INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
"Vers. 34, 35. Behold, this Child is set for the fall & rising again of many."
"When the word of Christ comes home to you, whether it come to quicken you to a new life, or to convince you of some truth which you had not recognized before, or had not reduced to practice, do not be amazed & discouraged if you stumble at it, if it awaken doubt & contradiction in your hearts, if you find it hard to believe, & still harder to live by. It is no strange thing which is happening to you, but the common & normal experience of all who believe in Him." "How, but by the conviction of sin, can you be made penitent, & driven to lay hold on the salvation which takes away sin? And the oftener Christ comes, the nearer He draws to you, the more fully He enters into your life - the deeper will be your conviction of sin, of a tainted & imperfect nature;" "Many have hated the light, because their deeds were dark, & have either tried to quench the light, or finding their efforts to do so were in vain, have wrapt themselves up in still thicker darkness." "God intends to make men happy or miserable for ever, according to the feelings of their hearts towards the Son of His love." "If they love Christ, they love God; but if they hate Christ, they hate God. If they love Christ, they love the good of the universe; but if they hate Christ, they are enemies to all good." "The rejection of Christianity is entirely voluntary: it arises from the spirit of pride, the preference of falsehood, the love of sin;" "...Christ's claim upon us; ...HE IS THE TRUE REVEALER OF THE HIDDEN NATURE OF MAN." "'That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.'" "He saw the hardness as well as the darkness of man. He came to soften the world's heart." "Simeon foresees that the Christ must suffer because His life would be violently opposed to the principles by which men were guiding their lives." "The spiritual world is not ruled mechanically. The truth & grace of God only act upon men with good results so far as they are willing that they should so act." "His gifts... 1. Riches. When properly received & used to the glory of God & good of men, riches are a great blessing;" "...2. Greatness. In God's hand it is to make great, to give power & honour to men; & those great men who conduct themselves in a manner becoming their exalted station, are honourable & happy indeed;" "...3. Learning is justly accounted honourable & valuable; & it actually not only promotes a man's worldly distinction, but proves a blessing in the highest sense of the word, when consecrated to God, & possessed in humility & virtue;" "...4. Health is a blessing, without which all other earthly blessings are of little avail; & when spent in piety & usefulness, it enables men to rise to a high degree of credit & success, & even moral excellence;" "...5. Affliction is kindly sent for the benefit of transgressors; & when its voice is listened to, it recalls them from their wanderings;" "...Suffer the gospel to have its proper heart-searching effect on you." "You cannot reject the Saviour, & be a little damaged thereby; there is no alternative but that you utterly perish." "...the gospel ...Where it is preached, the men who accept it are precious ones of God, His elect, His chosen; the men who reject it are the reprobate silver." "You cannot fill the vessel till it is empty. There must be room made for mercy by the pouring out of human merit. You cannot... feed him who has no hunger." "We can tell a man's nature by knowing what he thinks of Christ, & thus 'the thoughts of many hearts' are 'revealed.' (Sunday School Times.)" "Christ spoken against: ...four reasons why they speak against Him; ...I. Ignorance ...II. The native enmity of the mind. ...III. Because they are too much taken up with the world, & they do not like to be interrupted. ...IV. The natural man has a vague idea that the threatenings of God are mere words; that 'whoever the Lord may send to hell,' says the natural man, 'I can't believe He will send me there.' (J. Wells.)" "This child runs as a golden thread through the history of the world. You may neglect Him, but you cannot escape Him. You may despise Him, but you cannot escape Him. You may hate Him, but you cannot escape Him. It cannot be with you as it is with a heathen who has never heard of His name, & upon whom the glory of His brightness has never risen. (E. Mellor, D. D.)" "...if men will not thus use Him, as the foundation-stone of a safe & sure dwelling, then... they will find Him a stone of stumbling & a rock of offence." "We must either rise by Christ or fall" "Christ is offered to each of us, in good faith on God's part, as a means of salvation, a foundation on which we may build. A man is free to accept or reject that offer." "'To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.'" "God's corrections are tokens of His love, & the means which He often uses for bringing His children into glory. Amos 3:2; Hebrews 12:5-7." "Vers. 36 - 38. And there was one Anna, a prophetess." "...God who hath taught, guided & blessed them from their youth, will not forsake them when they are old; they shall safely & happily come to their grave in their full age (Jas. Foote, M. A.)" "Anna departed not from the Temple - persistent, faithful, constant..." "She served God with fastings & prayers night & day - self-denial, profound devotion, continual watching." "...Anna gave thanks." "Blessed are they who can sing in their old age, & turn all their own experience into comfort for those who mourn. (J. Parker, D. D.)" "She took herself & her sorrow to the Temple. And there a new longing & a new love took possession of her; for were they not all looking for the Messiah, & might not the time of His coming be near? She would consecrate herself to God & to His service in the Temple." "God gave to her the gift of prophecy. She saw what some eyes could not see" "God will most richly reward the services of the faithful. No one knows exactly what the reward will be, for He delights to give us surprises of joy. (Marianne Farningham.)" "Sometimes the sun seems to hang for a half-hour in the horizon, only just to show how glorious it can be. The day is done; the fervour of the shining is over, & the sun hangs golden - nay, redder than gold - in the west, making everything look unspeakably beautiful. with the rich effulgence which it sheds on every side. So God seems to let some people, when their duty in this world is done, hang in the west, that men may look on them, & see how beautiful they are. There are some hanging in the west now. (H. W. Beecher.)" "Ver. 37. Which departed not from the Temple. - Neglectors of public worship" "... they who neglect the house of prayer, or come to it reluctantly & rarely, are invariably dull in their spiritual conceptions, cold in their affections, wavering in their convictions, & useless in Christian work, while they are easily led away by the force of temptation. (J. Aldis.)" "Blessedness of public worship" "Delight in being in God's house" "I love to be in the assembly of God's people, because they are the people of God, the children of my Father, & it is very pleasant to be in such good company." "Served God with fastings & prayers." "Vers. 39 - 52. Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover." "Home life is Divine life, & by serving it we do God's work." "Let children learn from the first how to defend themselves against physical & moral foes alike." "'He grew in favour with God & men.'" "Favour with God must precede favour with men." "'Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?'" "Young man, patiently abide your time. There is no heroism like the heroism of patience" "...there is no education like the education of personal experience. Nothing can take the place of it: neither wealth, nor genius, nor splendid opportunities, nor indomitable will." "His soul was fitted for its work by entering into the great relations of humanity." "The simplicity & honesty of the man Christ Jesus were, no doubt, nourished & perfected in a simple, godly family, in a simple village, away from much of the gloss & falsehood which abounded in Judea." "Let us be thankful for the ministry of children. All that is simple & innocent, inquiring & truth-loving in them, should remind us of the Divine Child & of His ministry to our souls." "Ver. 40. And the Child grew, & waxed strong in spirit." "...a few things which are remarkable in our Lord's Childhood ...1. His obedience to His earthly parents. 2. A childhood of privacy & seclusion. ...3. A genuine thirst for improvement ...4. A spirit of docility. ...5. Christ's childhood was stamped with a sense of duty, & elevated by a lofty aim. ...6. Notice the testimony which Christ's childhood bears to God's patience in working out His purposes; ...7. Our Lord's early life was the consecration, for all time, of what are regarded, by way of distinction, as the more secular & the humbler callings. (S. P. C. K. Sermons.)" "1. Take Him all your little troubles & trials in prayer, & assure yourselves that He is most ready to hear & help you." "2. Take Him for your example. Observe His love of God's house, His teachableness, His desire for instruction, His submission to His parents (while all the while He was their God), His growth in wisdom & in favour with God & man; & try to copy Him in these points." "3. Trust with all your heart in the goodness which He as a child exhibited, & which was perfect goodness, such as yours can never be. Only for the sake of that goodness of His will God forgive your faults. (Dean Goulburn.)" The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 235 - 260.
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"CHARLES F. PARHAM"
"THE FATHER OF PENTECOST" "'At Christ's 2nd Coming the Church will be found with the same power that the Apostles & the early Church possessed. The power of Pentecost is manifest in us. The Christian religion must be demonstrated. The world wants to be shown. Then let God's power be manifest through us.'" "Charles Fox Parham gave his life to restore the revolutionary truths of healing & the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the Church." "The first 40 years of the 20th century were powerfully visited by this man's Pentecostal message that changed the lives of thousands around the world." "The miracles that occurred in Charles Parham's ministry are too numerous to record. Multiplied thousands found salvation, healing, deliverance, & the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When he proclaimed to the world in 1901 that 'Speaking in tongues was the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit,' the Pentecostal truths of the early church were wonderfully restored." "The relentless backlash of persecution & slander Parham endured throughout his life would have destroyed others of lesser character. But for Parham, it only served to strengthen his hardened determination & purposeful faith." "PREACH 'TIL THE COWS COME HOME" "...born on June 4, 1873. After his birth in Muscatine, Iowa, his parents, William & Ann Maria Parham, moved south to Cheney, Kansas." "...early childhood was not easy for young Parham. At 6 months of age, he was stricken with a fever that left him bedridden. For the first 5 years of his life, he was plagued with dramatic spasms, & his forehead swelled making his head abnormally large. Then, at the tender age of 7, his mother died." "...he felt an overwhelming sense of grief & loneliness when his beloved mother died." "When Parham was 9 he contracted inflammatory rheumatism. The condition left his body tied in knots." "The boy then developed a tapeworm which required such strong medications that the lining of his stomach was eaten away & destroyed. His many trials progressed as the medications stunted his growth for 3 years." "It was also at the tender age of 9 that Parham was called to the ministry. Because he & his brothers had been taken to Sunday school during their first years of life, Parham enjoyed an early awareness of God. Even before he was converted, the boy's constant thoughts were, 'Woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel.'" "Se he began to prepare himself for God's calling by pursuing literature. Though Kansas was not yet modernized, & libraries weren't readily available, he managed to collect a few history books along with his Bible." "While working with the family livestock, Parham was often know to give the cattle rousing sermons on various subjects ranging from heaven to hell." "'LIGHTNING' THAT PENETRATED" "From an early age, up to the age of 13, Parham had only heard the sermons of 2 preachers. It was during one of these meetings that Parham was converted." "He found himself humming the song, 'I Am Coming to the Cross,' & upon reaching the 3rd verse, Parham immediately became assured of his conversion." "'There flashed from the heavens a light above the brightness of the sun, like a stroke of lightning it penetrated, thrilling every fiber of my being.' From that moment forward, Parham was never swayed from the 'Anchor' of his salvation." "WILL YOU PREACH?" "When he entered college, Parham had every intention of entering the ministry, but he began to notice the disrespect & general disgust that the secular world held towards ministers. And he began to hear about the conditions of poverty that accompanied ministry. Discouraged by these stories, he looked upon other professions with great interest. Soon, Parham denied his calling & began to backslide." "In remembering his traumatic childhood illnesses, Parham reasoned that the medical field would be a good pursuit." "After suffering for months from the flames of the fever, a physician visited his bedside & pronounced Parham near death. But those bedridden months had prompted Parham to remember the words that had once rung in his ears, 'Will you preach? WILL YOU PREACH?' Again he hungered to answer his call, but he didn't want to live in the impoverished conditions that seemed unavoidable for ministers of his day. So he cried out to God, 'If You will let me go somewhere, someplace, where I wouldn't have to take collections or beg for a living, I will preach.'" "...he cried out to God, praying, 'If Thy will is done in me, I shall be whole.' As he said this prayer, every joint in his body loosened & every organ was healed. Only his ankles remained weak. But his lungs were clear & his body recovered." "Following his recovery, Parham was quickly asked to hold an evangelistic meeting. So he renewed his promise to God, & vowed to quit college to enter the ministry if God would heal his ankles. Crawling under a tree, Parham began to pray & God immediately sent a 'mighty electric current' through his ankles making them whole." "A 'BUMPKIN' WITH POWER" "Parham held his first evangelistic meeting at the age of 18, in the Pleasant Valley School House, near Tonganoxie, Kansas. He was a stranger to the country community when he asked permission to hold a revival at their school. So when they gave their approval, Parham went up on a hillside, stretched his hand out over the valley & prayed that the entire community be taken for God." "He received few responses at first, but before the evening was over, there were many conversions." "Parham never wrote down what he was going to say. He relied on the Holy Spirit to give him inspiration." "DENOMINATIONS? NO MORE!" "When Parham was 19 years old he was asked to pastor the Methodist church in Eudora, Kansas. This he did faithfully, while also pastoring in Linwood on Sunday afternoons." "The congregation grew steadily & a new building was built to hold the people." "Parham had vowed to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit despite what other men asked him to do. In advising new converts, he would exhort them to find any church home, even if it wasn't the Methodist church. He explained that joining a denomination was not a prerequisite for heaven, & that denominations spent more time preaching on their particular church & its leaders than they did on Jesus Christ & His covenant. This caused many conflicts within his denominational ranks." "'Finding the confines of a pastorate, & feeling the narrowness of sectarian churchism, I was often in conflict with the higher authorities, which eventually resulted in open rupture; & I left denominationalism forever, though suffering bitter persecution at the hands of the church... Oh, the narrowness of many who call themselves the Lord's own!'" "Parham began to pray for direction. Many slanderous accusations had been leveled against him, & he was concerned that the rising persecution would forever ruin his work. The one day while deep in prayer, he heard these words, 'I made Myself of no reputation.' Immediately, Parham was strengthened & encouraged." "He would enter the evangelistic field unassociated with any form of denomination. He would hold his meetings in schools, halls, churches, tabernacles - wherever he could - & believe for the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself in a mighty way." "...Parham wrote to Sarah Thistlewaite & proposed marriage." "Charles & Sarah were married 6 months later, on December 31, 1896" "HEAL YOURSELF!" "September of 1897 saw the birth of their first son, Claude. But the joy of the event was short-lived when Charles fell ill with heart disease. No amount of medicine seemed to work as he grew weaker. Then, without warning, tiny Claude was stricken with a high fever. The Parham's walked the floor praying for the baby, but to no avail. The physician couldn't diagnose Claude's fever, & therefore, had no cure." "Parham was called to pray for another man who was ill, so in his own weakened state, he left for the man's home. While praying for the man, the Scripture, 'Physician, heal thyself,' exploded inside of Parham & while he was praying, the power of God had touched Parham. He was healed instantly." "Parham eagerly rushed home after the visit, grabbed Sarah, & told her of his experience, then prayed for his baby. He then threw away all of his medicines, vowing to never again trust anything but the Word of God. The fever left Claude's body, & he grew to be a healthy child." "Parham's healing ministry was always controversial to those who misunderstood it. He