicist premillennial view.

Yours for Scriptural Holiness,

Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Drive
Dexter, MO 63941
(573)614-4869 home ph
(573)625-9535 cell ph

From The Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                            September 2011

[An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of
Rev. Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher.

The following sermon was preached at the Cucamonga California Bible Missionary
Church September 1961, 50 years ago this month! Some history and  reminiscence
is in order.

In the October 1961 Missionary Revivalist, General Moderator, J.E. Cook writes:
"...The camp [at Cucamonga,CA] was already on when we arrived with Brother Dan
Lemmons doing the preaching...The services were held in the open situated next
to a beautiful orange grove. Dear Brother Chambers, one of God's chosen vessels,
deeded four acres of orange grove to the Bible Missionary Church and willed ten
more acres adjoining. He had already black-topped an area for services and
parking costing some $1800 dollars and paying for it all himself. Brother Reed
Swift, host pastor and Brother Tommy Elkins, District Moderator, were in charge
of services...Brother and Sister Clyde Dilley were the song
evangelists...[report of shouting and running aisles and victories at the
altar]...The conference was held on Saturday...Rev. Dan Lemmons was elected
Moderator...Sister Billie Holstein preached on missions."

In the November 1961 Missionary revivalist, Ruth Swift writes: "In June 1958,
Brother Will Chambers felt a burden on his heart for Cucamonga, where he had
lived for fifty years. He gave the use of a dwelling house [later becoming
district parsonage] for a place of worship. As God moved on his heart, he felt
it was God's will that he make a portion of his orange grove available for a
camp ground. August 23 to September 3, the pilgrims of the California- Arizona
District gathered for the first campmeeting on this lovely spacious ground. The
beautiful dome of heaven was our tabernacle. Brother Charles Elkins, district
moderator and Brother Reed Swift, pastor had labored faithfully...to make
necessary arrangements. Brother Dan Lemmons preached the first two days and the
last Sunday of the camp...Brother Lemmons was elected moderator...Our General
Moderator, Brother J.E. Cook was at his best as evangelist and presiding officer
of the conference...Sister
  Billie Holstein, our India missionary was with us the last five days of the
camp. [She preached Sunday afternoon.]...Brother and Sister Clyde Dilley...were
wonderfully used of God in their singing ministry..."

As implied in the above report, the Cucamonga Bible Missionary Church was
organized in June of 1958 by my grand parents, Reed and Ruth Swift. My parents,
David and Dorothy Swift became charter members. I was born in July of '58.
According to my '78 Diary under churches we attended, we attended the Cucamonga
Church until July 1, '59 and then went back 4/1/61 to 6/1/64 when we moved to
Clovis, New Mexico. Rev Reed Swift was pastor of Cucamonga until 10/1/62 when
Rev. Wendell Dozier became pastor.

Some of my fondest memories are of attending the Cucamonga BMC as a child. I of
course don't remember 1961; I was only three. But I do remember the services of
'62-'64. At the time of this sermon until the church building was built in '64,
the services were held in the what was the district parsonage. Oh my, I remember
those services! One time, we were either singing "Victory in Jesus" or "Palms of
Victory". Sister DeLaney, took a run through the house, shouting and praising
God. Brother Will Chambers picked up a folding chair and started running too,
right behind her. My childish mind didn't completely understand why he was
chasing after her! Children never forget the presence of God and never forget
the shouts and praises of god when the Holy Ghost comes.

Here then is the sermon preached 50 years ago this month. It is based on Beverly
Carradine's book, The Old Man, chapters 13-17.]


                                The Old Man

Romans 6:6 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body
of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."


A Picture of the Old Man

I just read [Beverly] Carradine's book, The Old Man. He says, "The Old Man
doesn't like warmth and joy in service to God, but frost in the choir, snow in
the pew and an icicle 6 ft long in the pulpit." Sin is two fold and salvation is
two fold.

1. The Old man is easily offended. The Bible says, "Blessed are they which love
God's law and nothing shall offend them!" A couple men were talking in church
and a woman went home sick, thinking they were talking about her. A man in
Louisiana was offended because he was not called to pray.

2. The Old Man loves to gossip, loves bad news.

3. The Old Man is a great fault finder. "Be content". He is critical.

4. The Old Man is gloomy. There are no "blue Mondays" after one is sanctified.

5. The Old Man is man fearing. Afraid of criticism. Different when free in
Jesus.

6. The Old Man is cruel, corrupt and deceitful. The sermon was never preached
that can destroy the Old Man. Only Jesus cand destroy the Old Man.


Human Methods of dealing with the Old Man.

No Christian wants the Old Man- there is no help but from Christ.

1. Men try seclusion: monasteries, convents, dens and caves. Purity moves among
men and keeps one holy.

2. Punishment: whips, spikes, torture in sun or storm.  In India, women throw
their children into the Ganges River to appease their guilty conscience.

3. Fastings: Sin is not in the human flesh. You can't starve out the old man.
Fasting is good but only as the Holy Ghost leads.

4. Time: Never makes on holy. Brother Dresslehouse- the monkey tail. He cut it
off a little at a time. It screamed the same loud scream everytime a piece came
off.

5. Old age: Carnality never dies of itself in old age. It may change from lust
for pleasure in youth to money in old age.

6. Growth theory: Growth is in grace, not into grace. I never grew weeds out of
my garden. I had to take them out!

7. Repression or suppression: Many try this method. There is no rest to the
saint here of holding the old man down. No amount of good church work, zeal,
etc. will get rid of the old man. Carradine likens it to a boat load of slaves
coming from Africa to America. Always a fear of they'll break out and cause
consternation. "We keep the body under" because we control the body, but we
don't keep the old man under because he is worse.

8. White washed: there is a difference between "white washed" and "washed
white". The first is of man and the second is of God. There is no sin in the set
containing the TV. The sin is [when it is on] one running it. [In other words,
the device is not sinful until it is turned on.] There is no sin in the body
itself; it is the one living in the body. God doesn't white wash but makes a new
creature.

9. Reformation: Illustration of our drunken neighbor trying to tutrn over a new
leaf. Billy Sunday. Chopping off the monkey's tail might come under this too.

10. Education and Refinement: You cannot improve the old man. He is carnal and
will trouble you if left in your heart. A cultured and refined old carnal man is
even more dangerous. let the Holy Ghost cast him out and be filled with the Holy
Ghost. Bitter is changed to sweet! i believe God can use a well educated man
better than a dumb-bell, but satan can too.

11. Death Bed: That is too near eternity to suit me. I want the old man out
while I'm still strong and vigorous. Don't you? You can! Would you trust death
rather than the Divine Saviour to sanctify you? No! I hope not! "As the tree
falleth, so shall it lie." Death is man's last enemy if we are Christians.

12. Purgatory: A human and devilish imagination is this! Try anything rather
than have God purify and sanctify the soul. Some will be shocked in hell! Walk
in God's light. You are not condemned for having inbred sin in you, but for not
getting rid of him when God provided a way through the death of Christ and His
resurrection. If the old man is not taken out before we die, he'll never be
taken out. He'll bother you forever! Sister Billie Holstein gives the
illustration of a snake in the house. She had to get of it out of the house and
kill it!

The Divine Method of Dealing With the Old Man

Human methods and desires fail in getting rid of the "carnal old man". Jesus
must destroy. Jesus purges with fire from the Holy Ghost. Isaiah's experience in
Isaiah 6 is good example. Pentecost! Purify! The Promise!
The Word of God teaches:

1. That God's Holy ghost Fire will purge us of sin.

2. He will Crucify the Old Man.

3. We are to put off the Old Man.

4. "That the body of sin might be destroyed".

Read Hebrews 10:14,15, "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that
are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us:"

How to Obtain the Great Deliverance

Holiness is not an attainment or achievement But an Obtainment or instantaneous
work.

Brother Shelhamer is afraid of mere consecration! i believe it takes
consecration and faith for a death to the old man!

Keep nothing good or bad back. tell Jesus you loathe carnality in you and put
all else on the altar: body, soul, talents, ignorance, time, will, reputation,
property, family, and all. We volunteer to die to self!

Good! Now, faith is the next step! you can say truthfully, "I believe it Lord.
You promised and I believe!" Seeker, live on your knees. pray whether you feel
like it or not. Pray with or without words. Pray with groanings. heaven
suffereth violence- keep praying. heaven will open! Your soul will be conscious
of a change and His voice!

Carradine says,

"We believe God's Word for our cleansing. We have a conviction for cleansing. We
pray. We consecrate and die out to carnality. We continue to pray. We believe
God-Faith! God does a Divine Instantaneous work. God's Spirit witnesses that it
is done. Our soul knows it is done. we witness to it and the feelings come. We
are established in Entire Sanctification. Glorification and Heaven are next in
order!"

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon preached 50 years ago this month.
Reader, is your "old man", the carnal nature, original sin dead today? Have you
died to it and is is the 'body of sin" crucified? It can be! If you need to be
sanctified, I urge you to find a place of prayer and follow the steps given
above! What He could do 50 years ago, He can do today!]

Yours for Radical Second Blessing Holiness,

Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter, Mo 63841
573-625-9535

From The Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                            October 2011

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev
Reed A Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of the Yale,
Ball, Buel, Michigan Circuit; Caro, Michigan; Olive Branch Mission, Louisiana;
and Glendale and West Hollywood, California. One of the pages is on the back of
a letter from Yale, Michigan, dated April 8, 1931. The letter asks for a pair of
"double branded, healthy, pure bred Carneaux" pigeons advertised in the
"American Pigeon Journal". The letter states, "inclosed check for $1.65 for the
pair." It is signed "(Rev) Reed A. Swift". The letter was apparently never sent.
There was no check with it! This is a short expository sermon. It looks like
something he may have preached in a midweek prayer meeting.


                    Silver and Gold Have I None

                             Text Acts 3:6

                            Reading Acts 3

In the preceding chapter, we have one of Jesus' great promises fulfilled and one
of God's Great gifts to men: the Gift of the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus had promised this Gift, and His disciples expected it. The 120 in an upper
room tarried until they recieved the promise of Christ, and they were all filled
with the Holy Ghost.

This was the dawning of a new day of victory and hope, and the Holy Spirit
Dispensation was ushered in. the first army of this Dispensation were recruiting
and victory followed as Peter preached in the demonstration and power of the
Holy Ghost. Oh, Glory to God! I'd liked to have heard him. But he uncovered the
crime of their lives, and thousands were converted to God. This is just the
beginning.

We find the lame man by the Beautiful Gate. There were nine gates to the temple.
[They were] covered with gold and silver, but this one was more beautiful than
the others.

The gate was beautiful but not equal to the event that took place. This lame man
had never walked and was above 40 years old (Acts 4:22). He had depended on
others to carry him about all his life. Some are satisfied to have people do
this spiritually, but I think those same folks would find fault with their lot
if they had to do it physically. Which is the greatest handicap?!

Do you think this circumstance at the Beautiful Gate was luck for the poor lame
man? Nay, it was the providence of God Look in Clarke's Commentary in "The
Chosen Word", page 460.

