The Ponderings of an Outer Darkness Guy

So I just finished reading Hosting the Presence by Bill Johnson and picked up another book by R.A. Torrey. The book is entitled “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit” (1910)

Here are a few things I noted from the book:

As we start the seventh chapter, I note that this guy helped (anxious) people until 11:00 PM at night (Torrey, 1910, p. 52). It’d be cool to model this in ministry, like going until everyone is cared for.

Another thing to note is that a man came to the church meeting because he saw someone he knew from his gambling life who was giving testimony at an open-air meeting (Torrey, 1910, p. 52). Why don’t we have open-air meetings anymore? I’ve street-preached once because God told me to. It ended with a Muslim man threatening my life and then coming to Jesus a month later after I ministered with him almost daily, but doing street preaching yourself is difficult. I think it’s ingenious to have open-air meetings where you can share your faith with OTHERS. That’s a lot less intimidating. It's still intimidating, but not as bad because peer pressure is involved now.

Another thing that R.A. Torrey says is that you never know when the Spirit of God is going to strike, so you should basically be prepared at all times. I asked my wife to ask Jesus where and when the Holy Spirit was going to strike next, and he wouldn’t tell her, so R.A. Torrey is right, you never know. This makes sense militarily. If the enemy knew when and where the Holy Spirit was going to strike, then that would complicate things.

The most helpful information I’ve found thus far would have to be what the Holy Spirit convinces people of. I used not to understand this verse, but R.A. Torrey breaks it down clearly for me with examples:

John 16:7-11 ESV Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The first thing On page 54, it mentions John 6:29, where Jesus basically says that what God wants all of them to do is to believe in the one He has sent (Torrey, 1910, p. 54). Since Jesus stated that this is something God wants, it now becomes a sin if we don’t do it. I never thought of not believing in Jesus as a sin, but yeah, clear as day, there it is. I used to think what it was talking about, the sin that the Holy Spirit would convict people of was all the wrong things they’re doing, but that didn’t make sense to me. The entire gospel is that Jesus died and burried sin, now we have full access to the Father and the Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus. That’s why Jesus states that it’s the work of God because it all boils down to believing in Jesus. That’s how we’re saved.

Apparently, when people were convicted of sin in R.A. Torrey’s experience, they weren’t convicted of the bad things they’re doing, they are convicted of not believing in Jesus. It’s mind-blowing, really. The example given in the bible is where at Pentecost, the 3,000 people were pricked to the heart when they discovered that Jesus was the Messiah and they’d killed him. So yeah, believe in the one He has sent.

The second thing people are convicted of is the righteousness of Christ (Torrey, 1910, p. 55).

Torrey points out that people tend to believe that Jesus was a righteous man, but they put other righteous people, according to the world’s standards, alongside him. I’ve seen this happen quite a bit throughout my faith journey. You can see it when Jesus was transfigured even: Matthew 17:4 NLT Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Even Peter counted Christ as being at par with holy people in the bible. That’s when God piped up in the next verse and was like, this is my son, listen to Him! Peter got God smacked with some truth that JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THE HOLY ONE OF GOD.

R.A. Torrey says that if people read the book of John with the position of:
A. Asking God to reveal himself, and
B. Being open to allowing God to take your thoughts and heart where he will through the reading, being open to God doing His will (SEE JOHN 7:17)
Then, every time they discover that Christ is God, they are convinced of his holiness. R.A. Torrey also says that he has never seen it fail (Torrey, 1910, p. 59). I found this to be an excellent evangelism tip. I mean, if it doesn’t fail, then we should probably implement it. I can think back on times that I probably could have used this tactic with someone, but man were they stubborn. I didn’t know how to handle it. Fail…or is it? I never know what impact I made on the guy’s life by just being me. I remember he used to say that there was something different about me, but he didn’t know what it was and he couldn’t put his finger on it. I would always tell him that it was Jesus, but he always scoffed at me.

The third thing that people are convicted of is judgement…of Satan. I always used to think this referred to the coming judgement of wicked people and people going to hell and like standing before Jesus and getting a report card, but the judgement that God cares about here is not yours, it’s Satan’s. Plus now I know that Hell is closed down. I’ll give a quick synopsis of what happens when you die:

1. Hell is closed. Jesus went there after he died and shut it down (Matthew 12:40). Revelation 1:18 NIV I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

2. The “Outer Darkness” that is mentioned in the bible is this: Basically you have the city of God, and you also have outside the city of God. God is in the city, which he is the light of, and it’s friggin bright with his glory. The further you get from that the dimmer it becomes, thus, “Outer Darkness”. Revelation 22:15 NLT Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. I’ve actually had a vision where I walked around in the slums outside the city, it kinda looks like the slums in Africa. There were two guys that spoke with me. One looked like an early version of Jim Henson who created the Muppets. He looked just like him. And I remember the other guy had glasses. They talked with me about movies and how they had some ideas. Your not in Hell, it’s just not in the direct presence of God, and that’s why there’s weeping and gnashing of teeth, because how sucky would it be to be perpetually outside the city of God, basically getting table scraps.

3. When you die, you see Jesus and believe even if you didn’t on earth. Notice that all the testimonies of hell people forget about Jesus. Jesus reveals himself to everyone.

4. But what you do does matter. There’s another testimony of a guy who died and went to heaven, and he was in line to get inside the city, and Jesus asked the question to everyone: “Did you learn how to love?” Before the guy could answer, Jesus said “No you didn’t,” then smacked him on the head and had him come back to earth. Now the guy is super loving. My wife knows the guy. Just FYI, I’m not allowed into the city yet. I’m actually dealing with being selfish, which is the antagonist of love. Depression and other mental illness.

Oh, just to let you know, we’ve got legit prophets on earth. There are several including my wife. One is Heidi Baker, and another is Joyce Meyer. That’s who I can confirm visits heaven and spends time with Jesus like my wife does. She’s seen these two.

Here’s a little bit about R.A. Torrey:

Reuben Archer (R.A.) Torrey (1856–1928) was an American evangelist, pastor, educator, and writer, best known for his work as a leader in the early fundamentalist Christian movement. He was a key figure in spreading revivalist teachings and was instrumental in establishing institutions for biblical education.

Key Aspects of His Life and Work:

• Education & Early Ministry:
  Torrey studied at Yale University and Yale Divinity School before serving as a pastor and missionary. He was known for his deep commitment to biblical teaching and evangelism.

• Connection to D.L. Moody:
  He worked closely with evangelist Dwight L. Moody, eventually leading Moody Bible Institute and Moody Church in Chicago.

• Global Evangelism:
  Torrey traveled extensively, preaching in Australia, China, India, Japan, and Great Britain, where he held large revival meetings, influencing thousands.

• Defender of Fundamentalism:
  He was a strong advocate for biblical inerrancy and fundamentalist Christianity, emphasizing the authority of Scripture, the power of prayer, and the necessity of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.

• Writings & Influence:
  Torrey wrote extensively on Christian doctrine, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. Some of his most well-known books include:

  • The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

  • How to Pray

  • The Bible and Its Christ

• Later Years:
  He founded Biola University (originally the Bible Institute of Los Angeles) and continued his work in Christian education and revival movements.

Legacy:

Torrey played a pivotal role in shaping early 20th-century evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity. His writings continue to influence Christians today, particularly in the areas of prayer, evangelism, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.