lived in a time when physicians, as a whole, stood contrary to the Gospel." "...we have seen entire sections of the body of Christ refuse to use medication & call those who do 'sinners.' Parham never taught this so it would be a mistake to blame him, as so many have, for the errors some believers have made about divine healing." "THE 'LIVE OR DIE' VOW" "'As I knelt between the graves of my 2 loved friends, who might have lived if I had but told them of the power of Christ to heal, I made a vow that 'Live or Die' I would preach this Gospel of healing.'" "Parham moved his family to Ottawa, Kansas, where he held his first divine healing meeting. During the meeting, he boldly proclaimed the truths of God's Word. A woman with dropsy, given 3 days to live, was instantly healed. Another young invalid lady, blind & ill with the consumption, felt a tearing sensation through her chest & was completely healed. God also instantly restored her eyesight, & she spent the rest of her life sewing for a living." "Though results couldn't be denied, many claimed the power that manifested through Parham was of the devil. The accusations drove Parham to shut himself in a room to establish himself in the truth. As he prayed & searched the Scriptures, Parham found that everywhere he looked in the Bible, healing was present. He realized that healing, just as salvation, came through the atoning work of Jesus' blood, & from that point on, persecution & slander never slighted him. Then a revolutionary idea had come to him; he would provide a refuge home for those seeking healing. Parham was filled with joy!" "A FAITH HOME 'ALL THE WAY'" "A daughter was born to the Parhams in November of 1898 on Thanksgiving Day. They named her Esther Marie. Not long after, Parham opened his divine healing home in Topeka, Kansas, which he & Sarah named 'Bethel.' The purpose was to provide a home-like atmosphere for those who trusted God for healing. The ground floor had a chapel, a reading room, & a printing office. The top floor had 14 rooms with large windows." "Chapel services were held daily, where the Word of God was powerfully taught. And prayer was offered individually, several times throughout the day & night." "Bethel also offered special classes for ministers & evangelists which prepared & trained them for the ministry. The place of refuge also found Christian homes for orphans, & jobs for the unemployed." "'Who can think of a sweeter name than 'Bethel'? Surely it is the House of God. Everything moves in love & harmony. On entering the rooms one is impressed with the divine influence shed abroad here... It is a Faith Home all the way through.'" "Parham's newsletter, The Apostolic Faith, published bi-weekly... The newsletter published wonderful testimonies of healing & many of the sermons that were taught at Bethel." "Parham always believed that God would provide the financial support for Bethel. Once, after a hard day of ministry, he realized the rent was due the next morning & he didn't have the money to meet it. Tired & weary, he looked to the sky & told the Lord that he must have rest & that he knew God wouldn't fail him. The next morning, a man showed up at Bethel, saying, 'I was suddenly awakened with the thought of you & your work; no sleep came to me until I promised to bring you this.' It was the exact sum for the rent." "The Parham family was blessed with another son in March of 1900. They named him, Charles, after his father. Now his family seemed to be outgrowing the Bethel Home, so a parsonage was built. Along with his growing family, Parham's spiritual hunger was growing so he felt he should leave Bethel & visit different ministries. Leaving 2 Holiness ministers in charge, Parham set out to visit the ministries of several different godly men in Chicago, New York, & Maine. He returned home, refreshed & renewed with an even deeper hunger." "'I returned home fully convinced that while many had obtained real experience in sanctification & the anointing that abideth, there still remained a great outpouring of power for the Christians who were to close this age.'" "SURROUNDED BY A HALO" "Parham shut himself away to fast & pray. Then in October of 1900, he obtained a beautiful structure in Topeka, Kansas, for the purpose of beginning a Bible school, & called it, 'Stone's Folly.'" "The building was patterned after an English castle." "When Stone's Folly was dedicated, a man looked out from the Prayer Tower & saw a vision above Stone's Folly of a 'vast lake of fresh water about to overflow, containing enough to satisfy every thirsty need.' It would prove to be a sign of things to come." "Parham's Bible school was opened to every Christian minister & believer, who was willing to 'forsake all.' They were to arrive willing to study the Word deeply & believe God for all their personal needs. The student's faith was their only tuition; everyone was to believe that God would supply their needs." "Examinations were given that December on the subjects of repentance, conversion, consecration, sanctification, healing & the future coming of the Lord." "Parham listened to the reports of 40 students, & was astonished by what he heard. While different manifestations of the Spirit occurred during the outpouring of Pentecost in Acts, every student had arrived at the same general conclusion: Every recipient baptized by the Holy Spirit spoke in other tongues!" "...the Evening Watch Night Service." "During the service, a spiritual freshness seemed to blanket the meeting. Then a student, Agnes Ozman, approached Parham & asked him to lay his hands on her so she would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Ozman believed she was called to the mission field & wanted to be equipped with spiritual power. At first Parham hesitated, telling her that he himself didn't speak in other tongues. But she persisted, & Parham humbly laid his hands upon her head. Parham would later write of the incident, explaining it like this: 'I had scarcely repeated 3 dozen sentences when a glory fell upon her, a halo seemed to surround her head & face, & she began speaking in the Chinese language & was unable to speak English for 3 days.'" "Ozman later testified that she had already received a few of these same words while in the Prayer Tower. But after Parham laid hands on her, she completely overflowed with the supernatural power of God." "THE TONGUES OF FIRE" "After witnessing this incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the students moved their beds from the upper dormitory & turned it into a prayer room. For 2 nights & 3 days, the school waited upon the Lord." "That night after returning home from the meeting, he was met by one of the students who led him into the Prayer Room. When he stepped inside, he was amazed at the sight of 12 denominational ministers. They were sitting, kneeling, & standing with hands raised, & they were all speaking in other tongues. Some were trembling under the power of God. An elderly lady approached Parham, to relate how moments before he had entered the room, 'tongues of fire' sat upon their heads." "Overcome by what he saw, Parham fell to his knees behind a table praising God. Then he asked God for the same blessing, & when he did, Parham distinctly heard God's calling to stand up in the world. He was to reveal the truth of this mighty outpouring everywhere he would go. The enlightened minister was also made aware of the severe persecutions that would accompany his stand. But he counted the cost & decided to obey; just as he had obeyed in proclaiming divine healing. It was then that Charles Parham himself was filled with the Holy Spirit, & spoke in other tongues." "'Right then & there came a slight twist in my throat, a glory fell over me & I began to worship God in a Swedish tongue, which later changed to other languages & continued...'" "Soon the news of what God was doing had Stone's Folly besieged by newspaper reporters, language professors, & government interpreters." "...their newspapers screamed with the headlines 'Pentecost! Pentecost!' Newsboys shouted, 'Read about the Pentecost!'" "On January 21, 1901, Parham preached the 1st sermon dedicated to the sole experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues." "DOORWAY TO THE SUPERNATURAL" "Some say today that 'tongues have passed away.'" "...as long as we are on planet earth, these things shall remain. The book of Acts continues to be lived out in the life of the Church today. The only thing that has passed away is the sacrificing of lambs, because Jesus fulfilled the sacrifice system of shedding of blood & removed the veil separating God & man." "Praying in other tongues will birth the will of God in your spirit. You will no longer depend on your intellect or the direction of others. You will 'know' for yourself what the will of the Father is for your life. Sometimes we are limited in our prayer life by our national language, & don't always know how to pray for a situation. The Word tells us that 'praying in the spirit,' or in tongues, enables us to pray the perfect will of God into every situation because praying in tongues moves us into the realm of the Spirit. You can go to heaven without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it is not God's highest desire for you." "...tongues can manifest in a supernatural language that other nationalities can understand (Acts 2:8-11)." "...the gift of tongues can be spoken out by one person in a public setting & then followed with the interpretation of that language, which brings edification to the people gathered there (see I Corinthians 14:27-28). And there is the prayerful language of tongues, that will edify & build your faith. Finally, praying in the spirit will bring boldness, strength, direction & guidance into a believer's life. Praying in tongues is also one of the most powerful forms of spiritual intercession (see I Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20; Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:18)." "If you haven't experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of other tongues, then earnestly seek God for this. Speaking in other tongues is not just 'for some.' It is for everyone, just like salvation. When you choose to enter into this measure of God's fullness, your life will never be the same." "SPIRITUAL FATHERHOOD" "Parham went throughout the country, preaching the truths of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in wonderful demonstration." "...tragedy struck the Parham household again. Their youngest child Charles, died on March 16, 1901. The family was grief-stricken. Their sorrow was compounded even further when those who stood against the Parhams persecuted them for contributing to the death of their son." "...the Parhams showed tremendous character by choosing to keep their hearts tender toward the Lord & win this test of faith. As a result Parham would continue in an even greater fervency in the preaching of Christ's miraculous Gospel - around the world." "After Stone's Folly sold, the Parhams moved into a rented home in Kansas City. It was then that Parham began to hold meetings around the country. Hundreds of people, from every denomination, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit & divine healing." "In 1901 Parham published his first book, A Voice Crying in the Wilderness. The book was filled with sermons on salvation, healing, & sanctification. Many ministers throughout the world studied & taught from it." "Another son, Philip Arlington, was born to the Parhams in June of 1902." "Though he never allowed himself to be called the leader in this Pentecostal Movement, Parham felt personally responsible in seeing that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was manifested according to the Word." "'HE PREACHES IN BIG CHUNKS'" "In the fall of 1903, the Parhams moved to Galena, Kansas, & erected a large tent. The tent could hold 2,000 people, but it was still too small to accommodate the crowds. So a building was located as winter set in. But even then, the doors had to be left open during services so those outside could participate. Huge numbers poured into Galena from surrounding towns when strong manifestations of the Spirit occurred, & hundreds were miraculously healed & saved." "Parham... chose to pray for all who came, despite the length of time that it took." "2 newspapers, the Joplin Herald & the Cincinnati Inquirer, declared Parham's Galena meetings to be the greatest demonstration of power & miracles since the time of the Apostles, writing, 'Many... came to scoff but remained to pray.'" "On March 16, 1904, Wilfred Charles was born to the Parhams. One month later, Charles moved the family to Baxter Springs, Kansas, then continued to hold tremendous meetings around the state." "'Brother Parham surely preached God's Holy Word straight from the shoulder; in chunks big, pure, & hard enough to knock the scales from our eyes.'" "In 1905, Parham traveled to Orchard, Texas. He did so in response to certain believers who had attended his Kansas meetings & had fervently prayed for him to come to their part of the country. When ministering in Orchard, there was such a great outpouring of the Spirit, that Parham was inspired to begin holding his 'Rally Days.' These were a series of meetings that were strategically planned & held throughout America." "EVERYTHING'S BIG IN TEXAS!" "The 1st Rally Day was planned for Houston, Texas. Parham & 25 workers held this meeting in a place called Bryn Hall, where they were advertised as non-denominational & invited anyone who wanted to experience more of the power of God." "When the Rally Days were over, Parham's group returned to Kansas, rejoicing in the Lord." "Due to high public demand, the team returned to Houston once more, but this time, heavy persecution came their way. Several of Parham's workers were poisoned during 1 meeting making them very ill, with severe pain. But Parham prayed for each of them immediately, & they recovered completely." "Parham's own life was threatened several times, but he always escaped. Once, after taking a drink of water on the platform, Parham was doubled over with tremendous pain. But he began to pray & the pain left instantly. Later when the water from his glass was examined chemically, it was found to contain enough poison to kill a dozen men." "Undaunted by the persecution, Parham announced the opening of a new Bible school in Houston, then moved his headquarters there in the winter of 1905. The school was supported like the one in Topeka, through freewill offerings. There was no tuition & each student had to believe for their own means." "Parham's schools... were training centers where the truths of God were taught in the most practical manner - with prayer as a key ingredient. Many ministers left his schools to serve God throughout the world." "It was in Houston that Parham met William J. Seymour. Up to this time, the Jim Crow Laws forbid blacks & whites from attending school together. And Parham's meetings were segregated, but it was because blacks didn't ask to attend the schools, that is until Seymour. Seymour's humility & hunger for the Word so moved Parham that he decided to ignore the racist rules of the day. Seymour was given a place in the school where he experienced revolutionary truths on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. William Seymour would later become the leader of the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, California." "After Parham's historical Houston school came to a close, he moved his family back to Kansas, & on June 1, 1906, Robert (their last child) was born." "Parham continued to hold meetings throughout the country & was in great demand." "WALKING ON THE WATER AT ZION" "When Parham arrived in Zion, he found the community in great distress." "He could think of no greater blessing or joy, than to introduce the fullness of the Spirit to these people." "Every night, Parham led 5 different meetings in 5 different homes, all beginning at 7:00 P.M." "As a result, hundreds of ministers & evangelists went out from Zion filled with the power of the Spirit to preach God's Word with signs." "Though Zion was a Christian community, it seemed the persecution against Parham was the greatest ever there." "Dowie... went on public record to criticize Parham's message & actions. The new Overseer of Zion, Wilbur Voliva, was eager to see Parham leave the city. Voliva wrote Parham to ask how long he intended staying in Zion. Parham replied, 'As long as the Lord wants me here.'" "In October of 1906, Parham felt released from Zion & hurried to Los Angeles to answer Seymour's call (to Azusa Street)." "SHAKE, RATTLE, & ROLL, THE L.A. STORY" "It was clear that God was doing a wonderful work in Seymour's life. But it was also clear that Satan was trying to 'tear it to pieces.' Because Seymour had been a student at Parham's school, Parham felt responsible for what was happening." "According to Parham, there were many genuine experiences of receiving the true baptism, but there were also many false manifestations. Parham held 2 or 3 services at Azusa, but was unable to convince Seymour to change his ways, The door to the mission was padlocked so Parham couldn't return." "Parham regarded the Seymour conflict as an example of spiritual pride." "...