"The dove is an emblem of purity."
"The same meek & inoffensive spirit which was in Him must also be in us."
"'Be still, & know that I am God.'"
"...the Holy Spirit is the purifier of the heart.  When He gains an entrance into it, sin & uncleanness must depart.  (J.N. Norton, D. D.)"
​"Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased."
"If God speak, woe to him that hears not."
​"Vers. 23, 38.  Which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God."
"Our Lord's descent...  His descent from David, Judah, & Abraham."
"...not only is He the Son of man, He is also the Son of God."
"God makes manifest His great wisdom & power by the vastness of the results He works out through weak human instrumentalities."
The Biblical Illustrator, Baker, pgs. 353 - 364.

"Smith Wigglesworth"
"Apostle Of Faith"
"'My friend said, 'She is dead.'  He was scared.  I have never seen a man so frightened in my life.  'What shall I do?'  he asked.  You may think that what I did was absurd, but I reached over into the bed & pulled her out.  I carried her across the room, stood her against the wall & held her up, as she was absolutely dead.  I looked into her face & said, 'In the name of Jesus, I rebuke this death.'  From the crown of her head to the soles of her feet her whole body began to tremble.  'In the name of Jesus, I command you to walk,' I said.  I repeated, 'In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, walk!' & she walked.'"
"To Wigglesworth, simple obedience to what one believed was not an extraordinary feat - it was simply the fruit of it.  His own faith was said to be unflinching & sometimes ruthless."
"THE LITTLE TURNIP PULLER"
"Smith was born June 8, 1859, to John & Martha Wigglesworth in the small village of Menston, Yorkshire, England.  At the time of his birth in 1859...  The 3rd Great Awakening had been underway in America for 2 years."
​"Their son would put God's fire back into a church that had been smoldering for hundreds of years."
"Smith's family was poor."
"...the boy began work at the age of 6, pulling turnips in a local field.  The work was hard.  His tiny hands were sore & swollen from pulling turnips morning until night."
"When Smith turned 7 he went to work with his father & another at the local wood mill."
"He sometimes caught & sold songbirds at the local market to help sustain his family."
"WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US?"
"Though his parents weren't Christians, there was never a time young Smith didn't long for God.  He wasn't taught to pray at home, but he was always seeking on his own."
"His grandmother was an old-time Wesleyan who believed in the power of God.  She always made sure Smith attended the meetings with her.  As a young boy, he would sit & watch the "old-timers" clap their hands, dance to the Lord, & sing about the 'blood.'  When Smith was 8 years old, he got to join in the singing at church."
"He realized what Jesus Christ had done for him through His death & resurrection."
"'I saw that God wants us so badly that He has made the condition as simple as He possibly could - 'Only Believe.'"
"Young Wigglesworth immediately became a soulwinner.  The 1st person he won to Christ was his own mother."
​"'After the confirmation service all the other boys were swearing & quarreling, & I wondered what had made the difference between them & me.'"
"THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU"
"When Smith was 13, his family moved from Menson to Bradford where he became deeply involved in the Wesleyan Methodist Church.  His spiritual life took on a new meaning, & he longed for the Spirit of God.  Though he couldn't read well, he never left his house without the New Testament in his pocket."
"Smith began to witness the Gospel to everyone he met, but he couldn't understand why so many seemed uninterested."
"...in 1875, the Salvation Army started a work in Bradford."
"So he joined the Salvationists when they arrived & would very soon learn about the power of fasting & prayer."
"The Salvation Army had more results than anyone else at the time, especially in the area of soulwinning.  Many times, they would have all-night prayer meetings, lying prostrate before the Lord.  The early Salvationists had great spiritual authority & it was manifested in each of their services."
​"Scores of people found Jesus as their Savior through the branch at Bradford."
"When he was 17, Smith met a godly man at the mill who taught him the plumbing business.  As they worked together, this man explained to Smith the meaning & importance of water baptism."
"Eager to fulfill the commandments in the Word, Smith gladly obeyed & was baptized in water shortly afterwards."
