Throughout the centuries from the time of Christ, the essence of holiness has been preserved in the written word. Writers wrote for the sake of definition, explanation, proclamation, and defense of their subject. Using their unique voices, they posited the most genuine expressions of holiness for their potential readers. These writers’ lives are as varied as the times they lived in, the cultures they came from, the faith communities that surrounded them, and the personalities through which they wrote.
My research for this project began informally and unexpectedly in January 2013. I began what was to be a year of study pursuing holiness. Looking back now, I acknowledge the absurdity in such a quest. First of all, to set a time limit on such a broad and deep subject is presumptuous at best. Secondly, to think one can obtain with any certainty the object of pursuit is also presumptuous.
I began my quest by reading Spiritual Sobriety- Freedom and Recovery from Cultural Christianity by Frank Manno.[1] I progressed from there to Holiness, Truth, and the Presence of God by Francis Frangipane.[2] I was off and running with those initial books, turning over soil that had long lain fallow in my life. Throughout that year, I spent time with Oswald Chambers, Steve Hill, J. Lee Grady, Smith Wigglesworth, George H. Warnock, C.H. Spurgeon, and a second-round with Frangipane in The Days of His Presence.[3] I read and re-read Art Katz’s Apostolic Foundations,[4] marveling at his teaching on the correlation between the priesthood and the apostolic ministry.
I listened to hours of preaching by David Wilkerson, Carter Conlon, Leonard and David Ravenhill, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, and other men and women of God from a variety of denominational backgrounds. Their messages were not always explicitly concerning holiness, but their spirits, immersed in the experience of holiness, spoke as profoundly as their sermons. Some were fiery in applying the truths they expounded, and some were very conversational in their delivery. The lifestyles behind the styles impressed me with a need to fully explore the unseen in the seen. It is the same with authors. Not every book I read was about holiness, but I found holiness in every book.
Pursuing Holiness Wholeheartedly Available in Hardback, Paperback, and Kindle at Amazon
[1] Manno, Frank. Spiritual Sobriety: Freedom & Recovery from Cultural Christianity. WestBowPress, 2012.
[2] Frangipane, Francis. Holiness, Truth, and the Presence of God. Charisma House, 2011.
[3] Frangipane, Francis. The Days of His Presence. Charisma House, 2012.
[4] Katz, Arthur. Apostolic Foundations: the Challenge of Living an Authentic Christian Life. Burning Bush Publications, 1999.
Late Harvest Wesleyan Ministries 