& noted that fanaticism always produces an unteachable spirit in those given over to it." "'...although many forms of fanaticism have crept in, I believe every true child of God will come out of this mist & shadow stronger & better equipped against all extremes that are liable to present themselves at any time in meetings of this kind.'" "'PART HAM'" "Parham returned to Zion from Los Angeles in December of 1906." "...he pitched a large tent in a vacant lot. Parham's tent meetings were well attended by some 2,000 people. On New Year's Eve, he preached for 2 hours on the baptism in the Holy Spirit, & produced such an intense excitement that several men approached Parham with the idea of beginning a 'movement' & a large church." "But Parham was against the idea." "Parham believed America had enough churches & said that what Zion needed was more spirituality in the churches they already had." "He was concerned that groups who gathered around the truth of the 'baptism of the Holy Spirit' would eventually develop a worldly, secular objective." "'Now that they [apostolic faith tenets] are generally accepted, I simply take my place among my brethren to push this Gospel of the kingdom as a witness to all nations.'" "Pork was forbidden in the city, & therefore, children began to call the Parhams, 'Part Ham,' so the children came home from school very often in tears. The Parham family believed they were persecuted mainly because they wouldn't organize a movement." "Then one day, Mrs. Parham received a disturbing letter from a Zion citizen that threatened her husband in a scandalous manner. She denounced the letter as a lie, but conditions & persecutions grew so bad that she decided to take her children back to Kansas." "FLAMES FROM HELL, THE SCANDAL" "...the greatest controversy in the life of Charles Parham. Clearly, Parham had many enemies in prominent Christian organizations. But his main antagonist was Wilbur Voliva, the General Overseer of Zion." "...rumors were circulated throughout Pentecostal circles that Parham had been arrested for sexual immorality." "...the San Antonio Light ...'Evangelist Is Arrested. C. F. Parham, Who Has Been Prominent in Meeting Here, Taken Into Custody.' The story said Parham had been charged with sodomy, a felony under Texas law. And that he had been arrested with his supposed companion, J. J. Jourdan, who, along with him was allegedly released after making a payment of $1,000." "Parham immediately fought back with rage. He secured a lawyer, C. A. Davis, & announced that he had been 'elaborately framed' by his old nemesis, Wilbur Voliva." "Parham pledged to clear his name & indignantly refused to leave town." "The case never made it to court & Parham's name disappeared from the headlines of secular newspapers as quickly as it appeared. No formal indictment was ever filed, & to date there is no record of the incident at the Bexar County Courthouse." "2 newspapers that took liberty with the story were the Burning Bush, & the Zion Herald (the official newspaper of Wilbur Voliva's church in Zion). These newspapers were said to have quoted the San Antonio Light, along with an eyewitness account of Parham's alleged improprieties, including a written confession. But when researched, it was found the articles 'quoted' in the Herald & Bush never appeared in the San Antonio paper. It was also learned that the scandal was only publicized in certain areas - every source of which could be traced to the Zion Herald. If the rumor went nationwide, it traveled by the grapevine." "In addition to Parham, Voliva had launched many verbal attacks on his associates in Zion, calling them 'adulterers,' & 'immoral.' Parham's associates attempted legal action with the U. S. postal authorities for 'unlawful defamation,' but they refused to act on the matter." "...Parham never discussed the incident in public. He left the matter to the discretion of his followers, believing that those who were faithful would never believe the charges." "'I think the greatest sorrow of my life is the thought that my enemies, in seeking my destruction, have ruined & destroyed so many precious souls.'" "But sorrow & destruction make no difference to those who oppose the ministry of God." "LIVING IN THE LONG-AWAITED DREAM" "During the years that followed the scandal, Parham continued to evangelize throughout the nation." "In 1913, he was met by a mob in Wichita, who were armed with clubs & pitchforks. But a friend rescued Parham by secreting him away by a different route, & the meeting continued as scheduled. Hundreds were said to have repented in Wichita, & many were healed." "Though wounded by those he thought were his friends, Parham never backed away from the cities to which God had led him. He even returned to Los Angeles & held a tremendous meeting, in which thousands were converted, baptized in the Holy Spirit, healed & delivered. In the winter of 1924, Parham held meetings in Oregon & Washington. It was at one of these that Gordon Lindsay found salvation. Lindsay went on to do a great work for God, establishing the international Bible college, Christ For The Nations, located in Dallas, Texas." "Finally, in 1927, the lifetime dream of Charles F. Parham came true. Funds were collected by friends & Parham was able to visit Jerusalem. The trip was a great joy to Parham." "PEACE, PEACE LIKE A RIVER" "By August of 1928, Parham had grown tired & worn. He told friends that his work was nearly over." "'I am living on the edge of the Glory Land these days & it's all so real on the other side of the curtain that I feel mightily tempted to cross over.'" "After spending Christmas of 1929 with his family, Parham was scheduled to preach & show his Holy Land slides in Temple, Texas." "...his health had deteriorated." "...Parham had collapsed during a meeting while showing his Holy Land slides." "The Parham family set out for Temple to assess his condition. Once they arrived, a decision was made to cancel the meetings & bring Charles home to Kansas by train." "'I can't boast of any good works I have done when I meet my Master face to face, but I can say, I have been faithful to the message He gave me, & lived a pure, clean life.'" "His last day on earth, Charles Fox Parham was heard quoting, 'Peace, peace, like a river. That is what I have been thinking all day.' During the night, he sang part of the song, 'Power in the Blood,' then asked his family to finish the song for him. When they had finished, he asked them to , 'Sing it again.'" "The next day, on January 29, 1929, at 56 years of age, Charles F. Parham went to be with the Lord." "His funeral was attended by over 2,500 people, who visited his grave in the newly fallen snow." "On the memorial was carved 'John 15:13.'" "...'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'" "THE TRULY FAITHFUL" "Before Charles Parham died, his ministry contributed to over 2,000,000 conversions, both directly & indirectly. His crowds often exceeded 7,000 people. And though some spoke in tongues long before Topeka, Kansas, it was Parham who pioneered the truth of tongues as the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit." "His life exemplifies the harsh reality of the persecution & conflict that accompany God's revivalists." "He was never moved from his calling because of the slander waged against him." "The utmost cry of God is that we be found faithful to His plan. And for Charles Fox Parham, he could live no other plan than what God had prescribed. Faithfulness will always endure the conflict that comes to challenge it." "God has called us to an area of service. Whether we stand before the masses or before the few in our families, we, like Charles Parham, must prove our faithfulness too. But in our fast-paced, 'feel good' generation, faithfulness seems to have been compromised. Still, no matter what generation we speak of, God's Word remains the same. I Corinthians 4:2 states that faithfulness is a requirement for believers." "Believing the Word of God & trusting God to fulfill His promises to you, in spite of life's conflicts, produce faithfulness. How wonderful it will be to hear "Ver. 26. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost. - The leading of the Spirit"
"...they find Christ who are led by the Spirit, & they alone. No man ever comes to Christ by his own wit & wisdom, nor by his own unprompted will: he alone who is drawn of the Spirit comes to Christ. We must submit ourselves to Divine teaching & Divine drawing, or else Christ may come to His temple, but we shall not perceive Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "...blessedness is to be found in the path of duty." "...it is He who does in us all that we ever seem to do well." "Undevout minds are too worldly, too apathetic, too dull to hear the secret whispering of heaven. 'Tis the spiritual ear alone that can hear the still small voice that comes across the universe from the spirit-world;" "'How is that Mr. Bramwell has always something new to tell us?' 'Ah!' said the other, 'I can tell you how it is; he lives very much nearer the gates of heaven than many of us, & God tells him things He does not tell other people.' And so it was with Simeon. He lived very much nearer the gates of heaven than many of his day; & God honoured him..." "It was revealed unto Simeon that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord's Christ." "...unbelief would again suggest, 'But remember, Simeon, many holy men have desired to see the Lord's Christ, but have died without the sight.' 'Yes,' says Simeon, 'I shall see the Lord's Christ.'" "When we have seen Christ, the sting of death is gone." "Ver. 27. Brought in the Child Jesus." "Singleness of aim: - Parents should have 1 single object before them regarding their children, & that is, to bring them up for the Lord." "My son, my daughter, are to become heirs of the kingdom that fadeth not away. Everything ought to give way to this 1 point." "Vers. 29, 31. Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace."' "...EVERY BELIEVER MAY BE ASSURED OF ULTIMATELY DEPARTING IN PEACE." "...is is common to all the saints" "All the saints have seen God's salvation, therefore should they all depart in peace." "The departure of the child of God is appointed of the Lord." "It must have reconciled John Knox to die when he had seen the reformation safely planted throughout all Scotland." "...there is an old age like this of the illustrious Simeon. The soul has leaned its all on God, & is perfectly satisfied because it knows it is perfectly safe." "...heaven seems the only true thing in the universe, & death is nothing but a kind of rough way of going to it. (C. S. Robinson, D. D.)" "...a good man having served his generation, & God in his generation, faithfully, is weary of the world, & willing to be dismissed from it." "...the death of a good man is nothing else but a quiet & peaceable departure" "When life grows as weary & monotonous to us, through the prolonged pressure of samely duties, as to the watchman fixed to Agamemnon's roof or to a dog chained to a post; or when the zest of youth has passed & the infirmities & disabilities of age, or disease, accumulate upon us; or when we are weighed down with a burden of cares, anxieties, & fears, many of which are gross & palpable enough, but to some of which we can hardly give a name; when flesh, or heart, fail us, or both fail us, it surely would sustain & comfort us were we to remember that our post has been appointed us by the Great Captain who makes no mistake; that the duties & the burdens allotted to us have an end of discipline & love, & are intended to make us stronger, wiser, better; & that, however long it may delay its coming, a great Light is to arise upon us; that it is this for which we are watching & serving; & that it will bring with it glad tidings of great joy for all people as well as for us." "If we have seen the Light, it is that we may bear witness to the Light; that we may announce its rising, reflect its splendour, & believe that it will shine on till the darkness is past & every shadow has fled away." "The petition of his soul - 'to depart.'" "He pleads that he was well prepared to depart, for his heart was in peace. 'Lord now---'" "If any are entitled to a peaceful departure, it is those who, like the aged Simeon, have passed through not only the springtime & summer of life, but also through its autumn & winter." "Through many years of waiting & watching, they have learned the lesson, not of despair, but of hope." "Again, age seems to bring to those who know how to meet it a more serene & undisturbed happiness than belongs to any other period of life." "...few wait as Simeon did; ...some wait for honour, some for riches, some for pleasures, some for ease, some for rewards, some for money, ...some for a golden day, as they call it; but Simeon waited, & expected with many a long look, until he had seen & embraced Christ Jesus, the light of the Gentiles, the glory of Israel, the salvation of all that with a faithful & zealous affection & love do wait for His coming, to the comfort of the afflicted, & to the terrifying of the wicked & ungodly, which have not already waited, neither embraced Him, as Simeon did." "Little do we imagine that many of the so-called accidental conjunctions of life are really the gracious arrangements by One who, hidden behind earth's thrones & nature's laws, is administering the affairs of the universe in the interest of Christ & Christ's Church." "How can a truly devout man be unjust? And how can a just man be yet so unjust as to neglect his God?" "...the virtues of Simeon" "His love to God produced universal propriety of conduct towards men" "...his heart burned for the public good" "...expectation was the habitual attitude of his spirit; it was the theme of his conversation; the breath of his prayers; the bright beam that ever cheered the long path of his pilgrimage." "What a dreadful thing it is to see death before we see Christ! See death we all must - we all shall, & that soon; perhaps unexpectedly. But have we seen Christ? Have we embraced Christ? Have we, by faith, seen the Divine grandeur of His person, the transcendent excellence of His character, & the preciousness of His cross, as the medium of pardon & the means of perfection?" "Blessings become sweeter to us when they draw forth our praise." "There was in Simeon great faith; but now faith was consummated in the possession of the thing hoped for. (J. Parsons.)" "Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." "...man has no hand in it." "...it originates with Him; it is accomplished by Him; it is imparted by Him; it redounds to His own glory;" "'Mine eyes have seen.' This is the view which faith takes of Christ." "Ver. 32. A light to lighten the Gentiles." "Among the properties of light are penetration..." "Light is a source of comfort (Ecclesiastes 11:7). Another quality of light is purity." "The gospel is the only effectual remedy of all this world's evil & misery." "When Christ gives us light, we must reflect it (see Matt. 5:14-16). The lighthouse, when its lights burn truly, will warn the mariner against danger, & enable him to pursue the right & safe way. So we may each guide some from the darkness & danger of sin, to the light & safety of God's mercy in Christ. (Henry R. Burton.)" "...wherever the gospel has been published & received as a communication from God, the darkness has fled, as night flies before the day; & we know, that wherever the revelation made through Christ has been dispersed, wherever it has vouchsafed its cheering rays, the clouds of ignorance, & superstition, & irreligion have vanished, & holiness, purity, & morality have illumined the horizon." "And the glory of Thy people Israel." "When we say that Christ is our glory, we mean that WE GET ALL THE GLORY WE HAVE THROUGH HIM." "WE SEE A GLORY IN CHRIST which swallows up all other glories, as the sun's light conceals the light of the stars." "WE GIVE GLORY TO HIM." The Biblical Illustrator - Volume 12, Baker, pgs. 213 - 235. "EVAN ROBERTS"
"WELSH REVIVALIST" "The lessons I will bring to light are constructively inserted so that our generation can learn to guard their hearts, carry the anointing, & prevail successfully in the heat of revival fire." "COAL-COVERED TRUTH" "Parents, allow your children to be involved with the move of God." "...how vitally important it is to teach & train your children in the things of God. They need to know how to pray, how to study the Word of God, & how to sit under the anointing. Teach them to worship God with you, & show them how to do it." "How can revival continue without passing it on?" "Revivals don't have to end. Revivals are meant to continue. The fire of God must be passed on with each new generation." "If you have children, that godly responsibility of passing the fire of God unto them rests in your hands. And it is evident the family of Evan Roberts took that responsibility seriously." "While still very young, Evan's father was injured in a mining accident. So his father took Evan out of school to help him in the coal mines. Evan never complained." "Evan had developed the family's habit of memorizing Scripture. He was never seen without his Bible. It has been said that he would even hide his Bible in the clefts of the mine while he worked. One day, a huge fire burned through everything in its path - except young Evan's Bible." "Each morning, Evan stood at the opening of the mine to give a particular Scripture to each of the passing workers for their workday meditation. Then when young Evan saw them in the evening, he would ask, 'What truth did you find in that text?'" "WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?" "He never took part in sports, amusements, or coarse joking. He worked in the mines every day, then came home & walked a mile to his church, Moriah Chapel. At 13 years of age, Evan experienced his first encounter with God. It was then that Evan vowed to commit himself even further to the work of the Lord. One simple yet profound phrase spoken from the pulpit of Moriah Chapel changed Evan's life. The phrase, 'What would Jesus do?' became his obsession. He repeatedly asked himself, 'What have I done for Jesus?' as he further dedicated himself to the work of the Lord." "He was also a prolific writer, having several of his poems & essays published in local newspapers." "I AM BURNING, WAITING FOR A SIGN" "At that time few people understood the power of prayer. Most attended church as a moral commitment, instead of a spiritual one. But not Evan. Because of his unique desire for the Lord, Evan gave himself to fervent prayer & intercession." "It was also said that he meditated in the Word so long that he often missed the evening meal. Sometimes he would stay up half the night discussing & praying with a friend about revival." "Though people didn't understand Evan's methods, the spiritual power he portrayed was unmistakable. On one occasion, he traveled to Builith Wells for a prayer meeting at which he was called on to pray. The people's hearts were melted within them at the power exhibited in Evan's prayer." "'Ask, & it shall be given unto you. Practice entire, definite faith in God's promise of the Spirit.'" "...he got so caught up in the Lord, that his bed shook." "...he