Verse 1: "Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of
prayer, being the ninth hour." Now, if you want to be a real blessing to
somebody, you must have a system to your prayer life. Don't be haphazzard- hit
or miss. You can't do that at anything else and be a success, much less in
spiritual things. Have a place to go and pray and a set time, and if possible,
you can make that allowance, go to your place of prayer, and I believe God will
have someone near by that you can help either before or after prayer. Now Peter
and John wouldn't have found this lame man who neeeded who needed financial,
physical, and spiritual help if they had been out fishing as they were
accustomed to do.  But the Lord had led them to a closer walk with Him, and they
were going to pray. No doubt [they] were in the Spirit of prayer before they
ever reached the place of prayer. So, when they saw this lame man, the Holy
Spirit prompted them just what to do, and
  they did it, and the lame man was healed and glorified God in this miraculous
event.

The central thought here is that it was not purchased with silver and gold or
obtainable in this manner. These humble followers of Christ were poor, yet
making many rich [spiritually] as in v.7: "And he took him by the right hand,
and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength."
The suddeness of the cure was proof of the miracle, and his walking and leaping
were evidence of it.

Those men of God had no silver or gold but had something far more valuable than
either of those. They had been poor, honest laborers before Jesus called them to
be soul winners. And now after Pentecost, they were equipped with the
necessities for curing the ailments of men if they would take the Remedy. They
had the Holy Ghost and His Power imparted to them or working through them. If
the silver and gold had been necessary at this time, the Lord would have
furnished it. But the Holy Spirit was teaching through Peter and John that it
was not necessary to have silver and gold to give out to be a blessing in this
world. If we have the Holy Ghost in us we can give out to a dying, lame, maimed
world ALL that is necessary. Not only was the lame man healed of physical
ailments, but he was given the oil of joy. He went leaping, and jumping, and
glorifying God. The devil was stirred, as he always will be when souls are being
saved and blessed and praising God.
  Praise is comely to the upright, and we do to little of it.

[This concludes the sermon of my grandfather]

Yours for Radical Holiness,

Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter MO 63841

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher



                               November 2011


An email newletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher


[Editors Note: The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches
of Yale, Ball, Buel, Michigan Circuit; Caro, Michigan (1932-'33); and
W.Hollywood, California (March 1935-1938). Dates in parenthesis are for time
pastored.

This sermon was written in long form on the backs of 13 revival fliers. On the
Revival fliers are these words: "Revival Meetings Begin At The Yale Free
Methodist Church January 31st. Come and hear the old fashioned gospel preached
in its purity. Evangelist Rev. Daniel Skanes of Ludington, Mich. will preach
every night except Saturday at 7:30 o'clock. No services Saturday night. There
will be Holiness Meetings every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
afternoons at 3:00 o'clock. Rev. Skanes will be with us until Feb. 21st.
Everybody plan to attend these sevices. You Are Welcome!" The picture of Rev.
Skanes shows him to be probably 70 years old. He has the the serious countenance
of an old fashioned holiness preacher. He's wearing no tie and has his collar
turned up with the appearance of a radical of that time. Most revival meetings
are Sunday thru Sunday. In Jan./Feb. of 1932, Jan.31 was on a Sunday and so was
Feb.21. So, I assume this revival
  meeting was January 31-Feb.21 of 1932. This is thru 4 Sundays! This sermon has
the exuberance of having been preached shortly after the revival meeting. It has
excitement in it!

After typing the above information, I decided to do some research on Rev. Daniel
Skanes. Rev. Skanes pastored what became the Mt Pleasant, Michigan Free
Methodist Church 1927-1930, went into the evangelistic field, and then pastored
the Kingsley, Michigan Free methodist Church in the '30s and died in 1939.]

                                Life

Matthew 6:25 "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"

Read Matthew 19:13-30

Introduction- You hear much in the world by worldly minded people that "This is
the life" or "That is the life." But, that is as much as they understand about
true life or living. "A life which is the light of men is a life which is hid
with Christ in God."

Ever since God first breathed the breath of life into man and he became a living
soul, life has been man's greatest treasure on earth and eternal life, his
greatest treasure in eternity or the world to come. Yet, it seems that it is
cared for or nourished and protected for in general about the least of anything
in our possession (flocks, herds, houses, lands, etc.). Man's health is little
thought of when he is well, and eternal life completely neglected by the
majority. Yet think of their value. There is nothing we can compare with them,
and especially eternal life which is most neglected!

Life is something that is attractive and invigorating and inspiring. For
instance, the youth are filled with strength, vitality, and activeness inspires
and gives strength to those about him. they claim that where one lives with
young, strong, and lively children their youth is renewed even in old age, but
where even the young are always with a number of elder people, they be partakers
of their lifelessness. so let's all be alive spiritually or we may all dry up
spiritually. The point i want to bring out is this: that all Spiritual life is
contagious and so is spiritual death and dryness. You know what I mean, don't
you? That dry dryness that nothing but dryness is produced. Oh say, this is not
the life of a Christian, blessed of God! No! No! There will be some melting up
or loosenening up times that will show there is life, and sap, and fruitfullness
there.

Even dried fruits are the product of life. they were once fat and flourishing on
the tree. They were picked and dried to keep. And don't you think that is what
some professors believe is the way to be preserved in their Christian
experience, is to be sure and be thoroughly picked and dried? That's not the
way! To be fruitful is to be constantly joined to the vine, Christ Jesus and
have the sap or Holy Anointing course through your veins continually! Then
others will be attracted to God by your blessed life. This is the Life! Praise
His Name!


1. Prayer Life

When a man can pray through, and get a hold of God, and bring spiritual fire
down out of Heaven into our souls, and feel that we are more than conquerors,
and that our steps are as the steps of conqueror light and free, we aren't in
bondage to the world with its corner on anything, but salvation and spiritual
things. Its attractions with pleasures of a gay and giddy throng, for dress, and
feasts, and games. we have lasting joy that worldly pleasures never bring.

Nor is the man who prays through in bondage to the flesh which wants plenty to
eat, plenty of comforts, plenty of worldly goods of every nature.

He is not even in bondage to the devil or any of his imps. He comes as an angel
of light as Tobiath and Sanbalat, but we will be like Nehemiah of old, 'We are
doing a good work and obeying the Lord; we can't come down." We are about our
Master's business, and we can't stop and parley with the devil.

I tell you this life is our privilege in and through prayer. And is not this the
life that is more than temporal meat? And this body, the Temple of the Holy
Ghost and filled with the Holy Ghost, is it not more than raiment? "Oh I need a
new dress for this occasion" or "a new one for that occasion." No, the bridge
party dresses and the fashions of the world won't weigh the weight of a straw in
your mind. "For you have the mind of Christ." Now, is that making it too strong?
No, I don't think so. I believe God wants it even stronger than that! That if we
have the life that is more than meat, and the body that is more than than
raiment. We pray through real often so that our souls are so blessed that we
feel that we have the best meat that mortal man can have, and that is the
spiritual sweet meats from the Kingdom of Heaven that feed our immortal soul
until it is satisfied! "Glory be to God!" I feel some of the symptoms of getting
blessed right now! I feel
  God has fed my soul today on Spiritual Manna that gives the life that is more
than meat.

And if our whole body is permeated occasionally or quite often with an unearthly
unction and power from heaven that blesses us until our body tingles with glory,
life, and purity, and we know He the Great King of Kings and Lord of Lords
clothes us with the spotless pure white robes of righteousness, is not this more
than silk crepe or crepeole cheme [hope I spelled this right-couldn't read it]
or satins of this world? I say, yes! Glory be to God, give me plain clothes
becoming to a saint and also give me the most important clothing that any mortal
man will ever know, and that is that my inner man or immortal soul be clothed
upon with the pure and spotless robe of righteousness and the favor, and smiles,
and blessings of the Lamb of God, and all the temporal things will be secondary.
Now, this is our privilege, and I believe it is the will of God concerning us so
therefore becomes our duty to have just such an experience. the best way I know
of to have it
  and retain it is to pray, pray, pray, until the victory comes, and the fire
will fall on you. Then pray, pray, and obey and keep His holy annointing upon
you. It is the only and fanciest, and most modern remedy of getting and keeping
the Grace of God that I know of. That doesn't mean "once in grace, always in
grace" and sit down and do nothing. No, no! We must pray and obey. Amen.

2. Then the life which is hid with Christ in God is more, vastly more than every
kind of affliction and ailment the devil can pile on us and more than man made
medicine to cure that affliction or ailment. Do you say amen to that? I believe
that Christ made it possible for you and I to have well bodies. Not that we
never die but that we live in a condition to glorify Him and be of service to
Him in this world. He made it possible for us to be healed from sickness in the
atonement as well as to be forgiven of our sins. [ed note: This is not a
farfetched doctrine! Many older holiness writers taught this- Godbey, Carradine,
Bevington, Watson, Shellhammer etc. Sure, Charismatics have built excess on it,
but Dispensationalists disregard it altogether! It is Wesleyan!] We have
forgiveness of sins through faith in His shed blood. And I firmly believe we may
have well bodies through faith in the same blood. Praise the Lord! He says, "All
things are possible to
  him that believeth." Now, that takes in healing of the body. true, Paul had a
thorn in the flesh, but not sufficient to hinder his usefullness, or God would
have removed it.

I think it would be much more pleasing to God if our faith was more simple along
the lines of healing. If we feel we must doctor, I think many times that simple
home remedies for many ailments are as effective as expensive doctor bills. I
think much needless suffering and large doctor bills are had because we don't
follow the injunction of Scripture found in James 5:14-16- "Is any among you
sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him
,etc."  Now, I don't believe that means that the ministers or leaders are to run
after the sick and ask if they can anoint them, but I believe what it says, when
any is sick enough and humble enough, though not necessarily so sick to follow
out this Scripture, I believe God will heal in most cases. Sometimes it is
necessary to heed verse 16- "Confess your faults and pray." are we humble enough
and simple enough to obey God along this line/ If clear in your soul, I believe
God will do the work.
  You may have to give the doctor money to God. But I'd rather see Him get it! I
anointed one brother, and God healed him. I was healed once myself. One not
taking proper care of God's temple suffers. If we could use the money paid
needless for doctors bills to convert the heathen, thousands would be saved who
will never hear the Gospel.

3. Last: those that have this life are alive! They aren't half sick spiritually,
but are spiritually well and alive! Their life is the light of men, because the
Life of Christ is in them, and is een, and their Father which is in Heaven is
Glorified! Praise His Name!

Those that are alive have fellowship. Life in health and purity has beauty.
[Examples] Horse, cow, boy, girl, older man, older woman.

I speak along this line to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance of what
Christ requires of us as enlightened saints of God. Is the standard too high? I
think not! My life is blessed in holding it there. Next to reading the Word and
closet prayer for spiritual uplift, comes the reading of the lives of Godly men
and women.

The state of the Godly and their safety and protection from pestilence is in
Psalm 91. "With long life will I satisfy him and then show him my eternal
salvation when his life has ceased." Praise God!

Then in Psalm 92:12-15, it tells that the righteous shall flourish like the palm
tree. It bears its fruit in the driest weather and in very dry places, but there
is a reason for that. Their roots go far down into the ground and they are
larger under ground than above ground. So with the upright man: his affections
are anchored on the Rock of Ages where springs a fountain of life, and therefore
it is posssible for him to bear fruit in times of spiritual drought. As the
palm, the righteous shall bear fruit in old age and bear good dates even then.

