Birth Of A Reformation, Life And Labors Of D. S. Warner

Andrew L. Byers

Birth of A Reformation, Life And Labors Of D. S. Warner is both a biography of the life of Daniel Sidney Warner and the story of the beginnings of the Church of God Reformation Movement. Excerpts from D. S. Warner's personal journals reveal his spiritual journey from his conversion through the development of his understanding of the prophetic time in which he lived and ministered. This book also chronicles the beginnings of The Gospel Trumpet and the evangelistic travels of Brother Warner.

This book is essential reading for all who claim the heritage of the Church of God and for all who seek to understand the nature of salvation, the meaning of holiness and the reality of the body of Christ, the church of the Living God.

Bible Proofs of the Second Work of Grace

D. S. Warner

Bible Proofs of the Second Work of Grace is the keynote work written by D. S. Warner and published in 1880. The Church of God Reformation Movement dates its beginning from the publication of this book even though Brother Warner did not "come out of Babylon" until 1881. Chapters 24, 25, 26 (also reprinted by Brother Byers in Birth of a Reformation) are the significant chapters that relate to the prophetic view of the church and the Movement's interpretation of the Book of Revelation.

The writing is typical of the period and the type of person Brother Warner was. He was a poet and an evangelist who wrote articles and published a holiness paper. He was not a theologian and a scholar.

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

D. S. Warner & H. M. Riggle

This book was started by D. S. Warner and completed by H. M. Riggle after Brother Warner's death in 1895.

The initial purpose of this book was to refute the Seventh Day Adventist teaching on the title topic. It eventually became the basis for the Church of God's Church Historic interpretation of the Book of Revelation.

The historical value of this work is significant in the greater Church of God Movement as it is the seed for the later developments in its eschatological teaching.

Highways and Hedges

Grace G. Henry

Highways and Hedges is the biography of Etta Faith Stewart (1878 - 1958) who served God as a missionary in India and Cuba. Born in Linton, Iowa, Faith Stewart was called to missionary work at the age of 16. In her 21st year while on a trip to Colorado for her health, Faith fell deathly ill and was ministered to by some humble saints of the church of God. Miraculously, she was healed. She took a stand with the church of God on the teachings of holiness of life and the Biblical church of God for which she was disowned by her own father.

Living Faith Makes God Real

E. Faith Stewart

Living Faith Makes God Real was written by Sister Faith Stewart to bear testimony to God's willingness to do whatever must be done to promote the preaching of the Gospel of full-salvation. Sister Stewart records many miraculous events and healings that happened in response to prayer. Several incidents of healings God performed on Sister Stewart are also included.

Christ, The Master of all Diseases

O. L. Yerty

Few people have been used by God in the gifts of healing. Brother Yerty was one of those people.

This book was written by him in response to many requests for him to write a book on divine healing. The eleven chapters are taken from sermons he wrote on that subject.

The Christian Church

H. M. Riggle

Published in 1912, this is Riggle's seminal work on the doctrine of the church. Not only does he present the Biblical teaching on the church, he follows the prophetic development of the doctrine of the church through the Old Testament through types and shadows. He briefly deals with history of the church since its founding and traces that history through the prophecy of the Book of Revelation.

Jesus Is Coming Again!

H. M. Riggle

This little book by Brother Riggle, published in 1943, is a clear and exhaustive presentation of the Biblical teaching on the return of Christ. Not only does he cover this topic, but topics related to it such as resurrection and the kingdom of God as a present reality.

He also discusses some of the teachings of millennialism that often get confounded with the teachings of Christ's return. He clarifies some of the basic teachings of the Book of Revelation and shows that they cannot be teaching things commonly found in millennial teachings.

The is a good foundational book for all to read.

