I understand that many feel a need to call out the clergy that they adjudge to be "wolves". I understand that, but I must confess that it truly grieves me, in the sense of Pauls Philippian's encouragement. (Phil 4:8)
For myself, I need to focus on the men and women who follow Jesus, many of them now with Him, men and women who help me model my own walk with Christ, rather than focusing on the "wolves". (believe me, there are many I regard as false, untrue, but as one would walk around a pile of dog waste, that's the way I regard these)
One of my models is Duncan Campbell who's sermon's are readily available at this very website:[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=7]Duncan Campbell's sermons on SI
But another man of God I truly love is William J. Seymour, a humble black preacher who lived from 1870-1922. Rather than do a long cut and paste bio, here's the link to a paper written on him. (its pdf wrapped)
[url=http://www.intervarsity.org/mx/item/4332/download/]William J Seymour
What I find so edifying about him, is that he preached a simple Gospel of Jesus and Him Crucified, he preached the Blood of Christ as wholly sufficient for cleansing of sin. A humble man, not seeking accolades from anyone but God the Father. A man given to long periods of private prayer. A man who preached of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, but never lifted the gifts above Jesus, or limited what gifts would be given, as God is sovereign, meaning he didnt hold to the high and tight doctrine of "initial evidence", as there is freedom in Christ.
Willaim Seymour is largely forgotten today, and that's a shame. I haven't forgotten him. His sermons were never voice recorded, and the written sermons were recorded anonymously in the issues of the Apostolic Faith Mission's newspaper. The only reason they can be attributed to him are eyewitnesses, and his style,which was very simple and plain spoken, which i love, as well as his humility in NOT making these written sermons attributable, I love that humility, which flys in the face of so much fleshly "religious" ambition of "look at me! look at me!"...when all Brother Seymour longed for was the humble sheep of God to look at Jesus.
Thats the template of the man of God in ministry I want to be. i'm pleased to say in Christ, I will going back to Los Angeles to rejoin my Church family in ministry. Going back into ministry, bless the Lord! Not only am i looking forward to be amongst the saints at our church,(as well as our new work, Glory to God!!!) but I can't wait to see our dear brother Patrick Ersig, who as you know labors in a mission field that can best be described....I cant find the right word, ...."challenging" isn't sufficient, as he labors in LA's "skid row", where you best be called, and you best be prayed up, bless our dear brother Pat, I cannot wait to pray with him, and the saints in skid row.....and God willing we can be knit together in a "prayer band" (If you're reading this Patrick, I'm trusting in God for such a ministry, travailing prayer...together, I've been longing for this for a while now)
anyway, here's the link to three of Brother Seymour's sermons:
[url=http://www.azusastreet.org/WilliamJSeymourSermons.htm]William J Seymour sermons
but please allow me to cut and paste a small portion of one sermon, as it speaks to my heart:
O, how sweet it was to see Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, that great sacrifice that God had given to a lost, dying and benighted world, sitting on the well and talking with the woman; so gentle, so meek and so kind that it gave her an appetite to talk further with Him, until He got into her secret and uncovered her life. Then she was pricked in her heart, confessed her sins and received pardon, cleansing from fornication and adultery, was washed from stain and guilt of sin and was made a child of God, and above all, received the well of salvation in her heart. It was so sweet and joyful and good. Her heart was so filled with love that she felt she could take in a whole lost world. So she ran away with a well of salvation and left the old water pot on the well. How true it is in this day, when we get the baptism with the Holy Spirit, we have something to tell, and it is that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin. The baptism with the Holy Ghost gives us power to testify to a risen, resurrected Saviour. Our affections are in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. How I worship Him today! How I praise Him for the all-cleansing blood.
That, to me, is preaching the Gospel!!!
or as Jesus said about Nathanael:
"Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" John 1:47
In Jesus love, neil