This life has light. Light of life. The window of the physical is the eye. The
spiritual eye gives spiritual sight. So be careful what you look at. Is it
bringing light or darkness into your soul and body? Funnies, jokes, immodesty or
stay away from places where you would see it as much as possible.

Jesus is the Resurrection and Life. Through Him we pass from death unto life
right here. If we have, let's be sure to keep alive. Let's keep alive! Praise
God! We are heirs of the Grace of Life and that eternal. Amen!

We have examples of Godly men and women who kept alive [spiritually]. Read their
lives and you will be inspired to live more Christlike; Fletcher, Hester Ann
rogers, Payson, Lady Maxwell, Bramwell, etc. Of the choice of the two: "Life
Insurance" or "Life Assurance", I'd prefer the latter. It assures us of life
eternal. Found in "Scripture Studies and Bible Reading" by W.H.Carr pg.213

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon.]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter MO 63841
ph 573-625-9535

� � � � � ���From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher


� � � � � � � � � ���December 2011


An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher


This "From the Pulpit of Holiness Preacher" newsletter is the 40th I've sent out
since March of '06. This is the 38th I've typed of my grandfather's sermons.
There are 97 more sermons not including the "Class Meeting Materials" in one old
envelope and "Funeral Material" (several sermons) in a very torn envelope. Of
those 97, 5 cannot be used. Two of them are missionary sermons with very limited
relevancy. One is too faded to read. Two are basically abridgements of a couple
sermons. This makes 92 more sermons that can be used. Doing one per month, it
will take me until August of 2019 to finish!

The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of Yale, Buel,
Ball Circuit, Michigan; Caro, Michigan; Glendale, California; W. Hollywood,
California; Phoenix, Arizona; Pomona, California; and Mira Loma, California. It
was also preached twice in the Bible Missionary Church of Cucamonga, California
(the last date of Nov.12, '61).


� � � � � � � � � � ���Christ, the Only Way

Text: Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the ends
thereof are the ways of death."

1. Besetting sin? Pride, Jealousy, Lust, Greed? the sin of your constitution or
trade? But sin in any form is a reproach to any people. Ends in death!

2. False view of religion: "All roads lead to heaven." Sincere but wrong!

3. Imperfect repentance: Believe with no witness or assurance

4. False Faith: Walking back of light. The way of the transgressor is hard.
Repent! We may walk back of light and gain worldly fame, but "a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance of things he possesseth" (Luke 12:15). "If thou
wilt enter eternal life, keep the commandments of God." (Matthew 19:17)�
"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." In us and outside of us!
Praise God! Jesus said, "Marvel not that I say unto you, ye must be born again."
Made new creatures. New desires, appetites, aspirations, rather than to look,
talk, or act like the world. I don't want a trinket that belongs to satan. In
these days of powerless Christianity, let us search our hearts and see if there
be any wicked way of the world in us.

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these
ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world through lust." (2nd Peter 1:4)

When children 5 years old can pray through, and know God, and have peace come
into their hearts, it would seem that older people, and even those in their 2nd
childhood ought to know Him and keep peace in their souls. Doesn't it?

Oh God send us a revival! Why did the Methodists have revivals? Why did we used
to have revivals? Because we were a Spirit filled, witnessing people. Ephesians
5:22-25,29 "That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is
created in righteousness and true holiness. 25Wherefore putting away lying,
speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of
another...29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that
which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the
hearers."

When Charles G. Finney preached in Philadelphia, rough lumberjacks were floating
their logs down the Delaware River. Three men went to hear Finney and were fully
converted. Then they went back and told of finding Jesus as their Saviour, and
5000 people were converted without a preacher. They had never heard a preacher.
Some [preachers] were sent to them later. Colossians 3:8-10 "But now ye also put
off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your
mouth. 9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his
deeds; 10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him that created him:"

Salvation is a radical changing of the heart, transforming of the life, and an
imparting of Christ-likeness into us. A church or individual must have it to win
others. A good example is found in Acts 4:13; 5:41,42. 4:13- "Now when they saw
the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had
been with Jesus."
5:41,42- "41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that
they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42And daily in the
temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Acts 4:12- "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." The way is straight and narrow, and
difficult with crosses and temptations, but, "He giveth more grace."

The Path of the Just:

1. Keep your eyes on the Way. "Remember Lot's wife."

2. Hands and feet in His way of salvation. Colssians 2:20-22- "20Wherefore if ye
be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in
the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines
of men?"
Walk not in the way of the world. don't run with the worldly crowd in excess of
riot. Run this race with patience, "looking unto Jesus, the Author and finisher
of our faith."

3. Thoughts in the way! Philippians 4:7,8- "7And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things." Isaiah 55:7-9- "7Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Read only good literature. store your mind with good so there will no room for
evil thoughts.

4. Keep your tongue in the Way of Life. Have your converstion in heaven. When we
are praying for someone, we are not criticizing them are we? Some pray that way!

The condition of the heart rules the tongue. "A man of words and not of deeds is
like a garden of weeds." (Evangelical Bulletin)

J.T. Larsen tells of a man saved by a converstion. Rev. Gravett of Denver,
Colorado, a Baptist minister met a man at the drinking fountain. The stranger
told Mr. Gravett to go first.
Mr. Gravett said to him, "God invites you to drink at the fountain of the water
of life. For God says in the Bible, 'let him that is athirst come. And whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely.'(Revelation 22:17).
"Does the Bible say that?" asked the man.
"Yes, and it will mean eternal life to your soul", said Gravett.
The man turned to go, and Mr. Gravett said, "Come and hear Gypsy Smith tonight
in the City Auditorium." Then they parted.
Thirty years later, Mr. Gravett was conducting a meeting in Greeley, Colorado.
As he stepped up to the Post Office window for his mail, the Postmaster called
Mr. gravett into his office and related this incident. he said he had the poison
in his pocket to take that night before he drank at the fountain, but upon Mr.
Gravett's advice, he went to Gypsy Smith's meeting that night and was converted.
Since then he had lived a new life. Someone said, "I saw it on the bill-board at
an Evangelical Church, 'A man with a big mouth usually has a small brain.'" It
means something to be minutemen for God.

5. Keep your ears in the way. Many people hear things that are injurious to
their Christian experience. "Take not up a reproach against thy neighbor." Keep
your ears in tune to heaven, not human gossip.

6. Keep your heart in the way. "Render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasars and
to God the things that are His." "Set your affections on things above and not on
this earth."

[Inserted is an article, entitled "Die Rather Than Surrender". Below are some
excerpts from that article]

"Carved over the entrance of a certain fort on Europe's battle-fiels, are the
words, 'Die under the ruins of this fort rather than surrender.' There is
another warfare in which the spirit of these words is to be observed just as
loyally. When the Christian is contending in life's battle for principle he
first puts on the necessary spiritual armor, and having done this, it his duty
to 'stand' until struck down in the defense of his Master's cause. Death under
such circumstances is victory of the highest type."- Hallock in Young People's
Friend

"The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the
perfect day."

"Therefore, come what may, hold fast to love. Though men should rend your heart,
let them not embitter or harden it. We win by tenderness, we conquer by
forgiveness."- F.W. Robertson

"Avoid the very appearance of evil."

[The following was pasted on to this sermon. With 21st Century technology I was
able to scan, copy, and paste this to the sermon by attachment.]

[This concludes this sermon of my grandfather]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter, MO 63841
573-625-9535

Over 2000 years ago, during the Jewish Feast of LIGHTS (Hanukkah), in Nazareth,
an angel appeared to Mary, a young virgin espoused to Joseph. The angel said,
"Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women."
Because Mary was troubled, the angel said, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found
favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a
son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his
kingdom there shall be no end."

She asked how that could be since she was a virgin, and the angel said, "The
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son
in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For
with God nothing shall be impossible."

At the time of the Conception, still during that Feast of LIGHTS (Hannukah),
wise men (Magi) in Persia saw an unusual LIGHT in the night skies appearing in
Constellation Pisces. They were learned men, probably followers of the priestly
caste of Zoroastrianism. As followers of Zoroaster, they were familiar with the
Jewish prophecies of a coming Messiah. They were especially familiar with
Baalam's prophecy recorded in Numbers 24:17 "there shall come a Star out of
Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel," They were also familiar with the
prophocies of Jeremiah and Daniel. This LIGHT was no doubt a miraculous
appearance. These Magi, traditionally twelve in number, began their journey
toward Bethlehem where Micah said the Messiah would be born (Micah 5:2).
(Matthew

Nine months later, during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), Joseph and
Mary were in Bethlehem to pay their taxes. Mary was nine months along and was
feeling the contractions od child birth. Joseph knocked on the door of the only
inn in town, only to find there was no room available. They were told they could
stay in the lowly stable behind the inn. By this time, Mary was ready to give
birth.(Luke 2:1-6)

Mary wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.(Luke 2:7) John
gives an account of this birth in his Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made
that was made. In him was life; and the life was the LIGHT of men. And the LIGHT
shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."(John 1:1-5) "That
was the true LIGHT, which LIGHTETH every man that cometh into the world."(John
1:9) "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [TABERNACLED] among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth."(John 1:14).

On that Feast of Tabernacles evening, shepherds were watching their flocks by
night. Luke records what happened: (Luke 2:8- "And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ
the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger.

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the
shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this
thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
manger.

17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told
them concerning this child.

18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by
the shepherds."

Eight days later, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to be
circumsised. Luke 2:21-38 records that Simeon, a prophet took Baby Jesus into
his arms and said that Jesus would be "A LIGHT to LIGHTEN the Gentiles,"(v.32).

Two years after the conception of Jesus, and fifteen months after His birth,
during the Feast of LIGHTS (Hanukkah). The Magi, still following the star,
arrived Jerusalem. They were not familiar with Micah's prophecy of the
Messsiah's birth, so they asked the religious leaders in Jerusalem, "Where is He
that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are
come to worship Him."(Matthew 2:2) King Herod heard about the arrival and
questioning of these wise men, so he gathered the religious leaders and asked
them the same question. They referred to Micah's prophecy of Bethlehem.
Satisfied with the answer, the Magi followed the Light from the star until it
brought them to the house in Bethlehem where Joseph, Mary, and the Christ Child
were now living. "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young
child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had
opened their treasures, they presented unto
  him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh."(Matthew 2:11)

Parts of this story have been deleted because I want to point to the Light. The
Gospel of John, Chapter 1, gives us some insight into the Light of Christ and
how the Light influences the world in which we live.

"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God.

2The same was in the beginning with God.

3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was
made.

4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through
him might believe.

8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."

Well, what are we as Christians to do with this Light? Is it enough to celebrate
Christmas with our lights and gift giving? No; as much as those are symbolic of
the true meaning of Christmas when done from a pure heart, that is not enough.
Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, says in Matthew 5: "14Ye are the light of the
world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father which is in heaven."

So, as we celebrate the conception and birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, let us
do as those wise men did. let us give ourselves to Christ and worship Him. Let
us also shine our Light of mercy, love, hope, faith, and giving to a world
dwelling in the darkness of sin and despair. Let us shine our lights to those
who seem to be hopeless. Let us help those who will not get much of a Christmas
this year! And, let us walk in the Light as he is in the Light, so that we will
have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us
from ALL sin (1st John 1:7).

May your Christmas be filled with Light. And may the Light continue to shine
upon you in the new year!