was awakened every night at 1:00 A.M. to be 'taken up into divine fellowship.' He would pray for 4 hours, fall back asleep at 5:00 A.M. for another 4 hours, then pray from 9:00 A.M. until 12 noon." "In December of 1903, Evan knew in his heart that God had planned a great revival for the Welsh community." "'I have reached out my hand & touched the flame. I am burning & waiting for a sign.'" "BEND US! BEND US!" "For Evan Roberts, 1904 was a year of great struggle. He was torn between doing what everyone expected & following what he felt the Spirit of God wanted him to do." "...Evan's friends persuaded him to go with them to hear the rugged evangelist, Seth Joshua. Unknown to Evan, Rev. Joshua had prayed for years that God would raise up another 'Elisha' from an ordinary person & 'mantle him with power.'" "...when the minister began to pray, 'Bend us! Bend us!' Evan's soul stirred within him." "The Holy Spirit will never force Himself upon anyone." "The Holy Spirit isn't out to torture your soul, drive you, or pressure you into isolation. He has come to empower you for His service. He came to impart boldness, sensitivity, & strength. All we have to say is, 'Come, Holy Spirit.' If our lives need adjustment, He will reveal those areas along with His plan to mature them. The kingdom of heaven is righteousness, peace, & joy. Anything else will throw you off balance." "'Bend me! Bend me!' In this prayer of total submission, he received a revelation of the love of God. Evan surrendered to the will of God that day & allowed His compassion to fill him." "'It was God commending His love that bent me... After I was 'bended,' a wave of peace & joy filled my bosom.' Now Evan felt ready to be God's messenger." "AN ARM OUTSTRETCHED FROM THE MOON" "He had his first vision in October of 1904." "'What are you looking at? What do you see?' Then suddenly, Evan saw it too. He saw an arm seemed to be outstretched from the moon, reaching down into Wales." "Evan had been fervently praying for 100,000 souls to be added to the kingdom of God, & he received this rare vision as a direct answer to his prayers." "His statement, 'We can do nothing without the Holy Spirit,' set the precedence for the rest of Evan's ministry." "Once while sitting in a service, he jumped to his feet, disrupted the sermon, & accused those in the congregation of not being sincere & earnest. His friends were concerned while others labeled him as a lunatic." "THE LOST KEYS" "What began on October 31 as a small church meeting quickly grew into a major revival & lasted for 2 weeks!" "The group began with a few consecrated believers who listened intently to Evan's message. Instead of standing behind the pulpit, the young revivalist walked up & down the aisles, preaching & asking questions to those sitting in the pews. This was unheard of in his day. The goal of those first meetings was to dedicate & train intercessors for the coming revival." "...one must 'co-work' with the Spirit in order to operate in power. Even the children were trained to pray morning & night for God to 'send the Spirit to Moriah for Jesus Christ's sake!'" "Strong moves of intercession flooded the room during each service" "Once, Evan prayed all night with a congregation & didn't return home until the next morning." "Evan's services were marked with laughing, crying, dancing, joy & brokenness. Soon, the newspapers began covering them" "Some of the reporters themselves were converted at the meetings. The revival spread with great fervor throughout Wales. Soon bars & movie houses closed. Former prostitutes started holding Bible studies. People began to pay their longstanding debts. And those who once selfishly wasted their money on alcohol suddenly became a great joy & support to their families." "The Wales revival was founded on these 4 points: (1) Confess all known sin. (2) Search out all secret & doubtful things. (3) Confess the Lord Jesus openly. (4) Pledge your word that you will fully obey the Spirit." "Grace & mercy don't give us license to live however we want to. We don't live under cheap grace & mercy. The righteousness we enjoy as believers was purchased by the blood of Jesus - a price too great for words. If we don't obey, we won't receive. Repentance brought us into the kingdom of God, & repentance will keep us moving with His cloud." "...we must love God more than we love anything else." "It's fine to enjoy life. Just make sure you don't love life more than God." "GOD HAS MADE ME STRONG & MANLY" "Many said it was not the eloquence of Evan Roberts that broke men - it was his tears." "Frank Bartleman... 'Roberts in the intensity of his agony would fall in the pulpit, while many in the crowd fainted.'" "It was common in Evan's meetings for members in the congregation to suddenly fall on their knees & pray aloud. Waves of joy & sorrow would flood the congregation. Women fell to their knees & men laid in the aisles weeping, laughing, & praying." "...Evan never raised his voice. Sometimes he was called the 'silent preacher.'" "As a result of the revival, local stores couldn't keep Bibles in stock." "Their workhorses had previously been trained to respond to instructions that included profanity. But with the coal mining crew now born again, they found that their horses had to be re-trained because the animals didn't know how to follow a normal command without a curse word in it." "...there was the usual concern. People were murmuring because there seemed to be no order in the services." "'Tired? Not once. God has made me strong & manly. I can face thousands. My body is full of electricity day & night & I have no sleep before I am back in meetings again.'" "HEAR THIS: REST" "In order to continually walk in the Spirit, we must obey the universal laws instituted by God. One of those laws is to take care of your physical body. While it is true that the Spirit is greater than the flesh, if we don't take care of that flesh while on earth, the body will break down, or even die. If the body dies, the spirit must depart. God established a universal law that says our bodies need proper rest & nourishment. God Himself rested on the 7th day after the work of creation, establishing the principle for us." "We are not in our glorified bodies yet. So mature revivalists must learn to care for their physical bodies." "The Holy Spirit will never drive you - He leads you. You can't follow God & hear Him accurately if your body is exhausted & driven." "A revivalist must know how to lead & rest in order to remain a vital instrument of God. I believe one of the main reasons Evan Roberts' ministry was cut short was because he didn't learn this principle." "Though his body was rapidly wearing down, the power of God continued to feed the hunger of the people." "DEMONSTRATING THE DIVINE" "He made the common church-goer aware of the spirit world, especially in the area of purity & holiness toward God." "It even came to the point that when 1 or 2 people in the congregation wouldn't participate, Evan would stand up & say, 'The Spirit can't be with us now.' Then, many times he would leave the service." "Soon, word of this revival spread to other nations. The people of South Africa, Russia, India, Ireland, Norway, Canada, & Holland rushed to Wales." "Many came to carry a portion of this revival back to their own nations." "There is no doubt that the revival in Wales started a worldwide hunger for God." "CONFUSION & COLLAPSE" "In 1905, Evan Roberts' mind became confused." "He heard many voices, & sometimes he wasn't sure which was God's & which was his. He was also constantly examining himself for any unconfessed sin. His number one fear was that people would exalt him instead of God." "Evan began to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. Out of ignorance, the people labeled Evan telepathic, since they didn't understand how he could be so spiritually accurate. But instead of stopping to teach the people concerning the gifts of the Spirit, Evan simply continued to operate in them." "At times, Evan would be preaching, then suddenly would stop. He would look up into the balcony & exclaim that someone there needed salvation. Within seconds, a person would fall to his knees & cry out in repentance to God. This happened often in his services." "Sometimes Evan would name a specific sin that was present & call for immediate repentance." "The voices Evan was hearing began to trouble him greatly." "...Evan Roberts suffered his first emotional collapse. He was forced to remain in the home of a friend & cancel his meetings." "OBSTACLES ARRIVING... & DEPARTING" "...at the meeting he was hazy in mind & rebuked the crowd sharply. He even began to point out 'obstacles arriving' & 'obstacles departing.'" "Accusation & criticism spread like wildfire. Every day produced new, bitter charges in the newspapers & letters." "Soon, Evan Roberts suffered another physical & emotional breakdown. Much to his critics' delight, Evan canceled all this meetings. He was branded as unbalanced..." "GREAT GLORY, GREAT STRAIN" "'Tell the people I shall not come to the service. The Spirit prevents my coming & I can't speak.' There were great cries of disappointment & anger. Even Evan's friends couldn't support this 'leading of the Spirit.' The best they could say of him was that he was under great strain." "Evan locked himself away to spend time in the Word & prayer. Then after another short season of rest, he returned to public ministry. This time the results looked like the days of the early revival." "Because of his failing condition, Evan's emotional wounds became more difficult to heal. He became greatly disturbed at small things." "...he remained depressed most of the time." "The critical point of Evan Roberts' downfall came when he returned to northern Wales in the summer of 1906." "ENTER JEZEBEL" "At the Keswick meeting, Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis introduced herself to Evan. Mrs. Penn-Lewis was a socially influential & wealthy woman from England." "When Mrs. Penn-Lewis heard Evan's message on the cross, she aligned herself with him to gain his acceptance." "Evan succumbed to her influence. Less than a month after being constantly paired with Penn-Lewis, Evan suffered his fourth & most serious nervous breakdown." "I KINGS 21?" "As Penn-Lewis sat by Evan's bedside, she questioned him about the supernatural gifts that operated through him. She determined that Evan's depression was caused from this spiritual operation. Denouncing these gifts given to Evan, Penn-Lewis lectured that unless he was totally crucified to self, he was deceived. Filled with condemnation, Evan finally agreed that all the supernatural operations he had experienced couldn't have been of God. Besides confounding the multitudes, Evan concluded that he too, had been deceived by the supernatural operations." "From this point on, Evan determined from Mrs. Penn-Lewis' counsel that he would no longer trust any moving of the supernatural." "The depressed revivalist's condition was extremely frail & was further frustrated by the repeated prodding & drilling of Penn-Lewis." "Did he ever once consider that his lack of rest - not a lack of consecration - caused his confusion?" "PULPIT MINISTRY? NEVER AGAIN" "In my opinion, it seems that Mrs. Penn-Lewis was using the strength & call of Evan Roberts to promote herself. From past record, she didn't have the strength, character, or call to make it on her own." "If she could gain his partnership, then she could share his platform." "After a year, medical advisors told Evan to never undertake pulpit ministry again. He would be able to do informal counseling, but he was advised to never preach again." "SEVERING THE BLOOD TIE" "Shortly thereafter, Evan began to refuse visits from his closest relatives. When his mother became seriously ill, the news wasn't passed on to him because of his nervous condition. It seems the decision was made by Penn-Lewis." "The reason given... 'he had been set apart for a highly spiritual task & had thus been obliged to forget ties of blood.'" "Don't ever cut your family off. Whether or not you see 'eye to eye' with them is irrelevant. Many of you are where you are today because of the prayers of your family. The old saying, 'Blood is thicker than water,' is true. When all of hell turns against you, you can usually count on your family to love & care for you, especially if you were raised in a Christian home." "John Alexander Dowie went through the same thing. He even forsook his last name for a season. You can never become so spiritual that you forsake the Word of God that commands: 'Honour thy father & mother, which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee, & thou mayest live long on the earth' (Ephesians 6:2, 3)." "According to the Word, if you dishonor your family, you will not be at peace & your life could be shortened. If you feel too spiritual for your family, then love them to your level. Never forsake them." "WAR ON THE RANKS" "Penn-Lewis... wrote a number of books. ...War on the Saints" "Intended to be a complete answer manual to spiritual problems, it was instead a compiled work of spiritual confusion." "It is amazing to see how a national revivalist, once so strong & invincible from the power of the Holy Spirit, could now become so harnessed, subdued, & deceived. The biblical stories of Elijah & Jezebel, or of Samson & Delilah, continue to repeat themselves throughout history." "SERMONS IN THE SHADOWS" "Penn-Lewis fell ill in late 1913." "She decided to hold what she called, 'Christian Workers' Conferences' where she would preach. During these conferences, Evan was to stay in the prayer room, & at times, he would be allowed to counsel groups of people." "How could one, who once seemed so invincible from the might of the Holy Spirit, & who balked at anyone who suggested otherwise, now be contained to only counseling sessions?" "In The School of Prayer, Evan taught how to intercede for families, ministers, & churches. And he wrote essays on various aspects & degrees of prayer." "Evan came alive when he spoke of prayer. The school sparked a new flame inside him." "...he became so detached from humanity that he could no longer relate to people." "Evan Roberts remained inside the walls of the Penn-Lewis home for 8 years." "The life of Evan Roberts was complex." "SHALL WE HAVE REVIVAL AGAIN?" "It is not exactly clear how or why Penn-Lewis & Evan Roberts separated." "...sometime between 1919 & 1921, Evan moved to Brighton, in Sussex. He had purchased a typewriter & began to write several booklets. But they were unorganized & much of the Scripture was out of context. The booklets were never a success." "In 1926, Evan's father fell ill. When Evan returned home for a visit, the family was receptive. All the members were happy to see him & assured him that all was forgiven. And while he was there, some members of a particular chapel asked him to hold a service." "Evan took the pulpit. While the congregation was surprised at his middle-aged appearance, they recognized the power of the Holy Spirit that still rung through Evan's voice. The people became so excited that it was murmured throughout northern Wales, 'Shall we have revival again?'" "Mrs. Penn-Lewis died of lung disease in 1927." "After her death in 1927, Evan returned home permanently. It is interesting to note that though he began to visit Wales, he never moved there from England until Penn-Lewis died." "THE ROOM FLOODED WITH LIGHT" "Evan's father died in 1928." "'This is not a death but a resurrection. Let us bear witness to this truth.' Of that day, one person remarked, 'Something like electricity went through us. One felt that if he had gone on there would have been another revival then & there.'" "Evan prayed for healings & deliverances & operated in the gift of prophecy. But he is said to have openly rebuked someone who tried to speak in tongues. Nevertheless, some thought Evan Roberts had become Pentecostal. Healings, conversions, & answered prayers were the most talked about results of this small revival. A year later, Evan Roberts totally disappeared from public life." "A SHADOW OF SUCCESS" "By 1931, Evan was almost a forgotten man. He stayed in a room provided by Mrs. Oswald Williams. She wanted nothing from Evan but to ensure his peace of mind. He spent the last years of his life writing poetry & letters to ministers." "One word was written in the September, 1950, portion of his journal. It was the word, 'ill.'" "Evan Roberts was buried on January 29, 1951, at the age of 72." "The funeral service... Hundreds who loved Evan Roberts but had lost sight of him through the years, attended & sang his favorite hymns." "...The Western Mail eulogized him best... 'He was a man who had experienced strange things. In his youth, he had seemed to hold the nation in the palms of his hands. He endured strains & underwent great changes of opinion & outlook but his religious convictions remained firm to the end.'" "Indeed, Evan Roberts was a great revivalist who held the keys of spiritual awakening. He pioneered a tremendous move of the Spirit of God in Wales. However, 40 years later, not a trace of this revival could be found in his homeland. It would remain as only a memory in the hearts of those who experienced it." "But, why just 'a memory'?" "Because 1 man can't carry the weight of revival alone. He can lead a move of God, but the people also have their part to play. If a move of God fades away, it is partly because the people never continued in what they received. So we are in error if we solely blame the leader." "To carry the weight that comes with leading a revival - especially for a nation - all 3 parts of the human being - spirit, soul & body - must be made strong. So as we can see from his life, there is more to revival than spiritual revelation. Spiritual hunger & revelation are always where it begins." "The human body & emotions must be strong through the Word of God in order to maintain revival in the earth." "Your work for God doesn't have to fail or be cut short. Strengthen your body, season your soul, & yield your spirit to the plan of God. You can have revival in your nation & run with it successfully!" God's Generals - Volume 1, Roberts Liardon, pgs. 77 - 105. "Ver. 13. With the angel a multitude of the heavenly host."