The Kingdom of God and the One Thousand Year's Reign

H. M. Riggle

Riggle addresses issues regarding the teachings of a millennium as contrasted to the plain teachings of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. While millennial teaches came from different sources in Riggle's time, the primary example he argues against is Charles Taze Russell. Many proponents of millennialism in his time eventually grew into the modern Seventh Day Adventist Church and Jehovah's Witnesses.

What the Bible Teaches

F. G. Smith

This book was published in 1913 and is subtitled "Systematic Presentation of the Fundamental Principles of Truth Contained in the Holy Scriptures."

While the title and subtitle suggest this to be a theology book, it is not. Smith does make a systematic presentation of Bible doctrines, he does not do it in a way a Theology is written. There is a great deal of Scripture presented under topics and significant commentary given to explain what is taught by these scriptures. It is done in the manner of homily rather than formal style as a theological writer would do. In a sense, this is a working man's theology book.

Smith clearly articulates the doctrinal position of the Church of God Reformation Movement at his time in history.

Evolution of Christianity

F. G. Smith

This book was written in 1910 when Smith was but 30 years old. It appears to be an attempt at a philosophical justification for the Church of God Reformation Movement and its particular Church-Historic interpretation of the book of Revelation--although it does not specifically say so.

This is not Smith's best work, but it is an important work which helps us to understand his thinking and the effect he had on the Movement.

The Last Reformation

F. G. Smith

Written in 1919, this work of Smith discusses the causes of apostasy that undermined the Early Church and resulted in the development and perpetuation of the sectarian system that dominates Christianity even today.

He delves into prophetic symbolism and why it was used to record events in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It may be that his interpretive rules are somewhat strained and lead him and the Reformation Movement to some conclusions that were not totally accurate in retrospect.

The Church of God Reformation Movement saw itself as the "Last Reformation," and well it might be. However, the optimistic outlook they held led to disappointments and a need to rethink some of the traditional prophetic teaching of the Movement. We don't need "new truth," just a deeper understanding of the truth that is there.

Heart Talks

C. W. Naylor

C. W. Naylor was struck down by a crippling event that left him bedfast the rest of his life. From this vantage point, he learned much about patience and the set-backs in life. In one sense, there are no real accidents but God is always there to work His will in spite of what we think of as misfortunes.

Naylor presents in this book 59 "talks" on many issues we face in our Christian lives. Written in 1922, it is as timely today as it could ever be. Problems seem never to change and, consequently, the answers remain the same. We should learn!

The Secret of the Singing Heart

C. W. Naylor

God has determined that happiness is the natural state of man. Joy is more powerful than sorrow and peace is more lasting than trouble.

Written about 10 years after Heart Talks, this short book of 18 chapters is similar in concept but it deals with meeting the difficulties of life that most Christians think should not happen to them. The secret is to confront our most secret selves so that we can face the future and build a joy-filled life that the love of God makes possible for all people.

Holy Spirit Baptism and The Second Cleansing

Russell R. Byrum

This work by Byrum delineates the traditional Church of God Wesleyan-Holiness perspective on the experience of sanctification. This perspective is shared by most churches and denominations within the Holiness Movement.

While his writing is strongly on the lines of the "second blessing" he, like some Wesleyan theologians, does make some room for some limited viewpoints that differ in some parts. Much of what appears in this small book also appears in Byrum's Christian Theology.

Shadows of Good Things to Come

Russell R. Byrum

Byrum presents a system of typology through which certain rituals and events of the Old Testament were intended by God to depict certain truths of the Gospel. So much of the Law of Moses was directed toward the sins of Israel and the temporary deliverance they experience. The rituals of the Law foreshadowed elements of the work of atonement through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

This is an excellent study on typology; a must read for all the people of God in our day!

Travels and Experiences in Other Lands

E. E. Byrum

In January 1904, Bro. E. E. Byrum, along with Bro. A. D. Khan of India, and Bro. & Sis. G. W. Bailey and child set off on a trip around the world. The specific intent was to visit the Holy Land and India.