From Richard and Sue Swift

505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter MO 63841

The folowing is an absolutely ridiculous email reply to this month's newsletter.
Don't forget, Entire Sanctification is what is really necessary! I am so glad my
grandfather didn't believe the following stupidity!

Richard







> Date: Thursday, December 22, 2011, 11:25 AM
> Thank you for the message "Christ the
> Only Way. . . ."
>
> A major sine qua non aspect of holiness under "Christ the
> Only Way" is to live exactly as He commanded to do, whereby
> ALL His followers “had all things in common”
> redistributing the wealth according to need, i.e., "as every
> man had need," Acts 2:44-45, NONE were saying “aught”
> “was his own,” Acts 4:32, 34-35.
>
> They "sold" their income-producing "lands or houses,"
> donating the proceeds to the Church, i.e., "at the apostles'
> feet," thereby abolishing poverty, Acts
> 4:34.   They knew this is how to obey the
> Matthew 25:35-40 criteria for salvation. They knew Christ's
> position in favor of income equality, Matthew 20:1-15, and
> that the rich cannot be saved, Matthew
> 5:3,   Matthew
> 19:16-24,   Mark
> 10:17-25,   Luke 1:53,   Luke
> 6:20 and 24-25,   Luke
> 12:16-21,   Luke 16:13-15,
> 19-31,   Luke
> 18:18-25,   James 2:5,
> 15-16,   James 5:1-6.
>
> These Christians followed "Christ the Only Way" by all
> “speaking the same thing,” “joined together in the
> same mind and the same judgment,” 1 Cor. 1:10, all “in
> unity,” Psalm 133:1.
>
> This was pursuant to Christ's personal example, Philippians
> 2:6-8, giving up everything, and His command, "Every one of
> you who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple"
> (Luke 14:33, Mark 10:21, Luke 18:22). Mark 10:21, Luke
> 18:22, Christ had spoken to "the rich young man."
>
> The First Century Church knew this directive applied to
> everyone, that this was a general commandment / principle
> mandatory for all people desirous of salvation, Luke 14:33,
> thus had been obeyed by the poor widow who gave all she had,
> Mark 12:42-44 and Luke 21:2-4, and the widow who had given
> essentially all her food to Elijah, 1 Kings 17:9-12, Luke
> 4:25-26.
>
> Christ additionally commanded His church, "to teach [the
> members] to observe all things whatsover that I commanded
> you," Matthew 28:20].   His Church, the one
> and only, obeys this. All other churches that do not,
> neither practicing nor at least preaching His "Only Way" in
> this regard, are not His followers.  That are the 2
> Corinthians 11:13-15 church.
>
> That's real "radical holiness," words from the closing
> below.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Billy Joe Parker <parker30183@...>
> >Sent: Dec 21, 2011 5:13 PM
> >To: "Leroy J. Pletten" <lpletten@...>,
> Jim Hedges <prohibitionists@...>,
> Don Webb <donwebb1@...>,
> June Griffin <jb21@...>,
> Lee Kennicutt <lutherleekennicutt@...>,
> prohibitionparty@...,
> Russell Hallock <rhallock@...>,
> Toby Davis <tobyjanetdavis@...>,
> DMBerlin@...,
> Vern Bearden <beardenstrings@...>,
> Robert Turton <gospelworkers@...>,
> Prudence Caskey <prudencecaskeyforcommissioner@...>,
> Barry Alphonso <alphonso.barry@...>,
> Gary Van Horn <vindex76@...>,
> Keith Sanders <dksande@...>,
> Rusty Walton <rustymfh@...>,
> Richard Swift <swiftyone2002@...>,
> Carris <kochercj@...>
> >Subject: Fw: From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher
> "Christ the Only Way" Proverbs 16:25 December 2011
> >
> ... From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher
>
> >>             
>        December 2011
>
> >> An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift,
> publishing the sermons
> >> of Rev. Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness
> preacher
> >>
> >> This "From the Pulpit of Holiness Preacher"
> newsletter is the 40th I've
> >> sent out
> >> since March of '06. This is the 38th I've typed of
> my grandfather's
> >> sermons.
> >> There are 97 more sermons not including the "Class
> Meeting Materials" in
> >> one old
> >> envelope and "Funeral Material" (several sermons)
> in a very torn envelope.
> >> Of
> >> those 97, 5 cannot be used. Two of them are
> missionary sermons with very
> >> limited
> >> relevancy. One is too faded to read. Two are
> basically abridgements of a
> >> couple
> >> sermons. This makes 92 more sermons that can be
> used. Doing one per month,
> >> it
> >> will take me until August of 2019 to finish!
> >>
> >> The following sermon was preached in the Free
> Methodist Churches of Yale,
> >> Buel,
> >> Ball Circuit, Michigan; Caro, Michigan; Glendale,
> California; W.
> >> Hollywood,
> >> California; Phoenix, Arizona; Pomona, California;
> and Mira Loma,
> >> California. It
> >> was also preached twice in the Bible Missionary
> Church of Cucamonga,
> >> California
> >> (the last date of Nov.12, '61).
> >>
> >>             
>          Christ, the Only Way
> >>
> >> Text: Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way that seemeth
> right unto man, but the
> >> ends
> >> thereof are the ways of death."
> >>
> >> 1. Besetting sin? Pride, Jealousy, Lust, Greed?
> the sin of your
> >> constitution or
> >> trade? But sin in any form is a reproach to any
> people. Ends in death!
> >>
> >> 2. False view of religion: "All roads lead to
> heaven." Sincere but wrong!
> >>
> >> 3. Imperfect repentance: Believe with no witness
> or assurance
> >>
> >> 4. False Faith: Walking back of light. The way of
> the transgressor is
> >> hard.
> >> Repent! We may walk back of light and gain worldly
> fame, but "a man's life
> >> consisteth not in the abundance of things he
> possesseth" (Luke 12:15). "If
> >> thou
> >> wilt enter eternal life, keep the commandments of
> God." (Matthew 19:17)
> >> "Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world."
> In us and outside of us!
> >> Praise God! Jesus said, "Marvel not that I say
> unto you, ye must be born
> >> again."
> >> Made new creatures. New desires, appetites,
> aspirations, rather than to
> >> look,
> >> talk, or act like the world. I don't want a
> trinket that belongs to satan.
> >> In
> >> these days of powerless Christianity, let us
> search our hearts and see if
> >> there
> >> be any wicked way of the world in us.
> >>
> >> "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
> precious promises: that by
> >> these
> >> ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
> escaped the corruption
> >> that
> >> is in the world through lust." (2nd Peter 1:4)
> >>
> >> When children 5 years old can pray through, and
> know God, and have peace
> >> come
> >> into their hearts, it would seem that older
> people, and even those in
> >> their 2nd
> >> childhood ought to know Him and keep peace in
> their souls. Doesn't it?
> >>
> >> Oh God send us a revival! Why did the Methodists
> have revivals? Why did we
> >> used
> >> to have revivals? Because we were a Spirit filled,
> witnessing people.
> >> Ephesians
> >> 5:22-25,29 "That ye put off concerning the former
> conversation the old
> >> man,
> >> which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
> 23And be renewed in the
> >> spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new
> man, which after God is
> >> created in righteousness and true holiness.
> 25Wherefore putting away
> >> lying,
> >> speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we
> are members one of
> >> another...29Let no corrupt communication proceed
> out of your mouth, but
> >> that
> >> which is good to the use of edifying, that it may
> minister grace unto the
> >> hearers."
> >>
> >> When Charles G. Finney preached in Philadelphia,
> rough lumberjacks were
> >> floating
> >> their logs down the Delaware River. Three men went
> to hear Finney and were
> >> fully
> >> converted. Then they went back and told of finding
> Jesus as their Saviour,
> >> and
> >> 5000 people were converted without a preacher.
> They had never heard a
> >> preacher.
> >> Some [preachers] were sent to them later.
> Colossians 3:8-10 "But now ye
> >> also put
> >> off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
> filthy communication out
> >> of your
> >> mouth. 9Lie not one to another, seeing that ye
> have put off the old man
> >> with his
> >> deeds; 10And have put on the new man, which is
> renewed in knowledge after
> >> the
> >> image of him that created him:"
> >>
> >> Salvation is a radical changing of the heart,
> transforming of the life,
> >> and an
> >> imparting of Christ-likeness into us. A church or
> individual must have it
> >> to win
> >> others. A good example is found in Acts 4:13;
> 5:41,42. 4:13- "Now when
> >> they saw
> >> the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that
> they were unlearned and
> >> ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
> knowledge of them, that they
> >> had
> >> been with Jesus."
> >> 5:41,42- "41And they departed from the presence of
> the council, rejoicing
> >> that
> >> they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his
> name. 42And daily in the
> >> temple, and in every house, they ceased not to
> teach and preach Jesus
> >> Christ.
> >>
> >> Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the
> life." Acts 4:12- "Neither
> >> is
> >> there salvation in any other: for there is none
> other name under heaven
> >> given
> >> among men, whereby we must be saved." The way is
> straight and narrow, and
> >> difficult with crosses and temptations, but, "He
> giveth more grace."
> >>
> >> The Path of the Just:
> >>
> >> 1. Keep your eyes on the Way. "Remember Lot's
> wife."
> >>
> >> 2. Hands and feet in His way of salvation.
> Colssians 2:20-22- "20Wherefore
> >> if ye
> >> be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the
> world, why, as though living
> >> in
> >> the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch
> not; taste not; handle
> >> not;
> >> 22Which all are to perish with the using;) after
> the commandments and
> >> doctrines
> >> of men?"
> >> Walk not in the way of the world. don't run with
> the worldly crowd in
> >> excess of
> >> riot. Run this race with patience, "looking unto
> Jesus, the Author and
> >> finisher
> >> of our faith."
> >>
> >> 3. Thoughts in the way! Philippians 4:7,8- "7And
> the peace of God, which
> >> passeth
> >> all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
> minds through Christ Jesus.
> >> 8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
> whatsoever things are
> >> honest,
> >> whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
> pure, whatsoever things
> >> are
> >> lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
> there be any virtue, and
> >> if
> >> there be any praise, think on these things."
> Isaiah 55:7-9- "7Let the
> >> wicked
> >> forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
> thoughts: and let him return
> >> unto
> >> the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to
> our God, for he will
> >> abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your
> thoughts, neither are
> >> your ways
> >> my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are
> higher than the earth, so
> >> are
> >> my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
> than your thoughts."
> >>
> >> Read only good literature. store your mind with
> good so there will no room
> >> for
> >> evil thoughts.
> >>
> >> 4. Keep your tongue in the Way of Life. Have your
> converstion in heaven.
> >> When we
> >> are praying for someone, we are not criticizing
> them are we? Some pray
> >> that way!
> >>
> >> The condition of the heart rules the tongue. "A
> man of words and not of
> >> deeds is
> >> like a garden of weeds." (Evangelical Bulletin)
> >>
> >> J.T. Larsen tells of a man saved by a converstion.
> Rev. Gravett of Denver,
> >> Colorado, a Baptist minister met a man at the
> drinking fountain. The
> >> stranger
> >> told Mr. Gravett to go first.
> >> Mr. Gravett said to him, "God invites you to drink
> at the fountain of the
> >> water
> >> of life. For God says in the Bible, 'let him that
> is athirst come. And
> >> whosoever
> >> will, let him take the water of life
> freely.'(Revelation 22:17).
> >> "Does the Bible say that?" asked the man.
> >> "Yes, and it will mean eternal life to your soul",
> said Gravett.
> >> The man turned to go, and Mr. Gravett said, "Come
> and hear Gypsy Smith
> >> tonight
> >> in the City Auditorium." Then they parted.
> >> Thirty years later, Mr. Gravett was conducting a
> meeting in Greeley,
> >> Colorado.
> >> As he stepped up to the Post Office window for his
> mail, the Postmaster
> >> called
> >> Mr. gravett into his office and related this
> incident. he said he had the
> >> poison
> >> in his pocket to take that night before he drank
> at the fountain, but upon
> >> Mr.
> >> Gravett's advice, he went to Gypsy Smith's meeting
> that night and was
> >> converted.
> >> Since then he had lived a new life. Someone said,
> "I saw it on the
> >> bill-board at
> >> an Evangelical Church, 'A man with a big mouth
> usually has a small
> >> brain.'" It
> >> means something to be minutemen for God.
> >>
> >> 5. Keep your ears in the way. Many people hear
> things that are injurious
> >> to
> >> their Christian experience. "Take not up a
> reproach against thy neighbor."
> >> Keep
> >> your ears in tune to heaven, not human gossip.
> >>
> >> 6. Keep your heart in the way. "Render to Ceasar
> the things that are
> >> Ceasars and
> >> to God the things that are His." "Set your
> affections on things above and
> >> not on
> >> this earth."
> >>
> >> [Inserted is an article, entitled "Die Rather Than
> Surrender". Below are
> >> some
> >> excerpts from that article]
> >>
> >> "Carved over the entrance of a certain fort on
> Europe's battle-fiels, are
> >> the
> >> words, 'Die under the ruins of this fort rather
> than surrender.' There is
> >> another warfare in which the spirit of these words
> is to be observed just
> >> as
> >> loyally. When the Christian is contending in
> life's battle for principle
> >> he
> >> first puts on the necessary spiritual armor, and
> having done this, it his
> >> duty
> >> to 'stand' until struck down in the defense of his
> Master's cause. Death
> >> under
> >> such circumstances is victory of the highest
> type."- Hallock in Young
> >> People's
> >> Friend
> >>
> >> "The path of the just is as a shining light that
> shineth more and more
> >> unto the
> >> perfect day."
> >>
> >> "Therefore, come what may, hold fast to love.
> Though men should rend your
> >> heart,
> >> let them not embitter or harden it. We win by
> tenderness, we conquer by
> >> forgiveness."- F.W. Robertson
> >>
> >> "Avoid the very appearance of evil."
> >>
> >> [The following was pasted on to this sermon. With
> 21st Century technology
> >> I was
> >> able to scan, copy, and paste this to the sermon
> by attachment.]
> >>
> >> [This concludes this sermon of my grandfather]
> >>
> >> Yours for Radical Holiness,
> >> Richard D. Swift
> >> 505 Hickory Hills Dr
> >> Dexter, MO 63841
> >> 573-625-9535
>
>
>