"...no goodwill from heaven can be communicated to man, nor any peace on earth, but what is consistent with the glory of God." "The manner & spirit in which we ought to spend Christmas. I. LET US ASCRIBE GLORY TO GOD. ...II. LET US SPREAD PEACE ON THE EARTH. All animosities should cease. ...III. LET US EXERCISE GOODWILL TOWARDS MEN." "WHAT THE ANGELIC SONG CONTAINS IN IT? 1. God's glory. ...2. Peace on earth. ...3. The infinite love & goodwill that God hath shown towards men." "...angels praised God with such lively fervours, because they had so much clearer views than we of what Christ came to accomplish, when He was born at Bethlehem. (W. H. Lewis, D. D.)" "Ver. 14. Glory to God in the highest." "Shall they glorify God for His goodness to us, & shall we forget to glorify Him for His goodness to ourselves? (A. W. Hare.)" "Still many of those who call themselves Christians seem to be characterized by the very opposites of peace & good-will." "Peace & good-will - peace, or the absence of quarrelsomeness; good-will, or the actual performance of deeds of kindness, are essential characteristics of genuine discipleship." "...salvation is God's highest glory." "God becomes man that God may be just, & the justifier of the ungodly." "Glory is given to God from the effects which this gospel produces among men." "If we be in any sudden danger, God can despatch an angel, 'a multitude' of angels, to encamp about us 'suddenly.'" "Joy is no way better expressed than in 'praising God;'" "The glory & excellency of God doth most shine in His love & mercy in Christ." "God shows the excellency of His goodness & mercy in the incarnation of Christ, & the benefits we have by it." "...to glorify God as the angels do; that is, all the powers of the soul must be set in order with grace by the Spirit of God." "...if we apprehend this glorious mystery of Christ in the gospel aright, it will work in us a glorious joy: for joy is a disposition especially that fits us to glorify God." "...we cannot glorify God till we have some knowledge of our peace with him in Christ." "Ver. 15. Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, & see." "It was not without significance that Bethlehem, 'The House Of Bread,' should be the birthplace of Him who had come down from heaven to be the Bread Of Life for men." "Simple faith & obedience lift up the humblest to share in the work of the angels of God." "The shepherds as patterns for invitation: - 1. They seek the Child in the stable & the manger. 2. They spread the gospel message everywhere. 3. They praise God with thankful joy. (Ahlfeld.)" "Why did they go away rejoicing? Because they found everything just as God had said. So if we seek & find Jesus we shall go joyfully on our journey. (Sermons for Boys & Girls.)" "Visions are transient; the festival is but for a day; the angels go away into heaven. But the indwelling Christ abides. (F. D. Huntingdon, D. D.)" "Vers. 16 - 18. And they came with haste." "Have we made known abroad what we ourselves have experienced of the power & love of Christ?" "We need the simple personal testimony of every believing heart." "When heaven entrusts a man with a merciful revelation, he is bound to deliver the good tidings to others." "No man can speak of the things of God with any success until the doctrine which he finds in the Book he finds also in his heart." "The shepherds went back to the sheep-pens glorifying & praising God. Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is not position, it is grace which will enable us to glorify God." "God is glorified by our abiding in our vocation." "Faith is an active principle. It cannot know of a Saviour & not go in search of Him." "Earnestly seeking, they also joyfully find." "THE SHEPHERDS, HAVING FOUND THE CHRIST THEMSELVES, FREELY CONFESSED HIM BEFORE THE WORLD. 'When they had seen, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.'" "Ver. 19. And pondered them in her heart." "The 'Desire of all nations' was at last to come, & she should be indeed His mother." "What hopes & wonder must have filled her soul!" "Hearing the Word merely is like indigestion, & when we meditate upon the Word, that's digestion: & this digestion of the Word by meditation produces warm affections, zealous resolutions, & holy actions; & therefore, if you desire to profit by hearing the word, meditate. (H. G. Salter.)" "No one can absolve himself from the duty of spiritual thought." "Ver. 20. And the shepherds returned." "...a beautiful example of pious diligence & fidelity in their vocation." "1. They glorified God by faith in the Saviour, whom He had sent." "2. They glorified God by a ready obedience. ...Faith operates in a way of cheerful obedience." "3. They glorified God by confessing & spreading the Saviour's name." "4. They glorified God by an attendance on the means of faith." "5. They glorified God with the voice of praise. (J. Lathrop, D. D.)" "Ver. 21. For the circumcising of the Child." "Christ was circumcised in order to fulfil the law." "Christ's circumcision was necessary to obtain for Him a hearing among His own people." "Humility, which is the expression of our own insufficiency; obedience, which is the recognition of our dependence upon God." "Boys were circumcised 8 days after their birth. Tradition said that this day was chosen because the mother ceased to be unclean on the 7th day if she had borne a boy." "The circumcision of Christ: - 1. It signifies purification. ...2. It signified obedience. ...3. It signified consecration." "Vers. 22, 24. The days of her purification." "When the fixed time of purification was passed (7 days for a boy & 14 for a girl) the mother still remained at home 33 days for a boy & 66 for a girl. Then she went up to the Temple. (E. Stapfer, D. D.)" "Every male that 1st opened the womb was holy unto the Lord." "It is fit the Holy Mother should present God with His own." "Nothing can become us but holiness." "...Sunday-school teachers, ministers, church members, young people themselves, & everybody should join in loving, prayerful efforts to present young people & others to the Lord." "Vers. 25 - 35. Whose name was Simeon." "Readiness for God's will" "SIMEON'S EXPECTATION" "THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS EXPECTATION" "There is consolation in the promises of the Bible. Oh! how sweet to the soul in distress are the promises of Jesus!" "Simeon had both... He was a 'just man,' & he was also 'devout.' He valued the 'outward & visible sign,' & he possessed also the 'inward & spiritual grace.'" "How much easier it would be to do something to hasten a desired event, instead of patiently, passively waiting for its coming. It is so much easier to ask in faith than to wait in faith. (H. C. Trumbull.)" "To those who wait in faith, submission & holy living, the consolation of Israel will always come." "Simeon saw Christ. The promise was fulfilled. The vision was enough to satisfy the soul." "Persist in going to the house of God, for the very next time you go you may be gladdened by rare revelations!" "No sermon moves us more deeply than that of an old, happy, Christian life, & no service more confirms our faith. (C. Stanford, D. D.)" "To be devout means to live always with the consciousness of God's presence; to walk with Him, as the old Scriptures put it, so that all thoughts & acts are thought & done before Him, & ordered so as to be in tune with His character. It means to live in worship of Him, so that honour is paid in everything to that which is God, to truth & mercy, justice & purity." "Christ is the Consolation of His people, inasmuch as He DELIVERS THEM FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN. But, again, Christ consoles His people not only from guilt, but IN SORROW. It is His especial office, as we saw, 'to bind up the broken heart; to give the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.' (H. Alford, M. A.)" The Biblical Illustrator - Vol. 12, Baker, pgs. 166 - 213. "MARIA WOODWORTH-ETTER"
"Demonstrator of the Spirit" "'The Lord has given me a special mission to bring about a spirit of unity & love... God is raising up people in every land who are reaching out after more of God & saying, 'Come & help us. We want the spirit of love. We want the signs & wonders.'" "There hasn't been a greater demonstrator of God's Spirit since the book of Acts in Pentecostal history than Maria Woodworth-Etter. She was an incredible woman of vision & spiritual strength who stood in the face of fierce opposition, lifted her tiny hand, & allowed the Holy Spirit to spread His fire." "She was a faithful friend of heaven, choosing to lose her earthly reputation to gain a spiritual one." "Maria (pronounced 'Ma-ri-ah,' not 'Ma-ree-ah') was born in 1844 on a Lisbon, Ohio farm. She was born again at the beginning of the 3rd Great Awakening at the age of 13. The preacher who led her to the Lord prayed that her life 'might be a shining light.'" "Maria immediately heard the call of God & dedicated her life to the Lord." "'I heard the voice of Jesus calling me to go out in the highways & hedges & gather in the lost sheep.'" "...at that time, women were not allowed to preach. In the mid-19th century, women couldn't even vote in a national election, so to be a woman preacher was definitely frowned upon. And to be a single woman in the ministry was out of the question." "Her father was killed while working in the fields of their farm & she immediately returned home to help support her family." "'ANGELS CAME INTO MY ROOM...'" "During the Civil War, Maria met P. H. Woodworth, who had returned home from the conflict after being discharged with a head injury. She had a whirlwind courtship with the former soldier & soon married him. They took up farming but nothing ever came of their labors. It seemed as if everything was failing." "...Maria became the mother of 6 children." "...she tried to settle into normal family home life while the Lord continued to call her." "She was married to a man with no desire for ministry, she had 6 children to raise, & she was sickly herself. Then real tragedy struck their home. The Woodworths lost 5 of their 6 children to disease." "...her husband never recovered from the loss." "...she never grew bitter against God, nor did she harden her heart as a result of the loss." "Refusing to give up, she began to search the Word of God." "Then Maria had a great vision. Angels came into her room. They took her to the West, over prairies, lakes, forests, & rivers where she saw a long, wide field of waving golden grain. As the view unfolded she began to preach & saw the grains begin to fall like sheaves. Then Jesus told her that, 'just as the grain fell, so people would fall' as she preached. Finally Maria realized that she would never be happy until she yielded to the call. In response to this great vision from God, she humbly answered 'yes' to His call upon her life & asked Him to anoint her with great power." "'W-O-M-A-N' DOES NOT SPELL 'W-E-A-K'" "...never allow a religious spirit to silence what the Lord has spoken to you. Religion likes to suppress women & their ministries." "You need to learn to obey God without question." "...learn to obey God with boldness. Boldness brings the power of God & will leave your accusers speechless in your presence." "...find some strong women with solid ministries from whom you can learn." "'My dear sister in Christ, as you hear these words may the Spirit of Christ come upon you, & make you willing to do the work the Lord has assigned to you. It is high time for women to let their lights shine; to bring out their talents that have been hidden away rusting; & use them for the glory of God, & do with their might what their hands find to do, trusting God for strength. Who has said, 'I will never leave you.' Let us not plead weakness; God will use the weak things of the world to confound the wise. We are sons & daughters of the Most High God. Should we not honor our high calling & do all we can to save those who sit in the valley & shadow of death? Did He not send Moses, Aaron - Miriam to be your leaders? Barak dared not meet the enemy unless Deborah led the van. The Lord raised up men, women, & children of His own choosing - Hannah, Hulda, Anna, Phoebe, Narcissus, Tryphena, Persis, Julia, the Marys & the sisters who co-labored with Paul. It is less becoming for women to labor in Christ's kingdom & vineyard now than it was then?'" "Seek the Spirit of God for yourself. If you are called, you will have to answer for it. Obey God without question. He will handle the details." "THEY WEPT THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE" "God told her to go & that He would put the words in her mouth. And God fulfilled His Word." "God honored Maria & made up for her lost years in a short amount of time." "She prayed that God would show a great display of His power to break the people's stiff formality." "...people throughout the meeting cried & repented to God. It was the greatest manifestation of the presence of God the town had ever witnessed." "THE DEMOLITION DERBY FORCE" "We are not called to give up. We are called to obey God at whatever cost & to let success answer our critics. If it seems you have hit a hard place in your life or ministry, don't whine & complain. Don't offer your reasons for it. Pray! Explanations & excuses rob us of strength & power. Don't shake your head & run. Use the authority that has been given you through Jesus & overthrow the demonic powers that blind the people. Through prayer, take authority & make a clear path for the Spirit of God to minister to the hearts of the people." "THEY CAME SCREAMING FOR MERCY" "It was not until she preached at a church in western Ohio that had lost God's power, that the meaning of her vision about the sheaves of wheat became clear. It was at this church where the people fell into 'trances.'" "'Fifteen came to the altar screaming for mercy. Men & women fell & lay like dead. I had never seen anything like this. I felt it was the work of God, but did not know how to explain it, or what to say.'" "After laying on the floor for some time, these people sprang to their feet with shining faces while shouting the praises of God." "The ministers & elder saints wept & praised the Lord for His 'Pentecost Power.'" "'TRANCE' TALK" "At one meeting, 15 doctors came from different cities to investigate the trances." "'He did not want to admit the power was of God. He would have been glad if they could prove it was something else. He came to investigate... but was called to another part of the house. He went, expecting to find something new. To his surprise he found his son at the altar & wanted his father to pray for him. He could not pray. God showed him what he was, & what he was doing. He began to pray for himself. While praying he fell into a trance, & saw the horrors of hell. He was falling in. After a terrible struggle God saved him. He went to work to win souls for Christ.'" "The only thing this man could say once he came out of the trance was that he regretted having spent 60 years lost in religion, never knowing Jesus Christ personally." "...thousands were saved, many being 'struck down, laying as dead men' even on their way home. It is said that many people also fell under the power in their homes, miles away from the meetings." "...4 ways God manifests in a vision. The 1st type of vision is an 'inner vision.' The picture you see in your inner man, or spirit man, will benefit you greatly if you heed it. Secondly, there is the 'open vision.' This vision comes when your eyes are wide open. It's like watching a movie screen open up in front of you as it displays a scene God wants to show you. Thirdly, is the night vision. This is when God gives a dream to make you aware of a certain thing. The last type of vision is the 'trance vision.' In this vision, natural abilities are frozen so God can minister whatever is needed. When people came up from a trance vision in Sister Etter's meetings, they told of seeing both heaven & hell." "Unlike the stoic church order of the late 1800's, Maria believed in shouting, dancing, singing & preaching. She believed that emotional displays were important, as long as they were in order. And she believed that a lack of physical manifestation was a sign of apostasy." "FRENZY OR FULFILLMENT?" "Some people are afraid of emotions in the church." "...heaven isn't quiet & serene! Some people are in for a rude awakening when they die & go to heaven. They are going to have to learn how to rejoice along with the rest of us - because heaven is full of life & energy! We have a lot to shout about - both here and there!" "Our churches must have a fresh move of God. And like it or not, a move of God affects the emotions." "The shouting & dancing isn't God. It is simply an unconstrained response to His power. Listen, have you ever put your finger in a light socket & remained still? How much more when you touch God!" "When God touches you, you will react!" "'Why are we so concerned about the ditch when we should be looking at the highway?'" "Focus on the true, & the false will fade away." "What people don't understand, they persecute. They lied about Jesus..." "When those people experience the true touch of God, they will change their minds." "The Spirit of God is what draws mankind to Jesus. By obeying the Spirit, we lift up Jesus." "If you are a church leader, you are commanded by God to obey the Holy Spirit & learn His ways. The Bible says it is those who are led by the Spirit that are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14). So let Him lead!" "The realm of the spirit holds both God & the demonic, & if the Holy Spirit is not your Guide when you enter, you are subject to the demonic." "If you are following God's Spirit, He will keep you pure." "Where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, & yes, order." "People are hungry to see God & to be free." "SHE KNOCKS 'EM SILLY" "By the time Sister Etter reached age 40, she was a national phenomena. Various denominations recognized her ability to stir dead churches, bring in the unconverted, & cheer on a deeper spiritual walk with God. Doctors, lawyers, drunkards, & adulterers - people from all walks of life - were gloriously saved & filled with the Holy Spirit in her meetings. Because of one of her meetings in 1885, the police said they had never seen such a change in their city. The city had been so cleaned up that they had nothing to do!" "One newspaper reporter... 