"Believing that the Lord would help him in everything, Smith set out to minister."
"Besides his ministry to the children, Smith & a friend would visit the hospitals & ships, witnessing for Jesus Christ.  He would fast & pray all day on Sunday, never seeing less than 50 people saved each time he ministered.  The Salvation Army constantly invited Smith to preach at their services, & while preaching, he always stood broken as he wept before the people.  Though he wished for the eloquence of Charles Spurgeon & other fine preachers, it was his brokenness that caused hundreds to come to the altar longing to know God."
"'WHO ARE THESE SILLY PEOPLE?'"
"One of the greatest attributes in the life of Smith Wigglesworth was his wife, Mary Jane 'Polly' Featherstone."
​"He said of her, 'All that I am today I owe, under God, to my precious wife.  Oh, she was lovely!'"
"Polly Featherstone came from a good Methodist family."
"One day while she was in town, she heard trumpets & shouting."
"The Salvation Army was a new organization at this time, & she thought, Who are these silly people?  Curious, she followed the group to a large, dilapidated building.  As the Salvationists marched inside, Polly remained on the corner, hoping no one saw her.  Finally, overcome with curiosity, she slipped inside & took a seat in the top of the galley."
"HALLELUJAH IT'S DONE!"
"Gypsy Tillie Smith, sister of the famous evangelist, Gypsy Rodney Smith, was preaching."
"Polly was deeply moved.  Realizing her lost condition, she left the galley & made her way to the altar rail, falling to her knees.  She refused any prayer from the workers, until finally, Tillie Smith made her way over to pray with her.  With the light of Christ warming her heart, Polly jumped to her feet, threw her gloves in the air, & shouted, 'Hallelujah! It is done!"  Sitting in the audience, not far from her, a young man watched her intently.  That man was her future husband & partner in destiny - Smith Wigglesworth."
"The next night, as Polly gave her testimony, Smith felt she 'belonged to him.'"
"The power of God rested heavily upon her."
"SMITH, YOU'RE NOT MY MASTER"
"Polly became 'Mrs. Wigglesworth' in 1882, at age 22.  Smith was 1 year older than his new wife, & encouraged her to continue her evangelistic ministry, while he was content in the plumbing business.  However, he did have a 'burden' for an area in Bradford that had no church.  So the couple rented a small building & opened it for meetings, calling it the 'Bradford Street Mission.'"
"In their 30 years of marriage, the Wigglesworths had 1 daughter, Alice, & 4 sons, Seth, Harold, Ernest & George (who later died in 1915).  But before each child was born, the Wigglesworths prayed over them that they would serve God."
"Not at all intimidated by his wife's ministry role, Smith said, 'Her work was to put down the net; mine was to land the fish.  This latter is just as important as the former.'  He knew the power of a servant's heart."
"The winter of 1884 was a severe one for Bradford..."
"During those days of heavy work & great prosperity, Smith's attendance in church declined rapidly & his heart grew cold toward the Lord.  But as his fire grew dimmer, Polly's grew brighter & her zeal for God & her prayer life never wavered.  Her consistency & diligence in the things of God made Smith's laxity all the more apparent, & he became irritated by her very presence."
"One night, she came home from church a little later than usual."
"Smith remarked, 'I am the master of this house, & I am not going to have you coming home at so late an hour as this!'  Polly quietly replied, 'I know that you are my husband, but Christ is my Master.'"
"In desperate & sincere repentance, he found his way to the road of restoration."
"WHERE DO YOU RATE ON THE RICHTER SCALE?"
"'The woman is the thermometer of the household,' is a true saying."
"Polly Wigglesworth beautifully illustrated the principle of 'stability.'"
"She was a very popular speaker, holding evangelistic services throughout the city, seeing hundreds come to Christ - while her husband worked or sat at home."
"Obviously, the 1 thing that caused her to triumph was - her security in Jesus Christ."