Bro. Byrum became editor of the Gospel Trumpet after the death of D. S. Warner in 1895. This trip was essentially a research trip as most people associated with the Church of God at this time had hardly ever traveled outside their State let along around the world.

This book is largely a travelogue of that trip. Byrum includes some biographical information and quotations from other works with regard to specific subjects he encountered on this trip. It is well worth the time to read. It is interesting to read what the world was like more than 100 years ago, seen through the eyes of a man of God. It is also amazing how much the world has not changed!

The Secret of Salvation

E. E. Byrum

Byrum wrote this book in 1896, one year after the death of D. S. Warner and his taking over the editorship of The Gospel Trumpet. The book is essentially in two parts. The first part dealing with the practical aspects of salvation and the second dealing with divine healing, casting out devils, and other miracles. There are some inspirational testimonies of God's wonder working recorded here.

Brother Byrum was used in the gifts of healing and miracles seemed to follow him. He never taught that trusting God for divine healing was a condition for salvation, but there are times when his emphasis might give that impression.

Riches of Grace

E. E. Byrum

This is a very worthwhile book! It contains narrations of experiences of many people who have endured the things encountered in the lives of any number of people. The grace of God helped them to overcome sin, doubts, confusion, persecution, spousal abuse, adultery, abortion, murder, false accusations of the devil, and other trials the enemy of souls tried to use to keep them away from salvation and the wonderful grace of God. 

If you have had a real spiritual battle in your life, you will find that someone else has faced the same battle and come through by the Riches of Grace.

Personal Experiences of S. O. Susag

S. O. Susag

This is a fascinating book. Susag was a Norwegian immigrant who became a Church of God minister early in the Reformation Movement. His life is characterized by a unique relationship with God that made miracles and divinely appointed situations almost an every day experience for him.

He wrote as he spoke, and one can almost hear his Scandinavian accent while reading theses short stories. A life like Susag's does not happen by accident and it does not happen without an unwavering commitment to God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pioneer Evangelists of the Pacific Northwest

John L. Green

Brother John Green is probably little known in our day. His story is most interesting as it is the story of a young man and his wife who leave home and security to take the Church of God message to the Pacific Northwest, which, in his day, was rugged and filled with rugged people.

Living by faith, working at hard labor with his hands to meet the needs of his family and at time the needs of the churches he helped to found, God used this man to do a work that has lasted to the present time.

This book is not a autobiography as much as it is a collection of short remembrances of situations and how God worked in those situations. Moderns no longer believe in miracles, but Brother Green relates many incidents where God answered prayers in unusual ways.

A Noble Life

Mary C. Haskett

This little book was written in 1919 as a guide to young people through adolescence to adulthood. It is still good advice today, not only for young people, but for adults as well.

The language is dated as are some of the topics. It isn't that those topics are no longer valid, sad to say, our culture has deteriorated to where much more could be addressed.

How To Live A Holy Life

C. E. Orr

The mission of this little volume is to teach you how to live. The life beyond depends on the life here. Let me emphasize what I have repeatedly said before: to live as we should, we must live by every word of God. To live by every word of God is not only to hear it but also to do it.--C. E. Orr

The Gospel Day

C. E. Orr

This book must be read with the knowledge of who Charles Orr was. Brother Orr was controversial; his views were ascetic, or what we would call legalistic today. While many of the things he espoused were held by the early Church of God movement, when the Brethren began to re-think things that were questionable, Bro. Orr held fast. While he wasn't necessarily the cause of division, he was involved in one of the first major divisions within the Church of God fellowship.

This book, written in 1904, is divided into three parts. The first part considers "The Morning" of the Church. While most of what is included in this part is Scriptural, Bro. Orr projected his legalistic views onto the nature of the early Church.

Part 2 is intended to demonstrate that the Apostolic prophesies of a coming apostasy were fulfilled in the development and practice of the Roman Catholic Church and the Churches of the Reformation.