Thankyou so much for your note of encouragement! I'll tell Sue, hello. We are
doing fine. We got ourselves a "new" '05 Mercury Grand Marquis LS. Nice car with
only 75,000 miles on it. We keep you all in prayer.

Love and prayers,

Richard and Sue





--- On Thu, 1/12/12, Wayne and Beverly Stracener <wastrace2@...> wrote:

> From: Wayne and Beverly Stracener <wastrace2@...>
> Subject: Happy New Year
> To: swiftyone2002@...
> Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012, 2:19 PM
> Dear Richard,
>
> I don't often reply to your emails, but I wanted you to
> know that you are doing a remarkable job typing up Grandpa
> Swift's messages.� So, you only have nine more years to
> get them all finished!
>
> We trust you and Sue are doing okay.� Tell her hello
> for me.� We surely enjoyed seeing you at General
> Conference.
>
> Love and prayers,
>
> Aunt Beverly
>
>
>
> Wayne A. Stracener
> wastrace2@...
>

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

� � � � � � � � � � � �
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � January 2012

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

The following sermon was actually addressed to preachers, perhaps at a
preachers' convention. It is written on the back of a letter from Spiegel and is
addressed to Rev. Reed A Swift Jena, Lousiana. It is dated 1/11/44. Apparently
he had apparently ordered three darts from Spiegel, Inc. and had not recieved
them. the letter states that a check for .44 is enclosed! Anyway, Rev. Swift had
been District Superintendent of the Lousiana Conference of the Free Methodist
Church 1939-'43, and from 1943-'44, he was an itinerant evangelist for the Free
Methodist church in the Southern states.



� � � � ���Keep the Spirit Down Through the Years (for preachers)

Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Introduction- I'll say of myself [that I am] naturally dumb and slow. But one
day, I waited on God; he filled me with the Holy Ghost. Glory! I am still dumb
and slow but not as bad! But, greater is He that is for me, than all that is
against me.

I can never be as great a preacher as some of you men are or can be, but I think
some of you need a Spiritual bomb of Ambition.

[Some pointers:]

Work if you need to, anything to make your ministry successful.

Be a go-getter- Don't let the work die.

Be independent- Don't be disgruntled.

If no faith in results- Go to calling Acts 1:8

Pastor is the key man! Have Revivals.

God did not call you to be a fizzle. Tarry until He, the Holy Ghost comes

[Illustration of] my garden- [it had to be] ploughed!

Prepare the Way of the Lord. Some pastors' preparation for revival, seeds:

"Ye shall recieve power after the Holy Ghost is come."

1. Is your ministry powerless? The Holy Ghost is drawing.

2. You want to dress modest.

3. Talk like one [a Spirit filled preacher].

4. Be blessed like one.

5. I believe you'll pay your debts.

6. Be courteous

7. Quit dipping snuff, chewing tobacco, sucking cigars. [Note: This practice was
already forbidden by the Free Methodist General Rules. A principle is laid here
though. Quit doing things or putting things into your body that harm the temple
of the Holy Ghost!] The [black] woman said, "Gone to meddling now!"

8. I believe you'll go to church every chance possible, even if a Sunday reunion
is going on.

9. Keep the Sabbath Holy.

10. Long tongued gossip will cease.

11. Unity among the brethren. Love thinketh no evil.

12. Love is a cure for stomach ulcers. Anyone can make himself sick. Find your
pulse. Worry causes sickness. Are you starved to death? God's will is active.

13. Get out of debt.

14. You donot lack ability but initiative. Don't be tied to your wife's apron
strings. Assist, sure, but...
Some laity do seem blind, but the pastor must be active and alive.

"We are co-workers together with Christ." "Ye shall recieve power." Power over
yourself. Many hungry souls may be led to Christ if you are filled.

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon.] [Editor's Note: WARNING! I feel led by
the Holy spirit to add this warning to the above sermon.

A person may never understand the Biblical doctrine of Entire Sanctification as
a second definite instantaneous work of grace subsequent to the work of grace
known as Justification (the new birth or being born again). But, Holiness of
heart is neccessary for heaven (Matthew 5:6; 1st Thessalonians 4:3-7 & 5:23; and
Hebrews 12:14).When a Christian realizes the need in the heart for a deeper
experience or sees the inner depravity of the heart and recognizes the need for
the cleansing work of the Holy Ghost, but fails to seek until recieving that
experience and work of divine grace, there is the danger of backsliding. There
is also the danger of accepting a substitute for Holiness (Hebrews 12:15-17).
Reader, I don't send these sermons out for some kind of personal gratification.
I send these out for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Scriptural Holiness.

A preacher who fails to seek for and until recieving the cleansing Baptism with
the Holy Ghost and with Fire by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ is in even
more danger than a non-preacher. Preachers who fail to get sanctified wholly
will not only backslide or accept a substitute, they may actually preach against
holiness and may preach false doctrine. The blood of their followers will be on
their hands! In "Likes and Dislikes of a Sanctified Person", by L.R. Thomas, we
read, "He dislikes all compromising, worldliness, and modern isms, including
Modernism, Lodgism, Seventh Dayism, Oxford Groupism, British Israelism, etc.,
etc., etc." "He dislikes being blind to deliberate deception in theology, in
church life, in conduct, of those who profess to be Christians." (This tract was
in my grandfather's note book for a Holiness Convention he held at a Free
Methodist Church in Miami, Florida in January/February, 1943. I had it laminated
many years ago when I
  aquired these sermons from Grandma Swift in 1985.)

Preacher, don't settle for anything less than Holiness of heart and life! Don't
accept and preach a substitute!]

Yours for Radical Holiness,

Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr.
Dexter, MO 63841
573-625-9535

Rev. R.H.Allen (1847 - May 14, 1930) was a minister in the Church of God
Holiness. I copy and paste the following from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._H._Allen

John Harden Allen ( 1847 - May 14, 1930 )[1][2] was an American minister. He was
associated with the Church of God (Holiness), and is also heavily associated
with British Israelism. He came from Illinois, later moving to Missouri in 1879.
Originally a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church, he later became a pastor
in the Wesleyan Methodist Church in California. He was one of the co-founders of
the Church of God (Holiness) in 1883.[3] He "evangelized throughout the West and
eventually moved to Pasadena, California, where he died".[4] Around 1917 he
produced a publication entitled Stone Kingdom Herald.[1]

Allen is best known for his book titled Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright,
which many have claimed formed the foundation for the teachings on
British-Israelism of Herbert W. Armstrong.[5][6][7] While the works of Allen and
Armstrong are by no means identical, with Allen's work being much earlier, much
longer and in hard-back book format, the core of Allen's work does appear to
have served as inspiration for Armstrong, and Allen's book was not unknown to
Armstrong's students at Ambassador College. There are many similarities between
the two works, and in some places they are nearly word-for-word the same.[8]

Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright is divided into three parts:

Part one addresses the claim that God made a promise Abraham that his
descendants would become many nations. The chapters are:

Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright; Race Versus Grace; The Sceptre and The
Birthright; Jacob's Seed Divided Into Two Kingdoms; All Israelites Are Not Jews;
The Broken Brotherhood; Ephraim-Samaria -- Israel's Idolatry; Samaria-Israel
Cast Out And Cast Off; The Jews Go To Babylon And Return; Joseph-Israel Lost.

In part two the topics discussed are the promise to David of a perpetuated
throne and Kingdom. The chapters are:

The Sceptre And The Davidic Covenant; Jeremiah's Call And Commission; The
Tearing Down And Rooting Out; Vindication Of The Personal Promises Of Jeremiah;
A Royal Remnant That Escapes; The Prince Of The Scarlet Thread; The "Prince Of
The Scarlet Thread" And "The Royal Remnant" United.

Part three claims to uncover the Abrahamic Nations. The chapters covered are:

Lost Israel And The First Overturn Located; Jacob's Pillow-Pillar Stone; The
Other Overturns; Dan --The Serpent's Trail; Israel In The Isles; A Few More
Identities; A Study In "Scarlet"; Egypt-Israelitish And Anglo-Saxon Emblems; The
Two-Fold Aspect Of Prophetic Israel; The Coming Exodus.