'By some supernatural power she just knocks 'em silly when they are not looking for it, & while they are down she applies the hydraulic pressure & pumps the grace of God into them by the bucketful.'" "Eventually the Lord led Maria to begin praying for the sick. At first, she was reluctant, feeling it would take away from her evangelistic call. But God continued to make His will clear, & she agreed." "THE WILD, WILD WEST" "Of course, Sister Etter's life was marked with great persecution." "...she was a woman in ministry who was married to an unfaithful man." "While ministering in her controversial crusade in Oakland, California, P. H. Woodworth's infidelity was revealed. Sister Etter stayed in separate quarters, choosing to leave him. Finally, after 26 stormy years of marriage, in January of 1891, they were divorced. Then, in less than a year & a half, P. H. Woodworth remarried & publicly slandered Maria's character & ministry. He died not long after on June 21, 1892, of typhoid fever." "Etter's greatest trials came while on the West Coast." "...in 1889, she arrived in Oakland & purchased an 8,000 seat tent. And soon, the tent was jammed with onlookers coming to see the trances, hear of the visions, & watch all the other manifestations of the Holy Spirit." "Hoodlums, or gangs as we call them today, started harassing her meetings. Several times these men hid explosives in the wood stoves - & miraculously - no one was ever injured." "Death threats were sent to her weekly, newspapers slandered her relentlessly, & ministers divided against her." "Nevertheless, Maria refused to leave Oakland until she felt God was finished." "Sister Etter had a slew of prominent ministers both for & against her. One was John Alexander Dowie. While she was on the West Coast, he joined her critics & publicly blasted her 'trance evangelism,' calling it a great delusion. No other minister but Etter matched his own ministry in the area of healing & publicity, so he often referred to her when he spoke of the abuses." "'I told them to watch & see how we would come out, & they would see that he would go down in disgrace, & that I would be living when he was dead.'" "Sister Etter outlived John Alexander Dowie by 17 years." "Sister Etter also made several good friends while there, one being Carrie Judd Montgomery." "Carrie & her husband, George, were instrumental in the Pentecostal Movement & founded the Home of Peace in Oakland. The couple remained strong supporters of Sister Etter throughout their ministry." "GIFT FROM GOD" "...10 years after her divorce, Maria met a wonderful man from Hot Springs, Arkansas, named Samuel Etter." "The 2 were married in 1902. Sister Etter had great respect for this gentleman & often referred to him as her 'gift from God.'" "Sister Etter's ministry published several books: 1. Life, Work, & Experience of Maria Beula Woodworth, Evangelist. 2. Marvels & Miracles God Wrought in the Ministry of Mrs. M. B. Woodworth-Etter for Forty Years. 3. Signs & Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry of Mrs. M. B. Woodworth-Etter for Forty Years. 4. Song Books. 5. Questions & Answers on Divine Healing. 6. Acts of the Holy Ghost (later published as 'A Diary of Signs & Wonders')." "Sister Etter's books are still very rare." "So, Samuel Etter - the husband, friend, editor, manager & minister of helps - 'gift from God' - found peace in his position as a support in his wife's ministry." "PERSECUTION, PROBLEMS & JAIL TRIALS" "Maria was the only leading evangelist of the Holiness Movement who embraced the Pentecostal experience of speaking in tongues. Today, we would have called her a 'Pentecostal Holiness' preacher." "Many ministers didn't understand the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, nor did they understand her doctrine about it." "When harassed with life-threatening situations, she would refuse to leave a town until she was finished. And she was never afraid of unknown perils because she knew the Lord would fight for her." "...'The Lord would always put His mighty power on me, so that He took all fear away, & made me like a giant'" "One such man... marched within 10 feet of the platform & let out a stream of vulgarity & cursing. Then, suddenly, his tongue refused to obey him as a 'strange power seemed to grip his vocal chords.'" "The love Maria had for different cultures also caused racial persecution. She loved the African American & Native American communities just as she loved white people. She preached many times for the black churches, helped their preachers, & supported their revivals. She also went to an Indian reservation, staying for weeks at her own expense. All social classes were welcome in her home - rich & poor alike. Sister Etter loved them all." "'NOTHING SHORT OF A CIRCUS'" "She was a humble, spiritual powerhouse, who looked 'just like your grandmother, but exercised tremendous spiritual authority over sin, disease & demons.' Sister Etter couldn't answer all the invitations she received to minister." "One night 3 very dignified minsters walked into the meeting. Since there was no place left to sit, the platform preachers gave up their seats for the men. Reluctantly, the 'dignified' took their seats. The service got well underway, with the power of God as strong as usual. Then suddenly, one of the starchy preachers tumbled off his chair & fell into the sawdust, motionless. The other 2 tried to ignore their friend on the ground. But in just a few minutes, the 2nd minister joined his friend, falling helplessly into the sawdust. Then the 3rd fell off the platform & laid motionless with them. The 3 laid under the power of God for more than 3 hours. Then, finally, one by one, each got up, brushed himself off, & walked in a daze to the exit!" "Cancer had eaten the entire side of one man's face & neck. The cancer was so painful, he had to be taken from the 1st meeting. But when Sister Etter laid hands on him & prayed, the power of God hit him. The pain, stiffness, & burning left immediately. He was suddenly able to turn his neck from side to side, then he got up on the altar & preached to the people." "One night, 3 people that had been deaf & dumb, all strangers to one another, stood at the altar, weeping, hugging & shouting because God had opened their ears & given them their speech. Many others looked on & wept, making their way to the altar to know God & be saved. One of the 3 formerly deaf & dumb went on to testify: 'When Sister Etter put her finger in my mouth at the root of my tongue & then in my ears, commanding a 'deaf & dumb' spirit to come out, God instantly opened my ears & gave me my voice." "...F. F. Bosworth, wrote of the Dallas meetings: 'Night after night, as soon as the invitation was given, all the available space around the 50-ft altar would be filled with so many suffering with diseases & afflictions & others seeking salvation & the baptism in the Holy Ghost, that it was difficult to get in & out among the seekers.'" "At every meeting she held there was a demonstration of the power of the Spirit as never seen in our generation. One reporter from Indiana wrote, 'Vehicles of all sorts began pouring into the city at an early hour... nothing short of a circus or a political rally ever before brought in so large a crowd.'" "THE SPLITTING ISSUE" "Although the results of the meeting were phenomenal, this 1913 Los Angeles Worldwide Camp Meeting (Azusa/Arroyo Seco Meeting) was also known to birth the issue that split the early Pentecostal Movement. It produced the debate surrounding the 'Jesus Only,' 'Oneness,' or 'New Issue' doctrine." "John G. Sheppe... Sheppe believed he had see something new about using the name of Jesus & ran through the camp sharing it with others. ...people on the West Coast began to baptize in 'Jesus' Name' only, & were told if they were baptized in the Trinity they would have to be re-baptized. The teaching split the Pentecostal Movement." "She believed the most important issue was to warn sinners that Jesus was coming soon through the preaching of His Word with signs & wonders." "'His ambassadors must stop all the contention, all hair-splitting theories must be dropped; this hobby & that hobby with continual harping on finished work or sanctification that antagonizes the saints must be put away. Paul says preaching has to be with demonstration of the Spirit & of power... Let the Word go forth in demonstration & power so people can see what God has for them.'" "Years later she called the 'Oneness' position 'the biggest delusion the devil ever invented.'" "ELECTRIFIED US ALL" "But because of the political controversy, the male ministers took control, & Sister Etter was forced to minister only in the mornings." "...in spite of it all, hundreds were miraculously healed." "A young boy remembered, 'She raised her small hands & the power of the Holy Spirit electrified us all.'" "Invalids walked from their sick beds, the deaf heard, the blind saw, arthritis was instantly healed, tumors destroyed, dropsy eliminated. In short, every manner of sickness & disease that dared to show itself at Sister Etter's meetings, bowed its knee to Jesus Christ & was disintegrated by the fire of the Spirit. And all of this in spite of the doctrinal divisions." "Because of her Dallas & Los Angeles meetings, Sister Etter would remain a leading evangelist for the rest of her life." "TABERNACLE TALES" "After 45 years of ministry & preaching thousands of sermons from coast to coast, God spoke to Maria about building a tabernacle in west Indianapolis." "She built the church next door to her home, & ministered there for the last 6 years of her life." "...in 1918, when Sister Etter raised the 500 seat building, it was no small task." "It was dedicated on May 19, 1918, & to date, only one other woman has ever surpassed her 'church-building' ability. That woman was the female evangelist who emulated much of Etter's style, Aimee Semple McPherson." "...the church remains today - though in a different location - affiliated with the Assemblies of God." "One man remembered that 'people would move toward the altar & fall on the floor before they got there.' He said he never saw pre-suggestions or people ever being pushed over - 'It was God. Nothing phony about Sister Etter.'" "Another Tabernacle tale involved the healing of a young boy. He had tuberculosis & developed a tumor the size of a fist. When his mother took him to Maria she said, 'We'll just cut it out with the Sword of the Spirit.' With that, Sister Etter took her Bible & 'whacked' him on the neck, & the boy was healed.'" "GREAT MEETS GREAT" "...the meeting of Maria Woodworth-Etter & Aimee Semple McPherson." "I believe Aimee devoured all she could read about Sister Etter, & strengthened her own calling from the courage Maria showed." "'For years I have been longing to meet Sister Etter, & have been talking more about it in recent months. I have longed to hear her preach & be in her meetings... Tomorrow Mrs. Etter's tabernacle will be open & I will have the desire of my heart. Glory!'" "It is believed that Wigglesworth picked up several of his mottos from Sister Etter. And Wigglesworth did conduct a series of meetings in the Tabernacle after her death in 1925." "It is God's will for man to be free. He came to destroy the works of the devil, not to tolerate or live through them. The Church today must learn to deal with the destroyer & bring life to the people." "God wants the whole counsel of His Word to be preached & demonstrated to the people. That's why Jesus gave us His blood." "Like the apostles, Sister Etter remained true to the whole counsel of God all the days of her life - despite the pressure & persecution - & we must do the same." "THE TRAILBLAZER" "Eventually, the Tabernacle presented a large wooden chair as a gift to Maria. Then when she seemed too weak to walk, a few strong men would carry the wooden chair from the church to her house, place her in it, & carry her back. The minute her feet hit the platform, the Spirit of God would quicken her & she would walk up & down the platform, preaching & ministering in the supernatural power of God. Hundreds witnessed how weak she seemed, then how incredibly strong she became. At the end of the service, the men would put her back in the chair & carry her home." "Sister Etter's faith caused her to continue, when many others would have given up." "She had traveled across the nation in buggies & trains, many times sleeping in a tent when money was scarce, or no room was provided. But it didn't matter to Etter." "...'She laid hands on the sick & prayed for those who were in need. This she did 'til the very end. She did this while at the same time she knew that her own strength was rapidly slipping away. She has repeatedly said during her ministry that she would sooner wear out for Jesus than rust out.'" "Before Sister Etter went home to be with the Lord at age 80, she had buried all 6 of her children & 2 husbands; preaching thousands of sermons from coast to coast; remained the victor over hoodlums & vicious minsters; blazed the trail for women in ministry; & unflinchingly displayed the power of the Holy Spirit with mighty signs & wonders following." "She preached a very simple Gospel, offered herself completely to Him, & believed for signs & wonders. Maria's one passion was for the Gospel to come alive & for people to be led by the Spirit. She preached many times with tears streaming down her face, begging those who heard to come to Christ. Her meetings & teachings paved the way for the founding of many Pentecostal denominations, including the Assemblies of God, Foursquare, & other similar denominations." "ETTER'S FAMILY TODAY" "Her great-great-great grandson, Tom Slevin, had an interest in researching his family tree." "Slevin likes to compare his grandmother Etter's ministry to that of Smith Wigglesworth's. He feels their relationship with God was very similar, especially in the areas of faith. Though he has many favorite stories, Slevin pointed out that John G. Lake met Etter in 1913. After that meeting, it is said that Lake told his people to, 'Pray like Mother Etter.'" "From his research, Slevin... She went wherever God told her to go; whether they had 20 people or a thousand people. Her time belonged to God. She was never 'too busy' to do what He said. Everyone was important to her, because they were important to God." "A PERSONAL VIEW" "Every ministry should have signs & wonders following it." "If your ministry is following the commands of Jesus, then signs & wonders will follow you." "...it seems that Aimee Semple McPherson carried on where Etter left off, through great signs, wonders, & exploits." "From McPherson, a similar mantle seemed to pass on to Kathryn Kuhlman. Kuhlman was also known for the great multitude of miracles in her ministry & for her hunger for fellowship with the Holy Spirit." "DON'T RUST OUT" "Maria Woodworth-Etter reached untold thousands from around America with the liberating message of Jesus Christ." "...cultivate the godly treasures within you by experience & the Word, then bring them to the surface by prayer & obedience. Believe God for signs & wonders to come through you. Determine to be used in this hour & press on to the fullness that God has for you. Don't allow setbacks to frustrate or hinder you. Call for the Spirit of might & finish your course in complete victory. Adopt these words of Sister Etter: 'It's better to wear out for Jesus Christ than to rust out.'" "Then don't stop until you are finished. The world is searching for the answer within you." God's Generals - Volume One, Roberts Liardon, pgs. 45 - 76. "Great joy is often - 1. Secret. 2. Silent. 3. Childlike. 4. Modest. 5. Elevated. Christ is the only source of rational joy among fallen men. (Van Doren.)"
