Testimony of the late Pastor S.B. Ernest In All These Things We Are More Than Conquerors (Romans 8:37) On October 26, 1987, at 11:10 p.m, our beloved Pastor S.B. Ernest fell asleep in Jesus. He was 64 years old and had served God faithfully and fruitfully for 40 years. At the time of his home—calling he was in New Delhi, the capital of India, where the annual convention had just finished. He had preached in the Sunday meeting. He was scheduled to fly to Madras that Monday, but had decided to stay back, thinking he might hold some workers’ meetings. Reportedly he said something to the effect that he would not visit New Delhi again as his work there was finished. On Monday evening he was in the presence of a number of workers as they were praising the Lord for the blessings of the convention. Pastor Ernest mentioned different items for praise and then he said he felt tired and wanted to rest. He told the others to continue praising the Lord. Someone who was there told me that if he were to pass away they should praise God for an additional half hour! Those who have spent time with Pastor Ernest in recent years will recognize that it would indeed be unusual for him to make statements to the effect that his ‘work was finished’ and that ‘if he were to pass away.’ He must have sensed from the Lord that his time had come. For years he had victoriously battled against the angel of death. His testimony was always that his ministry was not finished, and that he would not die, but live to fulfil his ministry and his God-allotted number of days. His confession was always positive and full of faith. Persons of lesser faith would likely have succumbed years ago to any one of the host of infirmities which he battled. He never accepted that any of his afflictions were ‘unto death.’ He believed, taught, and practiced that: “In all these things we are more than conquerors.” As he often mentioned in his testimony, S.B. Ernest was converted while in military service. Shortly after finishing his service he entered the ministry. In India he held a number of very successful healings and large numbers of souls converted to Christ. Later he was sent to Europe to pastor in England and then in France. In 1972 he suffered massive heart attacks while he was in France. On the first occasion, if I have the facts correct, he was alone. In his pain and weakness he battled against the death angel face to face for some 10 hours. Later a doctor was called. Pastor Ernest testified to the doctor of his faith in Christ as Healer. It seems the doctor examined him and said he would not live without emergency treatment. Ernest refused the treatment but the examination discovered that he had been healed of a hernia of some 15 years standing. Pastor Ernest told me that the doctor said, “The God who has healed you of your hernia can surely heal your heart condition also.” And so it was. At the Puerto Rico convention Pastor Ernest asked me if I had seen a difference between dying and falling asleep in Jesus. When Jesus went to Jairus’ house, He saw that the people “wept and wailed greatly.” He said to them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn.” When informed that Lazarus, whom He loved, was sick, Jesus replied, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” He then waited two days and said, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” The disciples did not understand, “If he sleep, he shall do well.” Jesus had to use a term they would understand better, “Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” It was not that Jesus always referred to death as being asleep, as if using a more pleasant form of speech. He referred to the unsaved, both living and dead, as being dead: “Let the dead bury the dead.” And in reference to those who have died in faith, Jesus insisted they were not dead: “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” That is to say, that God is the God of those who sleep away in faith, but not the God of those who die in their sins. Physically, it may be difficult to distinguish between a person who is asleep and one who is dead, but in reality, there is a great deal of difference: principally, a sleeping person is really alive and can be awakened. Likewise, it is not always possible to distinguish when a person dies if he is really dead or just asleep in Jesus. In that day it shall be made known. Those who fall asleep in Christ shall be made known. Those who fall asleep in Christ shall be awakened by the voice of the Son of God and the sound of the trump of God. Paul also liked to refer to the departed saints as being asleep in Jesus. Of the early New Testament saints he said, “But some are fallen asleep.” “They also which are fallen asleep in Christ,” “Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him,” etc. The point is, although the final victory over death is yet to be manifested at the coming of Christ, He has indeed overcome death and He wants us to overcome it as He did: To him overcometh, even as I also overcame, will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, as I am set down with My Father on His throne. How are we to overcome death? Just as Jesus did: “That through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). “And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11). “And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life (loves his own life) shall lose it (eternally —a dreadful thought), but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it (eternally).” In the chapter on resurrection, Paul says, “I die daily.” In context it can be seen that he was speaking of real experiences not just verbalizing theological semantics. In another place he says, “In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes less one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” (And all this just as proof that he was a true servant of God!) I feel that in a very real sense Pastor Ernest overcome sickness and death. For one thing he certainly did not ‘seek to save his own life.’ Anyone else with but a fraction of his afflictions would have kept to his bed with nurses in attendance. He never spared himself — “he loved not his own life unto the death.” In 1987 alone he was “in deaths oft.” In the summer he ministered in the Malaysian convention and then went to Singapore. Brother Wesley, who came from Singapore for the funeral, told me what had happened to Ernest there. He said Ernest suffered severe heart attacks and had actually died at least three times (that they were sure of). One morning Pastor Ernest had several encounters with death. A believer who is a doctor was at the Faith Home at that time. The same believer had recently examined two workers who were ill and had predicted the hour of their death. They both died at exactly the hour. After seeing Pastor Ernest’s condition, he predicted the hour of his death. Ernest rejected his prediction and said, “I will not die, but live.” The doctor asked, “Can I give you some advice?” Ernest replied, “Yes, if it is not contrary to the Word of God.” The believer, upon seeing Pastor Ernest’s faith, proceeded no further. Pastor Ernest was miraculously strengthened and he preached at the convention and continued his travels. In India before coming to the West for our conventions, he was nigh unto death. All advised him that he could not and dare not make the trip. We were told the same by telephone, nevertheless, He came. The first night he was with us in Washington he went into severe convulsions. It seemed he was expiring. A group of us battled against the death angel most of the night. Whether his life departed from him we do not know for we did not examine him. We just kept battling against the death angel. In the early hours of the morning he revived, sat right up, and said something to the effect: “That is the way to fight. We have overcome death.” The second night it was the same again. When he was conscious he joined us in the fight. The next day he started ministering in the workers’ meetings, and then took the new workers and preached the Sunday morning service. Then it came time for him to fly to Europe for the London and Paris conventions, later to return to Puerto Rico. I suggested we could carry on the Puerto Rico convention without him as it would be too strenuous for him. He showed me his diary where he had recorded the Word of the Lord that came to him while in Malaysia: “You will go to the Puerto Rico convention.” He said, “Although I am as good as dead, I do not do my own will. The Lord said I will go to Puerto Rico, and go I will!” Brother T.U. Thomas called a few days later from London and told me that Pastor Ernest was dead. Brother Rick, an experienced medical worker, was with him at the time and verified that he was indeed dead. He had been without breath or pulse for some time and his eyes were rolled back in his head. As I talked with Brother T.U., I could hear the saints praying in the background. The brother asked me, “What shall we do? Shall we call the undertaker or the police?” I replied, “The first thing to do is to stop praying. You must realize God has already healed him at Calvary. Start rebuking the death angel. God has give us authority and power to overcome him.” While still on the telephone he called out and told those who were praying. They really began to take authority over the devil and after a few minutes I could hear them begin shouting. Pastor Ernest was alive again! He conducted a number of workers’ meetings, opened two new Faith Homes, and preached at both the London and Paris conventions. In Puerto Rico, Pastor Ernest was much stronger than he had been when he was with us in Washington. At the first workers’ meeting he gave us a four-hour Bible study, from 7:15 to 11:15 pm! The next night he taught for three hours. Then I suggested he stop so as to save his strength for the convention. He said, “I am getting stronger and stronger.” I had to confess that I had suggested he stop so as to spare some of the younger workers who were worn out. The next day he was with us for another meeting in which he took the new workers into the ministry. When it came his turn to preach at the convention, he overcame another problem. For years his eyes were overly sensitive to light. He often wore sunglasses, even while in doors. Our Puerto Rican convention was held in a newly—built sports arena with exceedingly intense, glaring, mercury—vapor lighting. before standing to preach he asked me if it would disturb the people it he preached with his sunglasses on. I assured him everyone would understand as they too were finding the lights too glaring. As he stood to preach he said, “For years I have suffered with oversensitive eye. Tonight I take the victory over this affliction.” He took his sunglasses off for the entire message. Later I asked him the glaring lights had bothered him while he was preaching. He said, “I did not even notice them.” After Puerto Rico he returned to Europe and then to Sri Lanka for special workers’ meetings. Later he called from Madras and told me how the Lord was wonderfully helping him. He asked for prayer as he had to go for special workers’ meetings in Kottarakara, where it was very hot. The heat had always been devastating for him. After those meetings, before going to New Delhi, he called to tell how the Lord had strengthened him marvelous grace. He sound unusually strong, alert, and exuberant. He said he was stronger than he had been for years. Within a few weeks he slipped away in sleep into the arms of the One he loved and served with all of his heart, mind, soul, and strength. Those who were with him were at first surprised they could not arouse him from sleep. The Lord Jesus will soon arouse him with a voice of command, and not Ernest only, but all those who have fallen asleep in Him. Blessed Day! This is just a brief report of some of the events of Pastor Ernest’s last months before the Lord took him home in sleep. These details are as accurate as I can piece together from talking to different ones who were with him at various times and places. If God so desires someone may write a book about this amazing saint. But the Lord may come before then. Whatever be the case, the Lord has His won book written down in heaven. One of the workers, who was formerly a highly qualified nurse, testified at his funeral. She spoke of some of his many infirmities. It was very depressing—like reading through a medical almanac. He told me that after the Lord would call him home, some would probably claim he had died of some affliction. He said, “Don’t believe it. I have overcome sickness and death. I live by the resurrection power of the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. The devil cannot kill me. I will live to fulfill the number of days that God has allotted me and I will actively serve Him until I breathe my last breath and slip away in sleep into His presence.” AND SO IT WAS! “According to your faith be it unto you.” That’s what it means to “die (sleep) in faith” How often they tried to kill Jesus, but they could not, “for His hour had not yet come.” When His hour finally came, He overcame death by dying— by dying in faith according to the will of God His Father. He said, “No man (or devil) taketh My life from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” I believe that that same life was reflected once again in the life of Christ lived out in His servant S.B. Ernest. To God be all the glory!
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 04:48:17 +0000
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