Footnotes1.^ a b Jones, footnote 16.
2.^ Michael Barkun, Religion and the Racist Right: The Origins of the Christian
Identity Movement, (1994), pg. 20.
3.^ Charles Edwin Jones, "Anti-ordanance: A Proto-Pentecostal Phenomenon?"*[1]
4.^ Barkun, pg. 20.
5.^ Ambassador Report 15, March 31, 1981, "Armstrong's Doctrines Unique?"*
6.^ Ralph G. Orr, "How Anglo-Israelism Entered Seventh-day Churches of God a
history of the doctrine from John Wilson to Joseph W. Tkach", revised April
1999, [2]
7.^ Gavin Rumney, Ambassador Watch, "Plagiarism, Flurry and Fraulein Kraus",
January 14, 2007, [3].
8.^ Armstrong Plagiarism Research

That concludes the excerpts from Wikipedia on Allen. Notice that it says, "Allen
is best known for his book titled Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright." What
happened? He rejected the holiness he one time preached and accepted a
substitute! In histories of the Holiness Movement and of the Church of God
(Holiness), he is barely mentioned! Why? He rejected holiness and accepted a
substitute. His book is sold throughout the Christian Identity/Anglo-Israel
Movement. But there is NO mention of holiness in the above mentioned movement!








--- In ReedASwift@yahoogroups.com, Richard Swift <swiftyone2002@...> wrote:
>
>   From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher
>
>
>                               January 2012
>
> An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of
Rev. Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher
>
> The following sermon was actually addressed to preachers, perhaps at a
preachers' convention. It is written on the back of a letter from Spiegel and is
addressed to Rev. Reed A Swift Jena, Lousiana. It is dated 1/11/44. Apparently
he had apparently ordered three darts from Spiegel, Inc. and had not recieved
them. the letter states that a check for .44 is enclosed! Anyway, Rev. Swift had
been District Superintendent of the Lousiana Conference of the Free Methodist
Church 1939-'43, and from 1943-'44, he was an itinerant evangelist for the Free
Methodist church in the Southern states.
>
>
>
>            Keep the Spirit Down Through the Years (for preachers)
>
> Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and
in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
>
> Introduction- I'll say of myself [that I am] naturally dumb and slow. But one
day, I waited on God; he filled me with the Holy Ghost. Glory! I am still dumb
and slow but not as bad! But, greater is He that is for me, than all that is
against me.
>
> I can never be as great a preacher as some of you men are or can be, but I
think some of you need a Spiritual bomb of Ambition.
>
> [Some pointers:]
>
> Work if you need to, anything to make your ministry successful.
>
> Be a go-getter- Don't let the work die.
>
> Be independent- Don't be disgruntled.
>
> If no faith in results- Go to calling Acts 1:8
>
> Pastor is the key man! Have Revivals.
>
> God did not call you to be a fizzle. Tarry until He, the Holy Ghost comes
>
> [Illustration of] my garden- [it had to be] ploughed!
>
> Prepare the Way of the Lord. Some pastors' preparation for revival, seeds:
>
> "Ye shall recieve power after the Holy Ghost is come."
>
> 1. Is your ministry powerless? The Holy Ghost is drawing.
>
> 2. You want to dress modest.
>
> 3. Talk like one [a Spirit filled preacher].
>
> 4. Be blessed like one.
>
> 5. I believe you'll pay your debts.
>
> 6. Be courteous
>
> 7. Quit dipping snuff, chewing tobacco, sucking cigars. [Note: This practice
was already forbidden by the Free Methodist General Rules. A principle is laid
here though. Quit doing things or putting things into your body that harm the
temple of the Holy Ghost!] The [black] woman said, "Gone to meddling now!"
>
> 8. I believe you'll go to church every chance possible, even if a Sunday
reunion is going on.
>
> 9. Keep the Sabbath Holy.
>
> 10. Long tongued gossip will cease.
>
> 11. Unity among the brethren. Love thinketh no evil.
>
> 12. Love is a cure for stomach ulcers. Anyone can make himself sick. Find your
pulse. Worry causes sickness. Are you starved to death? God's will is active.
>
> 13. Get out of debt.
>
> 14. You donot lack ability but initiative. Don't be tied to your wife's apron
strings. Assist, sure, but...
> Some laity do seem blind, but the pastor must be active and alive.
>
> "We are co-workers together with Christ." "Ye shall recieve power." Power over
yourself. Many hungry souls may be led to Christ if you are filled.
>
> [This concludes my grandfather's sermon.] [Editor's Note: WARNING! I feel led
by the Holy spirit to add this warning to the above sermon.
>
> A person may never understand the Biblical doctrine of Entire Sanctification
as a second definite instantaneous work of grace subsequent to the work of grace
known as Justification (the new birth or being born again). But, Holiness of
heart is neccessary for heaven (Matthew 5:6; 1st Thessalonians 4:3-7 & 5:23; and
Hebrews 12:14).When a Christian realizes the need in the heart for a deeper
experience or sees the inner depravity of the heart and recognizes the need for
the cleansing work of the Holy Ghost, but fails to seek until recieving that
experience and work of divine grace, there is the danger of backsliding. There
is also the danger of accepting a substitute for Holiness (Hebrews 12:15-17).
Reader, I don't send these sermons out for some kind of personal gratification.
I send these out for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Scriptural Holiness.
>
> A preacher who fails to seek for and until recieving the cleansing Baptism
with the Holy Ghost and with Fire by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ is in
even more danger than a non-preacher. Preachers who fail to get sanctified
wholly will not only backslide or accept a substitute, they may actually preach
against holiness and may preach false doctrine. The blood of their followers
will be on their hands! In "Likes and Dislikes of a Sanctified Person", by L.R.
Thomas, we read, "He dislikes all compromising, worldliness, and modern isms,
including Modernism, Lodgism, Seventh Dayism, Oxford Groupism, British
Israelism, etc., etc., etc." "He dislikes being blind to deliberate deception in
theology, in church life, in conduct, of those who profess to be Christians."
(This tract was in my grandfather's note book for a Holiness Convention he held
at a Free Methodist Church in Miami, Florida in January/February, 1943. I had it
laminated many years ago when I
>  aquired these sermons from Grandma Swift in 1985.)
>
> Preacher, don't settle for anything less than Holiness of heart and life!
Don't accept and preach a substitute!]
>
> Yours for Radical Holiness,
>
> Richard D. Swift
> 505 Hickory Hills Dr.
> Dexter, MO 63841
> 573-625-9535
>

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                             February 2012


An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

This message was preached on the radio Monday, August 29, 1938, while Rev. Swift
was pastoring the Free Methodist Church of Phoenix Arizona. It is titled Radio
Talk No.1. It is type written on four pages. Radio Talk No.2 will be sent out
next month.

                          What is Prayer?

Scripture Lesson, Luke 18:1-8  Song: Blessed Hour of Prayer

If we would be encouraged in these days of natural discouragement on every hand,
we should be Bible Christians and heed the Scriptural admonition in Luke 18:1,
"Men ought always to pray and not to faint." This implies that we will not faint
if we pray and also if we are fainting we are not praying.

The question arises, "What is prayer?" Some people think it is standing with
bowed heads and saying words, supposedly to God. Others think that praying is to
sit with bowed heads and whisper their desires to God. Still others feel that
kneeling with bowed heads will surely bring their hearts desires to them.

In the first place, prayer is not so much the posture of the body as it is to
the attitude of the heart when you pray. Rather let your heart be without words
than your words without heart. There can be no true prayer when the heart is not
in submission to the Divine will of God; for all true prayer is based on the
merits and mediation of Jesus Christ.

The poet expressed it wel when he said:

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire;
Uttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach
The Majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice,
Returning from his ways;
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, 'Behold, he prays!'

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air,
The watchword at the gates of death;
he enters heaven with prayer.

O thou, by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer thyself hast trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray!"

When this is the attitude and condition of our hearts God will answer all our
prayers. He doesn't always say, "Yes", but He always supplies the crying need of
our hearts. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord", and sometimes the
stops. There are times we must stand still to see the answers to our prayers;
and at other times we must go forward at God's command and help bring them to
pass. Always keep step with God; and watch, and pray, and not faint.

Elijah prayed and asked to die when he was out in the desert under a juniper
tree; but God said, "No!" because He had something better for him. There was
still work for Elijah to do, and when he was faithful in performing what God
required of him, then God took him to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Then again; God's delays do not always mean denials. We see this in the case of
Moses, who wanted to go into the promised land. Moses died, "not having recieved
the promise." But Moses believed God, 1400 years later was privileged to go down
to the Mount of Transfiguration, where Jesus was talking to His Father. And
there Moses enjoyed looking over the country. Joshua and Caleb, his
contemporaries, had many years of hard fighting against giants and walled cities
and armies of the Canaanites before they could enjoy the same privilege.

Many delayed prayers are recorded in the scriptures which were not denials. For
example: Joseph, who waited in prison because of his loyalty to Christian
principles and was later given great power. Hannah, who prayed for a son from
God, had to wait until she became a proper mother to bring forth a prophet and
ruler for Israel into the world. Paul prayed that his thorn in the flesh might
be removed, but instead, God gave him grace to bear his affliction.

Prayer is emphasized in the Bible more than anything else. Paul says to "pray
without ceasing," meaning to be in constant communion with the Lord. Many
professed Christians, who are filled with levity and nonsense, wonder how this
possible. With them, fainting spiritually is more common than a prayerful,
worshipful attitude.

God cannot help us if we donot pray. God is willing and able to supply our every
need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, our Lord; but, He says we
must ask in Jesus Name and according to His will. Then we know He hears us and
we have the petition granted according to our good and His glory. Such praying
revives man's soul with courage, faith, and victory.

We are not creators, we are merely servants to laws already created by God. If
we obey God's natural laws those laws will obey us. If we obey God's spiritual
laws, those laws will obey us.

Men who pray, without ceasing, donot faint. To faint is to fail, not to finish.
We donoyt reach any goal by quitting. we must not expect an answer to prayer
without praying; and we must not pray unless we expect an answer.

[Ed Note: Inserted in the sermon material, there is this quote on prayer, titled
"Prayer".]

"Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal the inspired word to you, and give you a
mind to understand it, a memory to retain it, a heart to love it, and a tongue
to proclaim it." [Read by George]

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever. Amen."

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter MO 63841
573-625-9535

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                              March 2012

An email newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher


The following sermon was first preached as "Radio Message #2 as a followup to
the Radio Message #1, published last month. This was also preached on the radio
in Phoenix, Arizona in 1938 while he was pastoring the Phoenix Free Methodist
Church. It was preached with additions (making it rather confusing and difficult
to connect the parts)in the Free Methodist Churches of Phoenix, Arizona; Pomona,
California; and Mira Loma, California and in the Four Square Gospel Church of
Mira Loma, California.

                            Ministry of Prayer

                            Ephesians 6:18 Text

Introduction: Luke 11:1 says, "Lord teach us to pray." This is a good prayer
[the Lord's prayer]. All great men were men of prayer.

Old testament Men: Abraham, Jacob, Elijah, Daniel, The three Hebrew men,
Solomon, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Jonah

New Teatament Men: Apostles (cast out devils, healed the sick, fasting, prayer
in prison), Crucified thief who was converted, Publican, the early Church,
Christ- Example- Early rising, solitary place, Gethsemsane.

Pray for not deliverance from sufffering but from evil.

Intercessory prayer brought Pentecost and it will today

Importunate prayer: Example of mother coming to Jesus for her son, George
Mueller and the sea captain.