"The message to the shepherds: - I. HOW SURE IS GOD'S WORD. ...II. HOW WONDERFUL ARE GOD'S WAYS. III. HOW GLORIOUS IS GOD'S SALVATION. (W. S. Bruce. M. A.)" "HOW THAT JOY SHOULD BE MANIFESTED. 1. Proclaim the Saviour. 2. Sing God's praises. 3. Spread the news - as the shepherds did. 4. Ponder this miracle of love as Mary did. 5. Go & do good to others. Come & worship God manifest in the flesh, & be filled with His light & sweetness by the power of the Holy Spirit. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "Nothing, you see, is comfortable to them that have not the true comforter, the Holy Spirit in their soul." "...the joy that you have in Christ is with you all the year, in all your sorrow, in all your adversities; it sleeps with you, it grows old with you, it will change this life with you, & follow you into a better: 'And My joy shall no man take from you,' says our Saviour (John 16:22)." "Is it not pleasant to contemplate how provident God hath ever been for our welfare?" "Almighty God looks with a sort of especial love, or (as we may term it) affection, upon the lowly." "Never until God dwelt in the flesh could any man know what flesh might become." "I. 'Good tidings of great joy' in view of THE LIGHT WHICH WAS TO BE SHED." "II. 'Good tidings of great joy' in view of THE DELIVERANCE WHICH WAS TO BE WROUGHT." "III. 'Good tidings of great joy' in view of the union of THE WHOLE RACE WHICH WAS CONTEMPLATED, & WHICH SHALL, IN DUE COURSE, BE ACCOMPLISHED. ...(S. D. Hillman, B. A.)" "Ver. 11. For unto you is born this day." "THE LESSON OF NOT PUTTING OUR TRUST IN THE ARM OF FLESH." "He began & finished the work which the Father gave Him to do." "In doing His work, & in doing our own work, we are often sorely tempted to depart from His footsteps." "The offer of God's good-will is through Christ Jesus unto all & upon all them that believe." "The great announcment: ...A Saviour is born unto you." "Sin will destroy us all." "...there is no person on earth has so much need of a Saviour as has a sinner." "Above all, then, we need a Saviour for our souls, & from our sins, & from the everlasting destruction which sin will bring upon us in the other life not far from us." "The good news is for each & all: ...Whoever you are, whatever are your sins there is salvation for you. (H. C. Trumbull.)" "If men were indeed what Satan makes them, & makes us try to believe that they solely are - hopelessly degraded, unimaginably vile; if human life be nothing at the best but the shadow of a passing & miserable dream, I know not how we could love one another." "If we have learnt the lesson of Christmas, the lesson of Bethlehem, let us live to counteract the works of the devil; let it be the one aim of our lives to love & not to hate; to help, & not to hinder; to succour them that are tempted, not to add to & multiply their temptations; to make men better, not worse; to make life a little happier, not more deeply miserable; to speak kindly words, not words that may do hurt; to console & to encourage not to blister & envenom with slanderous lies; to live for others, not for ourselves; to look each of us not on his own things, but on the things of others; to think noble thoughts of man as well as of God; to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven us. (Archdeacon Farrar.)" "WHAT ARE THE TITLES GIVEN TO THIS SAVIOUR? 1. He is 'Christ.' ...2. He is 'The Lord.' High & glorious name! He is Jehovah. He is 'Lord' by right of creation, in His Divine & eternal nature. He is 'Lord' by right of inheritance; man, as Mediator between God & man. He is more particularly our 'Lord' by redemption. These names, then, 'Christ, the Lord,' show Him, an all-sufficient Saviour; show Him, God & man united in one Person; as man to suffer, as God to redeem. (E. Blencowe, M. A.)" "Ver. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you." "...humility is the sign of the greatness." "'Except ye be converted, & become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.'" "What is that thing which Christ comes to do? He has come to be the God-man, the Redeemer, the Emmanuel, & the Saviour - the God for us, & God with us, & God in us - of the fallen, the sinful, the erring & straying man." "The treasure of the Divine light is always held in earthen vessels; not until the pitcher is broken at the fountain shall the full radiance shine out so as to be read of all men." "Christ came not to take men out of the world, but to consecrate & keep them in it." "Christ's humility: ...He comes in humility; He reigns in humility; He leads by humility." "Great things from small beginnings: ...It is not by might, nor by power, that His agencies accomplish their vast work. The least things are often the greatest in His providence (I Corinthians 1:27-29)." "WHAT GLORIOUS ENDINGS COME FROM SMALL & INSIGNIFICANT BEGINNINGS." The Biblical Illustrator - Volume 12, Baker, pg. 142 - 165. "John Alexander Dowie - 'The Healing Apostle'"
"Undoubtedly, this man succeeded in shaking the world at the turn of the century. He brought to the forefront of society, the visible Church of the living God - primarily in the area of divine healing & repentance." "John Alexander Dowie's recorded converts numbered in untold millions." "From coast to coast it (his gospel ministry) single-handedly challenged & triumphed over the great apostasy & lethargy of his time, demonstrating soundly that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, & forever." "MORE THAN ORDINARY" "John Alexander Dowie was born May 25, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland." "Although his school attendance was irregular due to frequent illness, young Dowie portrayed brilliance & enthusiasm." "At the mere age of 6, young Dowie read the Bible through from cover to cover." "...he campaigned against alcohol abuse & signed a petition to never partake of it." "Dowie continued to read the Bible & accompany his father as much as possible on 'preaching journeys.' On one such journey, he came upon a humble street preacher by the name of Henry Wright. As young Dowie listened to the details of the Gospel, he gave his heart to Jesus Christ." "Dowie soon became the assistant to a firm's partner in a business that grossed more than $2 million a year." "Dowie had been a sickly child. And he suffered from 'chronic dysepsia,' a severe indigestion problem that plagued him in his teen years. But, after reading the will of God concerning healing, Dowie petitioned the Lord & was 'completely delivered of the affliction.' And this divine manifestation was only a token of the revelation that was to come in his life." "Finally, at the age of 21, Dowie made an absolute decision to answer the call of God." "Soon Dowie accepted an invitation to pastor the Congregational Church in Alma, Australia." "Dowie was a visionary, but despite his repeated endeavors, he was unable to arouse the people from their lethargy. Although he needed the church financially, he chose to resign the pastorate because he felt it a waste of time to continue with them." "John Alexander Dowie was a reformer & a revivalist. This kind of calling has to see results because of the passion for God that burns so strongly within them." "OH, COME AT ONCE! MARY IS DYING..." "While pastoring in Newton, a death-wreaking plague swept through the region, particularly in the outskirts of Sydney." "Within a few short weeks at his new appointment, Dowie had presided over 40 funerals. Sickness & death seemed to be waiting at every corner." "Disease, the foul offspring of its father, Satan, & its mother, Sin, was defiling & destroying ...& there was no deliverer." "Then I prayed for some message... Then the words of the Holy Ghost inspired in Acts 10:38, stood before me all radiant with light, revealing Satan as the Defiler, & Christ as the Healer. My tears were wiped away, my heart was strong." "The doctor, a good Christian man, was quietly walking up & down the room... Presently, he stood at my side & said, 'Sir, are not God's ways mysterious?' 'God's way! ...No sir, that is the devil's work & it is time we called on Him Who came to 'destroy the work of the devil.'" "Dowie bowed by the girl's bed & cried out to God. Instantly the girl lay still. The mother asked if her daughter was dead, but Dowie replied, 'No... she will live. The fever is gone.'" "Soon, the young girl was sitting up in bed & eating. She apologized for sleeping so long & exclaimed how well she felt. And as the small group thanked the Lord, Dowie went into the room of her brother & sister, prayed for them, & they were instantly healed." "From that moment on, the plague was stayed as far as Dowie's congregation was concerned. Not another member of his flock died of the epidemic. And as a result of this revelation, the great healing ministry of John Alexander Dowie was launched." "WEDDING BELLS" "...at the age of 29, on May 26, 1876, John Dowie married Jeanie" "Their 1st son, Gladstone, was born in 1877." "Every ministry has a future. But we must believe in that future or we will never take the 1st step. Like Dowie, we must determine to hold fast to the Word of God & fight for what is ours in the earth. Setbacks are always present..." "Even though we are called, we still have to war against spiritual evils that are sent to destroy our vision & to discourage us." "NO MORE RELIGION" "During this trying time, Dowie made an unprecedented decision to leave the denomination he was a part of. He couldn't understand or operate with the cold, lethargic state of their leadership. And he burned with a passion to proclaim the message of divine healing throughout the city." "Because of the hostility presented by denominational leaders, he found himself constantly on the defensive." "He studied the lethargic side of the church, then he studied the unchurched. He made the decision that reaching the vast number of the unchurched would result in greater fervor for Jesus Christ! And he decided to stop his laborings among the cynical." "In 1878, Dowie broke free from his denomination & secured the Royal Theatre in Sydney to begin an independent ministry." "...a lack of funds halted his work. Though the crowds were large, many had no financial income. The only answer Dowie could see was to sell his home & furnishings" "'My beautiful furniture & pictures were gone, but there came in place of them men & women that were brought to the feet of Jesus by the sale of my earthly goods.'" "MISREADING THE CALL" "Dowie's leadership was gaining a strong national influence." "...the Temperance Society asked him to run for Parliament." "But he later changed his mind ...& decided to enter the race." "But Dowie suffered a sound defeat in the elections." "After the election, Dowie had wounded his church, & disgraced his ministry." "We need to understand that God has a central point from which every aspect of our lives operate, whether individually or corporately. That area is called 'timing.'" "Politicians & the political arena have never changed the world, church-wise or government-wise. Only a people whose hearts are changed by the Gospel can transform civil laws & regulations. Politics are meant for compromise to please people as a whole. The apostolic office presents the Word of the Lord, then it is up to the people to conform to & follow it. The apostolic & political don't mix." "While campaigning for office, Dowie also neglected his commandment to preach divine healing." "And as a result, the rest of his time in Australia was spent in darkness & futility." "PEOPLE CAME FROM EVERYWHERE" "Dowie finally repented & in 1880 returned to the message of divine healing, with great physical & spiritual blessings coming to him as a result. The gifts of the Spirit began to manifest in his life & revelation abounded like never before. Because of his spiritual obedience, thousands were healed under his ministry." "In 1888, Dowie sensed the unction to come to America, then possibly on to England." "...people were coming from all parts of California to be healed." "The reformer had a unique way of praying for the sick. He fervently believed no one could come for healing unless they were born again & had repented of any lifestyle contrary to the Gospel." "...the ones he did pray for were instantly healed." "FORSAKING THE DIVINE" "Soon Dowie began healing crusades up & down the coast of California. It was during this time that he met Maria Woodworth-Etter, the great woman healing evangelist. But there arose a conflict between them, & Dowie denounced her method of ministry." "FINALLY, A HOME" "Dowie... chose to settle in Evanston, Illinois, outside of Chicago." "...he was summoned to pray for a lady dying from a fibroid tumor." "The woman's tumor was reportedly the size of a coconut that had grown into various parts of her body. When Dowie prayed for her, she was instantly healed. In fact, the healing was so remarkable that several Chicago newspapers ran the story." "As was true in Australia, Dowie had opened the doors to the city of Chicago by way of divine healing." "ANOTHER HOME - JAIL!" "Dowie opened several large rooming houses called 'Healing Homes.'" "Because of these healing homes, Dowie's enemies thought they had found a vulnerable spot. So early in 1895, they arrested him on the charge of 'practicing medicine without a license.'" "Evil will always try to persecute the power of God. But Dowie was supernaturally secure & anchored in his godly authority. The supernatural never bows to the natural." "LEAVES OF HEALING" "...Dowie's newsletter, Leaves of Healing, had a weekly worldwide circulation. It was filled with teachings & healing testimonies." "True to his form, Dowie never minced words in his writings. He fervently denounced sin & exposed evil industries." "Leaves of Healing also warned its readers of lethargic & controlling denominations." "Much of his support & ministry was attributed to this publication." "The Postmaster General of Chicago was a devout Catholic. So to take his mailing privileges, Dowie's enemies gave one of his sermons that renounced the infallibility of the Pope to this man. The Postmaster was instantly offended & revoked his second-class mailing privileges, forcing Dowie to pay 14 times the usual cost!" "...by 1896, this particular editor, one of Dowie's greatest persecutors, was put in prison on a separate charge & was made a public spectacle, forever ruined." "While in Washington, Dowie was also granted an audience with President William McKinley." "While leaving the White House, Dowed commented to his staff that he feared for McKinley's life. He later asked his followers to pray for the safety of the president because he was not properly guarded. But in spite of Dowie's prophetic warnings, President McKinley was shot in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901. He died 8 days later, being the 3rd U. S. President to be killed by an assassin." "'ZION HAS COME'' "Soon, there was scarcely a person in Chicago who had not heard the Gospel message. Now Dowie was praying for thousands every week to receive divine healing." "Among other notable healings were Amanda Hicks, cousin of Abraham Lincoln; Dr. Lillian Yeomans; Rev. F. A. Graves; John G. Lake's wife; & the wife of a U. S. congressman." "He leased the largest auditorium in Chicago for 6 months, & moved the great Zion Tabernacle into the building, filling its 6,000 seats at every service." "The next 3 years were quiet, prosperous, & influential. It was then that Dowie made his secret plans for his special city." "Dowie diverted the attention of the multitudes by declaring a 'Holy War' & announced a coming message entitled 'Doctors, Drugs & Devils.' Advertising the message for weeks, the title caused no small stir. Then while his enemies were distracted by it all, Dowie secretly hired proprietors to survey land 40 miles north of Chicago to build a city. After they found 6600 acres on Lake Michigan, Dowie dressed himself up as a tramp so as not to be recognized, then toured the site. And before his enemies could discover what was happening, the land had been purchased, & decisive plans were made for building the city of Zion, Illinois." "Dowie unveiled the architectural plans for Zion at the New Year's Eve Watch Night service on January 1, 1900. His business ability was praised by his people & the secular world, for starting the Zion Land Investment Association. Subdivisions were allotted, & home-building began. The land was not to be sold, instead it was to be leased for a period of some 1100 years. The terms of the lease strictly forbade the possession or use of tobacco, liquor, & swine's flesh anywhere within the limits of the city. And in 2 years' time, houses had been erected & the city was taking shape." "THE ELIJAH COMPLEX" "He deemed himself as Zion's General Overseer." "Eventually Dowie had so sadly diverted from God's plan for his life that he embraced the suggestion & proclaimed it as truth. He believed he was Elijah." "Dowie was thoroughly deluded. Soon his preaching had deteriorated into the mere denouncing of his enemies." "THE MADISON SQUARE KNOCKOUT" "According to Buckley's newspaper article, Dowie was 'in the moonlit border land of insanity where large movements of limited duration have sometimes originated.'" "...Dowie rented the Madison Square Garden, & though financially strained, arranged for 8 trains to take thousands of his followers to New York City. Once there, he planned to make an open show of the 2 men to demonstrate the power he still held. What was once inspired by God's divine direction, was now reduced to Dowie's own self-appointment. It was totally in the flesh. He reacted out of a hurt & emotional wound & now he was determined to display his vengeance." "The event failed miserably. Though thousands went with Dowie, thousands more came who had another plan. They filled the Garden, but as Dowie took the platform to speak, they began to exit by the droves. The scene confused Dowie terribly & kept him from speaking as he had originally planned. As a whole, the city of New York was virtually unaware that anything had transpired at this meeting. It was as if God silenced the newspapers & had mercy on His servant." "THE FATEFUL END" "...his train pulled into Pomona, California. There had been a severe drought in the land, & no rain had fallen for 8 months. So the reporters chided Dowie, reminding him that Elijah prayed for rain during drought in Israel & rain came. And that if he was Elijah, surely he would do the same for California. Dowie did indeed pray for rain at the end of his service, & before the crowd was dismissed, rain was falling in torrents." "Although greatly anointed & sent by God, it seemed Dowie had a weakness for power & success." "Jesus never commanded us to build communes. Jesus commanded us to 'Go!' not 'Huddle.'" "The greatest test of a leader is not in the area of persecution, though many fall there. I think one of the greatest snares comes in the form of power & success. We must never think we've 'made it' & begin to dictate our personal power as a result of God-given success." "...we must hold ourselves in the strength of the Spirit, listening for His direction - not our own. It is only through the strength of the Spirit & a hunger for God, that we are able to continue in what God has spoken, pioneering into the next level." "Dowie soon proclaimed himself as the First Apostle of a renewed, end-time Church, denounced his last name, & signed his documents as 'John Alexander, First Apostle.' But not long after his 'self appointment,' Dowie suffered a stroke on the platform from which he delivered his last sermon. Then while he was out of the country to recover, the city of Zion held an organized meeting to vote Dowie out." "Dowie fought this decision to the last ounce of his strength but never succeeded in regaining his position. He was allowed to live his last days inside of Shiloh House, his home for many years, & slipped into eternity on March 9, 1907." "When he left the city of his calling, the enemy killed his worldwide influence through deception, killed a member of his family, destroyed his marriage, & destroyed Dowie himself with 'every form of disease' fastening to his body." "We must remain with the original, anointed plan of God for our lives & allow Him to open the avenues to administrate it." "Those who were with him at the end said he had returned to his faith of the early years." "A GREAT OBJECT LESSON" "Even in the midst of his error, he prophesied the coming of radio & television to our generation. He had his failures, but from his influence came many great men of God. His ministry produced John G. Lake, the great apostle to South Africa; F. F. Bosworth, & his brother B. B. Bosworth, whose healing campaigns touched untold millions; Gordon Lindsay, whose life & ministry resulted in the great interdenominational college, Christ for the Nations, in Dallas, Texas; Raymond T. Richey, healing crusader; & Charles Parham, 'The Father of Pentecost,' whose Bible school in Topeka, Kansas, ushered in another move of the Holy Spirit." "Without a doubt, John Alexander Dowie succeeded in making the Bible alive to untold millions. He was an instrument used of God to restore the keys of divine healing & the revelation of repentance to a lukewarm, lethargic, generation." "Never sway from what God has commanded you to do in the earth. No matter what your age, your generation has not passed until you exit the earth & enter heaven. So if God has commanded you to fulfill a commission, make it your utmost priority as long as you live." God's Generals - Volume One, Roberts Liardon, pgs. 19 - 44. "VERS. 1 - 7. A decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed."