"In many cases, when a husband is backslidden, the wife nags & complains thinking she is pushing him into action & repentance, but a repentant heart is a result of the work of the Holy Spirit.  The fire of God kept a joyful heart within Polly,  As a result, Smith saw his mistake & was drawn back to Jesus.  His wife's attitude was directly responsible for his repentance, & eventually their world-shaking ministry.  This is the highest goal of a 'help mate,' to help (the mate) meet his or her call, whatever it may be."
"THE 1ST HEALING"
"In the late 1800's, Smith traveled to Leeds..."
"While in Leeds, he attended a church service where divine healing was being ministered."
"...his wife  ...needing healing herself, she accompanied him to Leeds.  The prayer of faith was offered for her, & she received an instant manifestation.  From that day forward, the Wigglesworths were passionate for the truths in divine healing."
"'Bowland Street Mission.'  They had a huge scroll painted on the wall behind the pulpit, that read:  'I Am the Lord That Healeth Thee.'"
​"He was known for his great compassion toward the sick & needy."
"'PUSHED' INTO THE PULPIT!"
"...the Leeds Healing Home"
"Hesitantly, he began to minister & at the close of his message, 15 people came forward for healing.  One man hobbled up on a pair of crutches, & when Smith prayed for him, the man jumped all over the place, without his crutches, instantly healed.  There was no one as surprised as Smith!"
"From this meeting, doors began to open for Smith to minister, & he soon announced that he would hold a healing meeting in Bradford.  On the first night 12 people came for healing, & each one was healed.  One lady had a large tumor that was constantly draining.  After the prayer of faith, she went home & reported the next day that only a scar was left."
"PLEASE...  SHUT UP!"
"The man prayed for 'the family that would be left behind' & continued in a rambling, negative tone until Smith cried out for him to stop."
"'Suddenly, the Lord Jesus appeared.  I had my eyes open gazing at Him.  He gave me one of those gentle smiles...  I have never lost that vision, the vision of that beautiful, soft smile.'"
"COME OUT, DEVIL!"
"...appendicitis"
"...Smith's organs were so damaged that there was no hope, not even with surgery.  As the physician was leaving, an elderly woman & a young man came into Smith's room.  This woman believed in praying the prayer of faith, & she believed that all sickness came from the devil.  While she prayed, the young man got on the bed, laid both hands on Smith & cried, 'Come out, devil, in the name of Jesus!'"
"To Smith's great surprise, the 'devil came out' & the pain was completely gone."
"THEY'RE RECEIVING DEVILS"
​"In writing to his friends in Sunderland regarding the subject of tongues, he was warned to stay away because 'those people were receiving devils.'  However, when Smith arrived & prayed with his friends about the matter, they looked at him & said, 'Obey your own leadings.'"
"'I have come from Bradford, & I want this experience of speaking in tongues like they had on the day of Pentecost.  But I do not understand why our meetings seem to be on fire, but yours do not seem to be so.'"
"BATHED IN POWER & GLORY"
"Seeking God with all his heart to experience this 'baptism in the Holy Spirit,' Smith went to a local Salvation Army building to pray.  3 times he was struck to the floor by the power of God."
"...Mrs. Boddy  ...'It is not the tongues you need, but the baptism.'  Smith asked her to lay hands on him before he left.  She prayed a simple but powerful prayer, & then left the room.  It was then that the fire fell.  Bathed in the power & glory of the Lord, Smith saw a vision of the empty cross with Jesus exalted at the right hand of the Father.  Filled with worship & praise, Smith opened his mouth & began to speak in other tongues, finally realizing that even though he had received an anointing earlier, he was now baptized in the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost."
"Instead of going home, Smith went straight to the church where Rev. Boddy was conducting the service.  Interrupting, he begged to speak for a moment.  When he finished his 'sermon,' 50 people were gloriously baptized in the Holy Spirit & spoke with other tongues.  The local newspaper, the Sunderland Daily Echo, headlined the meeting, giving detailed accounts of Smith's experience, including the tongues & the healings.  He telegraphed his home, telling them of the great news."