Various forms of prayer: Social, Family, and private

Prayer must be in the Spirit (Paul said, "and with the understanding also.).
This prayer is simple yet powerful, uttered or unspoken.

Prayer is a refuge. Harbor for ships, Dug-outs for cyclones, cellars for
earthquakes, and Mountains for floods but Prayer is for every storm. It is an
anchor for the soul. A ship needs an anchor and the church needs prayer. Men
pray when in trouble.


I. Call to Prayer

A. Few pray.

B. Call is universal. Luke 18:1- "Men ought always to pray and not faint."
IThessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing."

C. Prayer changes things.

1. Praying from a pure heart. Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 139:23,24; James
5:16; mark 11:25
2. Praying with right motive. James 4:3- Not for pride or vain glory but for the
glory of God.
3. Prayer must be sincere and earnest.
4. Pray with faith. Hebrews 11:6; Mark 11:24 Romans 10:17
5. Ask according to God's will. IJohn 5:14; James 1:5; Romans 8:26,27

II. How to Succeed in Prayer

A. Aquire a relish for prayer or a habit. How?

1. By promptly obeying the Spirit's call to prayer.
2. As we enter the immediate presence of God, we should leave every worldly care
and thought outside.
3. Redeem every moment for prayer.

B. Attitude of prayer.

C. Life of prayer.

1. Search my prayer life. In prayer, we need daily renewing of the Holy Ghost.
"Though the outward man perisheth, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."
(IICorinthians 4:16) Family, private, public.

Prayer is the only source of a healthy daily grwoth.

Another man's trifling is obvious to all, but what am I doing to improve my
time?

Am I in vital daily touch with God through earnest daily prayer?

E.M Bounds says that unction and power comes from the secret place and not the
study, although both are necessary.

Praying hearts only are filled hearts.

Praying lips only have the words of life.

What are yours? Idle chit-chat or gossip?

Pentecost came by continuing steadfast in prayer. Hearts were purified. James
was killed, but Peter was delivered. Herod had killed James and planned to do
likewise with Peter, but the church went to prayer.

Herod's plans, soldiers' guards, chains, locked gates, bars and walls meant
nothing before a praying church.

Bishop Fairbairn says, "That reading of the Word, meditating on the Word, and
praying in the Holy Ghost, fasting to give power to prayer, this is the secret
of obtaining, retaining, and maintaining Holy unction."

More solititude in prayer is needed today.

It takes prayer, faith, and patience to make us saints.

It is easier to read, write, talk, and hear, than to pray.

All things are possible to the heart that is in the spirit of faith and prayer.
Payson says, "Pray 1st, 2nd, and 3rd."

Devotional habits are lacking in ministers and people today. E.M.Bounds says the
pride of learning has crowded out the dependent humility of prayer. Pray! pray!
Pray! or your life will be powerless. God gives His power according to our
asking in prayer. God's revelation to man is according to man's longings in
importunate prayer. Read [Andrew] Murray's Ministry of Intercession with your
Bible.

The power of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost came after days of prayer. The same is
true today. Prevailing prayer brings the Holy Spirit.

The measure of power in your life is in direct proportion to the measure of
prayer in your life. Ask in faith! My prayer life:

a. Has my prayer life been powerless because of some besetting sin?
b. Has my prayer life been hindered by haste, irregularity, lack of system,
unpreparedness of spirit, or unbelief?
c. Has my prayer life been fruitless? Have I really had such power with God that
I have power with souls?
d. Has my prayer life been limited to my own life, to my own work, to my own
service for God?
e. Has my prayer life been intermittent and starved?
f. Has my prayer life been growing? Do I daily know more of the meaning ,
efficacy, and power of prayer?
g. Has my prayer life been sacrificial? What has it cost in time, strength,
vitality, and love?

2. Our converstion should be more in heaven. Our words seasoned with salt,
mercy, kindness, and truth. Can a fountain give forth bitter and sweet water? Or
a tongue both blessing and cursing and please God? The poet [Charles Wesley]
says,
"And must I be to judgment brought,
  And answer in that day,
  For every vain and idle thought,
  And every word I say?

Yes, every secret of my heart,
  Shall shortly be made known,
  And I receive my just desert
  For all that I have done.

How careful, then ought I to walk,
  With what religious fear!
  Who such a strict account must give
  For my behavior here.

Were half the breath that's vainly spent
  To heaven in supplication sent,
  Our cheerful song would often be,
  Hear what the Lord hath done for me!

[Thou awful Judge of quick and dead,
  The watchful power bestow;
  So shall I to my ways take heed,
  To all I speak or do.

If now Thou standest at the door,
  O let me feel Thee near,
  And make my peace with God, before
  I at Thy bar appear.]"


III. How to Hold Newly Obtained Ground- Satan fights a praying person the
hardest. Watch!

IV. Effects of a Prayer Life on its Possessor

A. He has Holy Ghost power and is a reproof to sinners.

B. He gets burdened for the unsaved and detects compromise in the saints.

C. His spiritual vision is so clarified, he detects the shrewdest hypocrite.

D. Man of prayer sees the past, present, and future and is forewarned.

Conclusion:

With praying Hyde, our sword, the sword of the Spirit, should be keen to win
souls. We should sharpen it with prayer and the study of His Word. Prayer and
the study of His Word are our most powerful weapons against sin and evil.

When praying Hyde wanted to resign because he was hard of hearing and slow of
learning the language of India, the villagers of India told the Synod not to
accept his resignation. They said, "If he never speaks the language of our lips,
still he speaks the language of our hearts."

That is what we need today: a soul stir! Praying Hyde became a most fluent
speaker of their language.

There is no failure in Christian work. The only failure is not doing it.

Sin in any man's life is only washed away when there is true repentance and
confession.

Praise is the King's Highway.

Oh that we would make a Highway on which the Lord would come and bless us.

We must be crucified with Christ. Self must be destroyed that the glory of the
Master might shine through us. The old man must be crucified, dead, and buried
with Christ, and the new man must be renewed, raised, and seated. If the old man
is not buried, the stench of him will frighten souls away.

When dying, praying Hyde shouted, "Bol, Yishu, Masih, Ki Jai!", India's battle
cry. Shout the victory of Jesus Christ!

Read "Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret" by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor.

E.M.Bounds says, "Men are God's method. The Church is looking for better
methods; but God is looking for better men. What the church needs today is not
more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but
men whom the Holy Ghost can use- men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy
Ghost does not come on machinery, but on men. he does not annoint plans, but
men- men of prayer."

The training of the Twelve was a great, enduring work of Christ. It is not great
talents or great learning, or great preachers that God needs, but men great in
Holiness, great in faith, great in love, great in fidelity, great for God- men
always preaching by holy sermons in the pulpit, by holy lives out of it. These
mold a generation for God.

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon. Oh for a ministry of prayer! If I never
pastor a church; If I never hold a revival; If I fulfill my call to preach by
doing what God called me to do: standing in the gap and  taking the Gospel of
Full Salvation to the nursing homes, residential care facilities, and assisted
living centers, thus "doing the work of an evangelist", may I have the ministry
of prayer!]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Drive
Dexter Mo 63841
573-625-9535

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                              April 2012

An email/newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of (in the
respective order) Pomona, California; Martha's Chapel, Louisiana; Phoenix,
Mississippi; Liddieville, Columbia, Provencal, and Winnsboro, Louisiana; Mira
Loma, California (twice in 1949 and '53; and Summersville, Louisiana (1955
Gen.Assembly). Included with the sermon is a revival announcement in very good
condition for a the meeting in Columbia, Louisiana. Dates are May 31-June 12. If
June 12 was a Sunday, May 31 was a Tuesday. Thus the revival meeting was in
1949. Robert T. Fisher is listed on the announcement as pastor and song leader.
Page 9 of the sermon was written on the back of an envelope with a 6 cent
airmail stamp on it and post marked 1949! It has the return address as being
1032 Dudley St, Pomona, California and sent to my grandfather c/o Rev Vought
Bradford, Jena, Louisiana.

                    "Oh Lord, Revive Thy Work"

                          Habakkuk 3:2

How many of you read the article in the free methodist paper of March 30, '48
on, "A prescription for a True Revival" by Rev. Earl Habechen? he speaks of R.A.
Torrey as saying, "I can give a prescription that will bring a revival to any
church or community or any city on earth."

Ist. "Let a few Christians (they need not be many) get thoroughly right with God
themselves. This is the prime essential! If this is not done, everything else
will come to nothing."- Dr. R.A. Torrey

What does it mean to be thoroughly right with God? It means to be born of the
Spirit, made a new creature in Christ Jesus! To have the assurance within, of
your adoption into the Heavenly family, then you will walk, talk, look, and act
like a Christian. You are a peacemaker and not an agitator or trouble maker when
right with God.

You are Sanctified Holy and Wholly if you have been justified very long and
walked in the light and continued to please God. You are living in condemnation
if you are walking back of light for Holiness or anything else.

You cannot pray effectually for a revival; you cannot fast and carry a burden
for souls short of being right in your own heart. You cannot always keep a sweet
and even disposition without holiness, nor keep the confidence of the people.
You cannot have a revival without people's confidence. You must be sincere, then
people will have faith in you even if they persecute you. Just hold steady.


IInd. "Let them bind themselves together in a prayer group to pray for a revival
until God opens the heavens and comes down."- Dr. R.A. Torrey

If a few saints are thoroughly right with God they will be of one accord as they
assemble in a group to pray. They will not be praying at somebody to straighten
them up. That will be taken care of ahead of time if right with God. "If ought
against another, be reconciled."

You cannot pray effectually with anyone in whom you donot have confidence. God's
Word says, "If two of you agree as touching anything (in prayer) it shall be
done." That means something today. [Added:] Prayer groups praying through are
needed. Eg.- revival in the Hebredes in 1952- praying three nights per week for
six months until revival came.

IIIrd. "Let them put themselves at the disposal of God for Him to use as He sees
fit in winning others to Christ. These three things obeyed, will bring a revival
to any church or community."- Dr. R.A. Torrey

Nothing is said about the preacher or his preaching at all. Too bad! But a few
(2 or 3) humble, pius saints, waiting on God, and obedient to God will bring the
revival this church or any other church needs. Have faith in God! Elijah's God
still lives today. God's fire still comes down from heaven. "The God who answers
by fire, let Him be God." Wait also for Him!

Don't try and lord it over Him or anybody else or God won't get any glory.
Humility and obedience are needed.

[A poem, "Ask What Ye Will", by Donna M. Garn was inserted here. Unfortuantely,
the poem is lengthy and I could not find it so as to copy and paste here.]

We are all aware that we must have a revival or destruction is certain. World
leaders say the end of all things is at hand. God help us! Rev. Edwin H. Hugh,
Senior Bishop of the Methodist Church said, "We are on the wrong track. We
should be telling the good news of salvation with an emotional stir, which made
Methodism famous, rather than an increase in mere intellectualism."

No cold heart ever saw a heven sent revival in answer to their prayers. we are
ambassadors in Christ's stead through the Holy Ghost. "He shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost and fire."- when thoroughly right with God! Glory!