"Learn that God is working in all the events of life, great or small; bringing out of them issues very different from the issues intended by the actors in those events." "Ver. 4. Which is called Bethlehem." "Oh, how can we be abased low enough for Him who thus neglected Himself for us! (W. Burkitt, M. A.)" "Christ's birth in Bethlehem: ...a proof - (1) that the Lord certainly performs what He promises; (2) that with God nothing is impossible; (3) that nothing is too mean or too lowly for God. (Fuchs.)" "Without the birth of Jesus the new birth of mankind is impossible." "Ver. 6. The days were accomplished." "All the prophets, from righteous Enoch to John the preacher of repentance, laboured to prepare the way for Him who came on this night." "God descended to man, to raise man to God." "Let one & all 'prepare the way of the Lord, & make straight His paths.'" "Ver. 7. Her first-born Son." "Christ born without the curse of the flesh: - The Virgin conceived our Lord without the lusts of the flesh, & therefore she had not the pangs & travail of women upon her, she brought him forth without the curse of the flesh." "In that awful hour of Bethlehem there must have mingled with the sorrows of the outcast Virgin the trembling joys of one who knew herself the supernatural channel of the Hope of the human race." "I. BORN A HELPLESS UNKNOWING BABE." "II. BORN WITHOUT A DWELLING. 'No room for Him in the inn'" "In death He had no tomb or sepulchre of His own." "III. BORN IN DARKNESS." "IV. BORN ON A HARD COUCH. ...A birth, life & death in hardship." "V. BORN BETWEEN 2 ANIMALS. ...There was no room for them in the inn." "By being in a manger He was declared to be the king of the poor." "...in being thus laid in a manger, He did, as it were, give an invitation to the most humble to come to Him." "Christ was born in the stable of the inn to show how free He is to all comers." "So, if you desire to come to Christ, you may come to Him just as you are; you may come now." "Go where ye will, there is no space for the Prince of Peace but with the humble & contrite spirits which by grace He prepares to yield Him shelter." "HAVE YOU NO ROOM FOR CHRIST?" "If you have room for Christ, then THE WORLD HAS NO ROOM FOR YOU." "You must expect to be laughed at, & to wear the fool's cap in men's esteem." "Room in the soul for Christ: ...If thou hast but room for Christ He will come & be thy guest." "'To-day is the accepted time: to-day is the day of salvation.' Room for Jesus! Room for Jesus now!" "Here is my royal Master - have you room for Him? Here is the Son of God made flesh - have you room for Him? Here is He who can forgive all sin - have you room for Him? There is He who can take you up out of the horrible pit & out of the miry clay - have you room for Him? Here is He who, when He cometh in, will never go out again, but abide with you for ever to make your heart a heaven of joy & bliss for you - have you room for Him?" "Have you room for Him? Oh! Spirit of God, lead many to say, 'Yes, my heart is ready.' Ah! then He will come & dwell with you. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "Christ seeks entrance into the heart" "Shutting out Jesus: - ...'No room for Jesus here!'" "'Who dares,' you say, 'to write such words?' They write them - every one writes them, wherever he goes, who has an unchanged heart;" "GREAT MULTITUDES UTTERLY REJECT HIM, & STAY FAST IN THEIR SINS." "Is it not time that Christ our Master should begin to be more fitly represented by His people. Be it yours, then, to make room for Him, even according to the greatness of His power - length, breadth, depth, height. (H. Bushnell, D. D.)" "NO ROOM FOR JESUS" "He was cradled in a manger; His own angels sung the hymn, Of rejoicing at His coming, Yet there was no room for Him. Oh, my brothers, are we wiser, Are we better now than they? Have we any room for Jesus, In the life we live to-day? Not much room for our Lord Jesus, Has there been, or will there be; Room for Pilate & for Herod - Not for Him of Calvary. Room for pleasures - doors wide open, And for business, - but for Him, Only here & there a manger, Like to that at Bethlehem." "No room for Christ. Room for all unholy aspirations, room for self-seeking, room for pride, room for Satan, room for all the concerted passions of darkness, but no room for Jesus." "Is He welcomed & honoured? 1. Jesus is kept out of your heart because you do not know Him. Your ignorance is wilful." "Room for darkness, & no room for light; room for foulness, & no room for purity; room for death, but no room for life!" "No room among the crowns & songs & glories of heaven for the hearts that had no room for Jesus! (C. F. Deems, D. D.)" "Vers. 8, 9. In the same country shepherds." "WE MAY LEARN FROM THE STORY THAT IT IS NOT SO MUCH IN THE NUMBER & MAGNITUDE OF OUR GIFTS, AS IN THE USE WE MAKE OF THEM, THAT OUR TRUE WELFARE & HAPPINESS CONSIST." "How hard it must have been for them to leave the luxuries & honours, &, above all, the scientific pursuits of the Persian palace, in order to encounter the toils & perils of a long & hazardous journey, on the mere chance of finding their conclusion verified!" "...walking in the light we have, it will grow larger & purer; using the gifts we possess, more will be added unto us. (S. Cox, D. D.)" "...there is no respect of persons with God; ...in His eye the loftiest & the lowliest are as one." "Idle men do not receive visions." "What is our attitude towards the Divine announcements?" "This angel is the 1st evangelist. He is a type of what gospel-preaching should be. 1. His message is good news. ...2. To all the people - not merely to an elect few. To all classes - not merely to the intelligent & refined. 3. The cause of this joy proclaimed is the advent of Christ, i.e., the Messiah, the Anointed One, the great High Priest who makes atonement for the past sins of His people; a Saviour because He saves His people from their sins themselves. 4. The attestation of His Divinity. ...5. Notice also the 1st approach of the Divine message always produces fear in the heart. ...6. The convert becomes at once a preacher to others. ...7. The shepherds publish. Mary ponders. Both the active & the meditative temperament have a place in the Church of Christ. (Lyman Abbott, D. D.)" "Joy often follows fear" "...how soon their consternation ended in exultation & jubilee." "The best place in all the world to be is at the post of duty. Nowhere else can such blessings, temporal or spiritual, be fairly looked for. If the Lord has a good gift or a glad message to one of His children, He sends it to the place where the child ought to be found. If the child is not there, he fails of getting what he might have had to rejoice over. Day or not - night & day, be where you belong." "By night: - Wherefore at night this Babe of Glory was born that He might turn the night into day. (Bishop Hacket.)" "The Good Shepherd that giveth His life for His sheep, would 1st be manifested to those good shepherds that watched over their sheep." "Ver. 10. I bring you good tidings of great joy." "...however gloomy our lot, however distressed our portion, God, the Almighty God, has not forsaken us." "The joy-producing power of Christianity" "Glad news: - Christianity is glad news. 1. BECAUSE IT REVEALED GOD TO MAN." "II. BECAUSE IT REVEALED MAN TO HIMSELF." "III. BECAUSE IT REVEALS GOD IN MAN. (W. H. Murray.)" "Have you no song in you to-day?" "The key-note of this angelic gospel is joy - 'I bring unto you good tidings of great joy.'" "There is joy to all mankind where Christ comes." "It is joy to all nations that Christ is born, the Prince of Peace, the King who rules in righteousness." "In a simple Christ, & in a simple faith in that Christ, there is a deep & lasting peace, an unspeakable bliss & joy. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "The fear which is to be avoided is slaving fear - that trembling which keeps us at a distance from God, which makes us think of Him as a Spirit with whom we can have no communion, as a Being who has no care for us except to punish us, & for whom consequently we have no care except to escape if possible from His terrible presence." "THE CURE FOR THIS FEAR. God with us: God made flesh - that is the remedy." "Christ's office is to deliver us from sin. Here is joy upon joy." "There is no cause for any to keep away from God, since Jesus has come to bring all to Him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)" "He who was born to-day was - I. A REDEMER. Delivering us from the servitude of sin & Satan" "II. A SURETY. Taking upon Himself all our debts & the condemnation of their punishment." "III. A HEAVENLY PHYSICIAN. Prepared & willing to heal all diseases, again & again, without fee or reward, without pain to the patient" "IV. A SUN TO THE WORLD. Enlightening a darkness more dense than any natural or physical darkness. A light - 1. Eternal. 2. Cheering. 3. Glorifying." "V. A GUIDE TO THE TRUE & BLESSED LIFE (Micah 2:13). Going before in difficulties, smoothing rough ways." "VI. A NOURISHER OF THE WORLD. Sustaining us in the way with 'living bread.'" "VII. A PRINCE OF PEACE. Bringing peace - 1. With God. 2. To one's own conscience. 3. With each other." "VIII. A SAVIOUR. ...The gospel may be called 'good tidings.' - 1. Because it is so beneficial. 2. Because it is so appropriate. 3. Because it is so personal. 4. Because it is so unexpected. 5. Because it is so subservient to the illustration of all the other dispensations of God toward us. (G. Brooks.)" The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 110 - 141. "BENJAMIN FRANKLIN"
"HE WAS A WRITER, a publisher, a craftsman, an inventor, & a scientist. He was a public servant, a diplomat, an ambassador, a civic activist, & a Founding Father." "Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston. He was 15th of the Franklin's 17 children who grew up in an impoverished household. His father was a soap & candlemaker, one of the lowliest of the artisan crafts." "By the age of 5, Franklin had read the King James Bible cover to cover." "Franklin's newfound beliefs... a fast-growing philosophy called deism." "...deism is the belief that there is a God-like being that created the universe but does not interact with mankind." "Franklin... called specific attention to the church's lack of good works & its emphasis on congregational politics & man-made dogma." "'Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; & no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech; which is the Right of every Man, as far as by it, he does not hurt or controul the Right of another: And this is the only Check it ought to suffer, & the only Bounds it ought to know.'" "'This sacred Privilege is so essential to free Governments, that the Security of Property, & the Freedom of Speech always go together; & in those wretched Countries where a Man cannot call his Tongue his own, he can scarce call any Thing else his own. Whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing the Freeness of Speech; a Thing terrible to Publick Traytors.'" "Alcoholism & desires of the flesh consumed his life, &, due to his recent misfortune, he felt abandoned by God. He placed his faith in himself & turned his back on God." "Franklin still believed in God, but to him it was a God indifferent to his suffering; a God removed from the daily activities of man; a God who would not intervene in worldly affairs. In short, the god of deism." "He... believed it gave him justification to sin without guilt or consequence because if this God did not reward good actions, then it stood to reason that He would not punish bad behavior." "He was stranded (in London) in an unfamiliar land, without a penny to his name, & nothing to show for his time spent in London. He began to doubt his belief in deism, but instead of moving further away from God, Franklin turned back & embraced his Puritan faith." "'[W]ith the kind hand of Providence, or some guardian angel, or accidental favorable circumstances & situations, or all together, preserved me thro' this dangerous time of youth.'" "God had never left him. He had turned his back on God, but God had not turned away from him." "Franklin made the decision to return not only to his faith in God, but also to Philadelphia, & to Deborah..." "Throughout the voyage home, Franklin held fast to one book & read it every day - his King James Bible. Upon his return to Philadelphia, Franklin reunited with Deborah & the couple soon married." "...he started his own newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette." "He also created a yearly almanac called Poor Richard's Almanack." "'Then I conclude, that believing a Providence we have the Foundation of all true Religion; for we should love & revere that Deity for his Goodness & thank him for his Benefits; we should adore him for his Wisdom, fear him for his Power, & pray to him for his Favour & Protection; & this Religion will be a Powerful Regulater of our Actions, give us Peace & Tranquility within our own Minds, & render us Benevolent, Useful & Beneficial to others.'" "'That there is one God Father of the Universe. That he [is] infinitely good, Powerful & wise. That he is omnipresent. That he ought to be worshipped, by Adoration Prayer & Thanksgiving both in publick & private. That he loves such of his Creatures as love & do good to others; & will reward them either in this World or hereafter.'" "Having set his own life in order, Franklin began reaching out to his community. He financed a building for small, fledging churches to hold services. Traveling preachers also used the building..." "'We do not pretend to merit any thing of God, for he is above our Services; & the Benefits he confers on us, are the Effects of his Goodness & Bounty.'" "'...Christ by his Death & Sufferings has purchas'd for us those easy Terms & Conditions of our Acceptance with God, propos'd in the Gospel, to wit, Faith & Repentance: By his Death & Sufferings, he has assur'd us of God's being ready & willing to accept of our sincere, tho' imperfect Obedience to his reveal'd Will; By his Death & Sufferings he has atton'd for all Sins forsaken & amended, but surely not for such as are wilfully & obstinately persisted in.'" "Franklin continued, 'That the ultimate End & Design of Christ's Death, of our Redemption by his Blood, etc. was to lead us to the Practice of all Holiness, Piety & Virtue, & by these Means to deliver us from future Pain & Punishment, & lead us to the Happiness of Heaven, may, (besides what has been already suggested) be prov'd from innumerable Passages of the holy Scriptures.'" "Franklin believed that doing good works was the natural byproduct of Christian living, not a prerequisite to enter heaven. In a letter to a friend, Franklin explained that a life of good works is not what affords one the assurance of eternity in Heaven. He said: 'I can do nothing to deserve such Reward: He that for giving a Draught of Water to a thirsty Person should expect to be paid with a good Plantation, would be modest in his Demands, compar'd with those who think they deserve Heaven for the little Good they do on Earth. Even the mix'd imperfect Pleasures we enjoy in this World are rather from God's Goodness than our Merit; how much more such Happiness of Heaven. For my own part, I have not the Vanity to think I deserve it, the Folly to expect it, nor the Ambition to desire it; but content myself in submitting to the Will & Disposal of that God who made me, who has hitherto preserv'd & bless'd me, & in whose fatherly Goodness I may well confide, that he will never make me miserable, & that even the Afflictions I may at time suffer shall tend to my Benefit.'" "He created the American Philosophical Society, whose early members included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, & James Madison. He invented a cheap, safe, & effective invention for cooking known as the Franklin Stove." "It would be his discoveries in electricity that propelled Franklin to international stardom as the man who tamed lightning." "His discovery of the single-current theory of electricity - electricity that is a single flow from positive to negative - led to his famous kite experiment. The experiment proved that, in the same sense, lightning is a single flow of electricity, which led to his invention of the lightning rod - an invention still used today. Look atop any skyscraper in any city around the globe, & you will see one." "Franklin's spiritual growth also continued." "...he met an evangelist named George Whitefield." "'Mr. Whitefield... The multitudes of all sects & denominations that attended his sermons were enormous'" "'It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.'" "'He had a loud & clear voice, & articulated his words so perfectly that he might be heard & understood at a great distance;'" "Whitefield had a charisma about him that was unmatched at the time. His delivery had congregants hanging onto every word. Franklin was impacted by Whitefield's powerful sermons." "Franklin soon became friends with Whitefield, to the point where Franklin would assist Whitefield with the organization & promotion of his services." "Franklin also became Whitefield's primary publisher in America. He printed sermons & journals & covered him in nearly every issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette." "Franklin earned the title of Founding Father when he challenged the political order & helped to establish American independence in 1776. His efforts at the Constitutional Convention more than a decade later, however, would truly seal his legacy." "At the age of 81, Franklin was the oldest & most widely accomplished delegate to attend the 1787 convention." "When the convention reached a critical impasse, it was Franklin who rose up from his chair & called for prayer." "Addressing his colleagues, Franklin turned to convention president George Washington & said: '[H]ow has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understanding? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection - Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance. I have lived, Sir, a long time & the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that 'except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it.' I firmly believe this; & I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, & we ourselves shall be become a reproach & a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, & leave it to chance, war, & conquest. I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, & its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, & that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.'" "After the convention, Franklin became president of The Pennsylvania Abolition Society." "With the ink of his pen, Franklin petitioned Congress & made an impassioned plea for their help to end slavery." "On April 17, 1790, Franklin passed away at his home in Philadelphia. It is estimated that at least 20,000 people attended his funeral." "He never held the country's highest office, but Franklin was 83 when the American presidency was established - just 1 year before he died. However, what Franklin did do during his time on earth was nothing short of extraordinary." "Franklin's faith is one of the more controversial aspects of his life." "Though we cannot judge Franklin's heart, we can judge his words, & he said plenty of them. He was not the type of man to say something he did not believe, & he openly defended Christianity on a regular basis." "Perhaps the greatest evidence of Franklin's faith comes from a letter he wrote in 1780 to Ezra Stiles, president of Yale University at the time. In the letter, Franklin wrote: 'Here is may Creed: I believe in 1 God, Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable Service we are to render him, is doing Good to his other Children. That the Soul of Man is immortal, & will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its conduct in this.'" Leaders Of Liberty, by Donnie Swaggart, pgs. 231 - 253. |
AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
June 2024
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