A. ERDMANN (Bible Missionary Church)
- A. ERDMANN (Bible Missionary Church)
In spite of my timidity I managed to grow up, and in my teen years, under the ministry of
John T. Hatfield, I found the Lord and was saved, and about two years and four months later I consecrated all to the Lord and was sanctified. In my consecration, I figuratively took a large piece of white parchment, signed my name to the bottom of that and gave it to the Lord and told Him write on that anything that He wished, my name was already signed to the bottom and approved of whatever He might write thereon. I made as complete a consecration as I knew how. Here let me say that if your consecration can be improved on, you are not yet consecrated.
It was not long after this that I saw written on that parchment a call to preach. That almost
floored me. I told the Lord, “I can’t preach, and thou knowest it, and I know that you know that I know that you know that I can’t preach. ” But He said, “What about your consecration? Didn’t you tell me that I could write anything that I wanted to on that sheet of parchment?” I said, “Yes, and my name is still signed to it.”
God still occasionally writes something on that piece of parchment that I never had
dreamed of, but, thank God, my name still endorses it. Satan has many times tried to make me think that God demands too much, but as I look back today, I thank Him for every demand He has ever made, for with each demand He also furnished the possibility, and added blessings that I would never have been privileged to experience without it.
Yes, I have had tests, some unpleasant things, so far as the human is concerned. Many times
I had to stand alone, and walk alone, other young people not going way, and even now, not many crowds going the way Holiness unto the Lord, but His blessings have been rich and extravagant, and if I could live my life over and leave out some things and were given my choice as to what should be left out, I would not want a solitary one of those trials and tests and unpleasant things left out. They have all contributed to the enrichment of my life, and as I look back at some of them I thank God that He ever saw fit to trust me with them.
I have also had many glorious experiences which I would not trade off for anything that I
can think of. The following I have not related very often, because many would only scoff at it and say it was only an imagination. But I know that it was real. I was passing through the most severe trial of my life, being persecuted almost beyond endurance by people who were supposed to be sanctified. It seemed that I could not endure it longer. One night I was lying on my bed, crushed and weeping. In the night, at about one o’clock in the morning, Jesus walked into that room and the room was made light enough for me to see Him through my tears and recognize Him. He came to the side of the bed and looked at me with a profound look of sympathy and tenderness, an expression that said, “Do not be afraid, I will stand by you, and will never fail you.” Then He held out His hand over me as in an expression of benediction and vanished. My soul was comforted and I soon went to sleep. Who would not gladly endure persecution, trials and tests for such a visitation as that? I was a young preacher then, and that has enabled me to hold steady in every test since.
Source: “Some Interesting Experiences In My Life As A Minister” by H. A. Erdmann
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HOW THEY ENTERED CANAAN (A Collection of Holiness Experience Accounts) Compiled by Duane V. Maxey
Vol. I — Named Accounts