​"HOLY LAUGHTER"
"...Polly  ...'I want you to understand that I am as much baptized in the Holy Spirit as you are & I don't speak in tongues...  Sunday, you will preach for yourself, & I will see what there is in it.'"
"As Smith walked up to the pulpit, the Lord gave him the passage in Isaiah 61:1-3.  He preached with great power & assurance while Polly squirmed around in the bench saying to herself, That's not my Smith, Lord.  That's not my Smith!'"
"...11 people were on the floor laughing in the Spirit.  The entire congregation became consumed in holy laughter as God poured out His Spirit upon them.  This was the beginning of the great outpouring in Bradford, where hundreds received the baptism of the Holy Spirit & spoke in other tongues."
"Soon after Polly was baptized in the Holy Spirit..."
​"GOD'S FINANCIAL COVENANT"
"During the coming days, Smith developed the habit of prayer & fasting."
"With such an incredible flood of ministry work, Smith soon saw his personal plumbing business decline."
"...closed his business, & began his full-time ministry."
"'My shoe heels must never be a disgrace, & I must never have to wear trousers with the knees out, I said to the Lord, 'If either of these things take place, I'll go back to plumbing.'"
"God never failed to supply all his needs, & he never returned to plumbing."
"LET HER GO"
"Polly had collapsed with a heart attack..."
"Rushing to her bedside, he found that her spirit had already departed to be with the Lord.  Not settling for this, Smith immediately rebuked the death & her spirit came back, but only for just a short while.  Then the Lord spoke:  'This is the time that I want to take her home to Myself.'  So with a breaking heart, Smith released his partner, the one he had loved for so many years, to be with the Lord.  Polly Wigglesworth served the Lord until the very last moment of her life, January 1, 1913.  It is said by some that after her death, Smith asked for a double portion of the Spirit.  From that moment on, his ministry carried an even greater power."
"HERE'S THE SECRET..."
"Smith had an incredible revelation on the subject of faith & his teaching on this subject attracted the masses.  Wigglesworth didn't settle for hoping that prayer would work.  His revelation on faith was concrete, melting the most hardened sinner to the love of Jesus Christ."
"Smith's theory on faith was simple:  Only believe.  He didn't believe that God had favorites."
"'There is something about believing God, that makes God willing to pass over a million people just to anoint you.'"
"His great faith came from his relationship with Jesus Christ.  From that relationship came Smith's every answer to every situation he ever faced.  God has no favorites - He works through those who believe Him."
"'I'M NEVER TOO LATE'"
"'I am not moved by what I see or hear; I am moved by what I believe.'"
​"'You are too late.  There is nothing that can be done for him.'  Smith replied, 'God has never sent me any where too late.'"
"...the family had no faith & the boy was too sick to believe for himself."
"He (Smith)... instructed them to lay out the boy's clothes because the Lord was going to raise him up."
"The moment Smith touched the boy, the power of God filled the room & was so strong that Smith fell to the floor."
"Opening the door, the boy yelled, 'Dad!  God has healed me!  I am healed!'"
"Such glory filled the house that the mother & father fell to the floor also.  His sister, who had been released from an asylum, was instantly restored in her mind.  The entire village was moved & revival began throughout their city."
"On that miraculous day, Smith learned how to transfer faith by the laying on of hands."
"Faith could be created & transferred into the life of another!"
"RUN, WOMAN, RUN!"
"Faith should be acted upon.​"
"Through his deep relationship with the Lord, Smith began to notice in the Bible that the people who received from God had acted upon His Word to produce results."
"'If you move forward only a foot, you will be blessed; if you move forward a yard, you will get more.  If you come up to the platform, we will pray for you, & God will meet your needs with His supply.'"
"'Now, I am going to pray for you & then you will run around this building.'  He prayed, then shouted, 'Run, woman.  Run!'  The woman said, 'But I cannot run.  I can scarcely stand.'  'Don't talk back to me,' Smith shouted, 'do as I have said.'  She was reluctant, so Smith jumped down from the platform, grabbed her, & began running.  She clung to him until she gathered speed, then galloped around the auditorium without any effort."