Part 3 is intended to show that Biblical prophecies showing a restoration are fulfilled in the Church of God Reforamtion.

The Weight of the Word

Harold Barber

This book is a collection of 20 short articles written by Brother Barber in 1948. Each article addresses a critical spiritual issue and applies the word of God to how the Church and individual saints must deal with that issue.

Of particular interest is the article "Will Christianity Work?" The information is dated and concerns the ecumenical movement active during the time Bro. Barber was ministering. While the particular players may not be so relevant today, the real issue still is--the destruction of the true faith and the church by fallen social elements. Today, we are plagued by liberation theology and spineless nominal Christianity. The story is the same; it is just that the actors have changed.

The Meaning of Salvation

Charles Ewing Brown

The theme of this book is the exposition of the Christian and scriptural doctrine of salvation as deliverance from the guilt of sin and the necessity of daily sinning.

In the present volume the writer seeks to prove that man is a contradiction in himself, that he has capacities for misery above all other creatures, and that he constantly torments himself and his kind. This misery arises because he is a misfit in nature. He is out of adjustment with nature because he is out of harmony with God, which is the meaning of sin. The basis of restoring that harmony is the atonement of Christ, and this atonement is brought to all men in some sense by the grace of God as a free gift. If this gift is accepted the soul is saved from the guilt of sin and endued with the principle of life. This life of the Spirit is strong enough to enable the believer to live above sin.

The Meaning of Sanctification

Charles Ewing Brown

Dr. Brown presents the typical Wesleyan-Holiness doctrinal approach to the teaching of entire sanctification. This book was written at a time when the major holiness denominations were battling the "country bumpkin", uneducated impression that the main-line churches held against them. This book appears to be an attempt to legitimize the Church of God as a serious player in the theological world.

The Appendix contains some very useful information, including the 30 Texts of Wesley and Daniel Steele's discussion of the aorist tense in New Testament Greek.

Parallel Lectures on the Parables of the Kingdom and the Seven Churches of Asia

Emerson Wilson

Parallel Lectures is a major work defining the Seventh Seal message. This book is a transcription of messages preached by Emerson Wilson during the 1960 camp meeting held at God's Acres, Newark, Ohio.

This work is a practical, non-theoretical explanation of the complementary meanings of the seven parables of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew and the Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3.

The Revelation With Gospel and Prophecy

J. F. Lawson, P. D. Turnbow and 

D. W. Rogers

This work is a revision of one of the first major works of what is known as the Seventh Seal. While based largely on the works of D. S. Warner and F. G. Smith, Lawson, Turnbow, and Rogers see an entire application of the Book of Revelation that was unknown to the older ministry of the Church of God. It is not considered to be a "new message" but more understanding of the same message preached by the Church of God.

Astute readers will recognize the influence of F. G. Smith's Prophetic Lectures on Daniel and Revelation in much of this work. At times the text is difficult to follow as the authors were not trained in academic writing, but a careful perusal of their message is worth the effort.

The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets

Emerson Wilson

The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets is a second major work concerning the Seventh Seal message. This book is a very literal transcription of messages preached by Emerson Wilson at a camp meeting held at God's Acres, Newark, Ohio sometime in the 1960s.

Like Parallel Lectures (above), this is a practical, non-theoretical explanation of the seven trumpets of the Book of Revelation. The two books together comprise a mature interpretation of what has been called the "Seventh Seal" message.

D. O. Teasley

Brother Teasley wrote this little book in 1911 for the purpose of helping Church of God congregations to implement Sunday schools. He recognized that educating our children in the things of God is extremely important in addition to a way of evangelizing our communities.

Some may have thought this book was controversial at the time it was written because he encourages a form of government for the Sunday school at a time when most Church of God congregations were strongly opposed to any form of government in the church.

Even after 100 years, this little book can be of value to our congregations today and help them to better manage an important work of the Church.