Every worthwhile revival is born of prayer. Wait on God! Get a new hope,
courage, and vision! "I would never go to hold a revival in any church if I knew
ahead of time that they were not praying for one."- Finney

A lasting revival will never come unless it is prayed down. Are we concerned as
we should be over the coldness of the church today? Let us try these
prescriptions given by Dr. Torrey and see what will happen here! 1, Thoroughly
right with God; 2, Unite in prayer; 3, Obey God's will.

Pray, "Oh God melt our hearts up before you. Use us in some way to lead someone
to Christ. Break up our fallow ground."

"Throw out the life line, throw out the life line; Someone is drifting away.
Throw out the life line, throw out the life line; Someone is sinking today."

The story is told of a vessel that was sinking off the coast of California. The
life-saving crew had done their best to rescue the men from the sinking ship.
when they returned the last time, they were exausted and ready to fall. When
asked if all were saved, they said, "all but one." Then one man of strength
said, "I will go to the rescue if others will help me." His mother embraced him
and said, "Son, you are all that I have left. Father went down at sea, and your
brother, Will went out to sea a year ago and has not been heard from since." The
son said, "Where there is a soul in danger, I must go Mother, as a faithful
member of the life-saving crew." Mother said, "Go, then my son." Out, the
[life-saving] boat bobbed up and down over the big billows to the wrecked ship.
Finally, the boat returned to the shore, and those on shore cried out, "Did you
save him?" [The son answered] "Yes, and tell Mother it's brother Will!"

Let's pray until the victory comes. It may mean your boy or girl saved!

Proverbs 29:18- "Where there is no vision, the people perish." As Joshua and
Caleb, we need a Vision, Faith, and Courage. They said, "Let us go up at once
and possess the,...well able."
1. Despair says, "Lie down."
2. Cowardice, "Turn back."
3. Impatience, "Do something."
4. Presumption, "Go ahead."
5. Trust in God says, "Stand still until you get orders from Him to go forward!"

"Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and uphold me with Thy free spirit;
then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted unto
Thee."

Freedom is a great drawing power. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." "Not by
might nor by power but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." Oh Lord, Revive us!

If we have a Heaven sent revival in any place, it will come by men and women,
young and old who pray it down! The pastor is largely the key man, but pastor
and people together are co-workers. The greatest man of this age will be the man
who can turn minister and people back to lives of prayer where God can come and
bless His people. [Reader, are you that man or woman?] We need to aquire an
appetite for prayer. Pray often. Pray and read God's Word first in the day. Pray
in the Spirit. Pray, prompted by the Spirit. Pray Through!

[This concludes the sermon by my grandfather]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr.
Dexter, MO 63841
573-625-9535

� � � � � ���From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

� � � � � � � � � � � ���May 2012

An email/newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher.

This month's newsletter contains two sermons. The notes of these two sermons are
back to back on one sheet of paper and are brief enough to be put in one
newsletter. The two sermons are not in long form but in short outline form with
a few notes under each point.

The following sermon (No.1) was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of
Glendale, California; W.Hollywood, California; Winnsboro, Louisiana (2 seekers);
and Jena, Louisiana (Dec. '44).

              Reasons Why Christ Went Away

                      John 16:7 [Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.]



"Expedient"= desirable, advisable, profitable.
His life with them. A crushing blow. They had given up home, busines, friend to
follow Him, now He says, "I must go." At Last Supper- came natural: John
13:21,33-36 and 14:1-16.

Reasons for going away:

I. Children's hymns express our human feelings.

II. "I go away to prepare a place for you."
Disciple's life mysterious, so Christ's death. Necessary He go and make a way
for us to follow. Jesus bore death and judgement on the cross.

III. He went away so He could be near us.
Suppose He was still in the Holy Land at Jerusalem. Every ship and train, etc.
would be crowded. Mails crowded. Say you started to see Him but all the [methods
of travel] were crowded. It's not necessary, but it was expedient, so we go back
to our humble home and ordinary work and find Him there. He says to the lame,
blind, and deaf, and all, "Come unto me and I will give you rest."

IV. That might see Him better.

V. That we might walk by faith. Man wants to see, hear, and handle, thus images
and idolotry. God is a spirit and His Spirit is with us and in us.

VI. Great Reason - That the Comforter might come. Jesus was not present when
Lazarus died, but He is today, everywhere invited. opportunity for greater works
because the Holy Spirit is everywhere.

Does this expediency mean anything to us?
1. He should be our Personal, ever present Christ to solve every difficulty.
2. He has gone to prepare a Heavenly place and He gives us our work to do. Are
we doing it faithfully until He comes? He gives strength as He did with Peter.
Sunday services don't show our strength, those are meals. Through the week, we
labor and get wages. Christ left the world in our hands. We are its lights in
every corner.
3. He is gone for a short time. "Behold, I come quickly." Be good children. He
is our Comforter. A rest remains to His children.

[This concludes this sermon of my grandfather]

The following sermon, (No.2), was preached in the Free Methodist Church of
W.Hollywood, California (c.1937)

                               True Holiness

1. Holiness by Faith. Mark 11:24 [Therefore I say unto you, What things soever
ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.]
Believe! A young man was seeking holiness, not something else. When he found it,
he said, "I see it." "I have it." Doubt is dishonoring God. Doubters form a
habit.

2. Holiness hates wrong. "Abhor that which is evil." It's not popular in
Methodist ranks. Woe when in ours. True holiness is the enemy of wrong. False
holiness only opposes what is popular to oppose as with liquor, etc. True
holiness takes part in the battle.

3. Spurious holiness, not toublesome to evil. Polished brass looks like gold or
better but will not stand the test. If it costs little, it has little to offer.

4. Holiness by faith in God is commended by the life. As with Paul, prove
yourselves in all dealings. "A spot is soonest discerned in the fairest cloth."
So in the holy man.

5. True Holiness is opposed. "Woe unto you when all men speak well of you." It's
to be expected when: 1)sin abounds and, 2)we must use our influence against it.
All holy men did it and it made trouble for them. Here, many draw back.

6. True Holiness, practical. Does not take advantage. A good rule: Matthew 7:12
The Golden Rule.

7. Holiness doesnot get mad or angry. Holiness that permits it is of little
worth. I Cor.13

8. Holiness must be preached. Let light shine. If you cover it, it will go out.
We have an obligation to preach and witness of holiness.

9. Standards of Holiness. Never popular but must be preached.

10. Holiness regained. By repentance. If first love is lost, don't seek for more
power, but confess need to God!

11. holiness and heaven are real. Your character must be in harmony. Sin is real
and so is holiness, not imaginary as in 1st John 3:3 [And every man that hath
this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure]

12. Holiness Counterfeited. All proud churches have it, but pride and holiness
donot go together. "Be ye holy." If you don't have it and aren't seeking it, and
you see your need, then you aren't justified.

1st Thessalonians 4:3 "This is the will of God, even your sanctification."
Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect.'

[This concludes my grandfather's sermon]

[I felt these two sermons are appropriate for this month because today is
Ascension Day and May 27th is Pentecost Sunday.]

Yours for Radical Holiness,

Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter MO 63841
573-625-9535
swiftyone2002@...

From the Pulpit of a Holiness Preacher

                              June 2012

An email/newsletter ministry of Richard D. Swift, publishing the sermons of Rev.
Reed A. Swift (1899-1973), a holiness preacher

The following sermon was preached in the Free Methodist Churches of W.Hollywood,
California; Phoenix, Arizona; Lydiaville, Louisiana; Jonesville, Louisiana;
Grandbay, Alabama; and Chickasaw, Louisiana, respectively. The sermon notes are
handwritten on the backs of three different letters dated 1947. One of them is a
letter from The National Association for the Promotion of Holiness.

                      Prayer Changes Things

Matthew 18:19 "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as
touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father
which is in heaven."

Introduction to Prayer:
1. When to Pray
2. How to Pray
3. For what shall we pray
4. Results or possibilities of prayer

"Go and pray- I will hear
This is a promise true,
You'll find 'Prayer Changes Things'
and changes people too."

James 5:17,18 Elijah prayed. "Elias was a man subject to like passions as we
are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the
earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the
heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."

James 5:16 Effectual prayer. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much."

Jeremiah 29:12 Pray unto me. "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and
pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you."

Psalm 145:19 Our desires.  "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he
also will hear their cry, and will save them."

Read "No Time to Pray" in Free Methodist paper

1. When to Pray

As I have said before, most people wait until they are in trouble before they
wil pray earnestly. "But men ought always to pray and not faint."

Early in the morning is an ideal time to pray if at all possible. make your
opportunities for prayer. Most people say they are too busy. Daniel was a busy
man but he prayed three times a day.

We cannot do our best until we are at our best spiritually, and that will only
come by earnest and consistent prayer. Have a time and place to pray and pray
until victory comes.

2. How to Pray

Have a system to your prayer life, a time and a place.

Pray in the Spirit, whether loud or quiet when praying in private.

Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."

John 4:24 "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit
and in Truth."

It's one thing to pray at all, and another thing to pray in the Spirit and get
our prayers through. Some just say words. Shut out the world and "continue
instant in prayer."

We must have programs, but the most essential is prayer. We must have preaching,
but the most essential is prayer.

Prayer means to come into contact with God. This is most important. Then we may
have power with God and with man.

We must approach God in honesty. Have faith in God. Remember that He is merciful
and no respector of persons. We may make prayer a most interesting thing.

3. For what shall we pray?

Make a list of prayer requests. Make a list of what God has done about it.

If you continue instant in prayer, you will have constant and continued victory
over the world, the flesh and the devil. (Tribulations, victory for the
salvation of your cchildren, and every problem.)

Prayer will challenge you.
Pray definitely and report answers.
Have something worth praying for to inspire prayer.

How long has it been since you prayed clear through to where you knew God heard
you?

The only way I know for you to get your prayers answered is to be a consistent
Christian. Read James 5:16-18 again.

4. The Possibilities of Prayer

In Acts 3, Peter and John had time and place to pray and a habit of prayer three
times a day. And on their way to the temple to pray, they found a lame man at
the gate of the temple, and he was healed. I think if we went to prayer more
often today we would find more souls we could we help.

Read 1st Kings 17:1; 18:37-45; James 5:17,18; 2nd Kings 4:32-37; 19:35

Prayer warriors are needed. Intercessors in prayer are needed. Romans 8:26 and
Isaiah 59:16

Why is it the devil trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees? He
knows the mighty power of God to defeat him in answer to prayer!

Notice the things of Abraham's prayer for the cities of the plains. God is
willing to listen patiently to importunate prayer. Moses prayed to save Israel
from extermination. And the Word says, "And the Lord repented of the evil which
He thought to do unto His people." (His enemies in one sense).

Jacob received a remarkable answer to prayer when he prayed all night.

Jesus said, "Ask and ye shall recieve."

For healing;
1. Numerous and of great variety
2. Instantaneous
3. No failure
Lepers- Sick healed of every disease. No hard cases. Mothers and fathers have
prayed their children out of hell. It is our privilege!

There is Power in Prayer!
Prayer Changes Things!

[This conludes my grandfather's prayer. Folks we cannot go wrong by praying with
faith. Someone said, "unanswered prayer is because of one of two things:
imperfect obedience or imperfect faith." At our recent campmeeting, Brother
Jarratt preached a message about Appropriating Faith. That kind of faith with
prayer will change things!]

Yours for Radical Holiness,
Richard D. Swift
505 Hickory Hills Dr
Dexter Missouri 63841
573-625-9535