"There was another woman in the same meeting.  Her legs were locked with sciatica.  Smith told her to 'Run!'  She was so reluctant that he pushed her!  Then he ran around the building with the woman clinging to him.  Finally, the power of God met her action, & she was completely delivered.  She walked to the rest of the meetings, refusing the street car, delighted to have the full use of her limbs again."
​"PAPA!  IT'S GOING ALL OVER ME!"
"...another approach to acting on faith.  He would read portions of Scripture, then act on it himself."
"What a tremendous revival began among them - simply from acting upon the Word of God."
"I'LL MOVE THE SPIRIT"
"...Hebrews 11:6"
"He personally believed it was impossible to please God without faith."
"...he understood the action of faith as he cooperated with the Holy Spirit."
"...Smith knew how to draw the Spirit of God.  It all stemmed from faith, not arrogance."
​"To him, every action, every operation, & every manifestation stemmed from one thing - absolute faith.  True faith confronts, & it is ignited by initiative."
"...Smith gave the call for those people who had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit to stand."
"'Now, I'm going to pray a simple prayer,' Smith began, '& when I'm finished, I'll say 'Go,' & you will all speak with tongues.'  Smith prayed.  Then he yelled, 'Go!'  The sound filled the auditorium like that of many waters as everyone prayed in other tongues.  Then, he told them to do the same thing again, only when he said, 'Go,' everyone would sing in tongues, by faith.  He prayed.  Then he yelled, 'Go!  Sing!'  The sound was like a vast & glorious choir."
"ANOTHER SECRET"
"Smith Wigglesworth was a man greatly moved by compassion."
​"DOG THE DEVIL!"
"His one goal was to heal all those who were oppressed a to teach the body of Christ to deal ruthlessly with the devil."
"Once, while he waited for a bus, he observed how a woman was encouraging her dog to return home, but after several 'sweet' attempts, the dog remained.  When she saw the bus approaching, she stomped her foot on the ground & shouted, 'Go home at once!' & the dog ran with its tail tucked.  'That's how you have to treat the devil,' Smith responded, loud enough for all to hear."
"He had little patience with demons, especially when they dared to interrupt his meetings."
"When casting out demons, Smith Wigglesworth was totally confident & secure in his faith.  Prayers didn't have to be long; if the prayer carried faith, the answer was sure."
"INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITY"
"Smith's international ministry, begun in 1914, was in full swing by 1920."
"...he instructed over 20,000 people to 'lay their hands on themselves' & believe for healing as he prayed.  Multitudes received instant manifestation.  Smith labeled this type of grand-scale healing as 'wholesale healing.'"
​"PENTECOST!"
"International ministry invitations flooded his home..."
"Sri Lanka...  crowds packed the building trying to get a seat."
"...Smith passed through the thousands of people, touching them & believing God with them.  Reports claimed that scores of people were healed as 'his shadow' passed by them."
"In 1922...  Some believe that Smith's meetings birthed the Pentecostal churches in New Zealand & Australia."
"CAN YOU BLESS A PIG?"
​"Lord, if You can bless what You have cursed, then bless this pig!'  Smith's humor along with his boldness made a great impression on Sumrall.  Dr. Sumrall often laughed when he shared that story with me."
"AN UNPUBLISHED CONTROVERSY"
"Though many churches assembled as a result of his meetings, Smith Wigglesworth preferred to be unattached to any denomination throughout his ministry."
"He never wanted to be swayed by any particular denomination."
"Pentecostal Missionary Union...  Smith had been a widower for 7 years & had developed a friendship with a woman named Miss Amphlett."
"...Amphlett rejected the idea, & she & another woman wrote a letter of complaint to the PMU."
"It was better for Smith to branch out on his own.  He didn't need the reputation nor the association with the PMU.  He had power with God."
"BETTER LIVE READY"
"While others read novels or newspapers, he read the Bible."
"AFFLICTION HAD TO BOW"
​"Doctor, the God Who made this body is the One Who can cure it.  No knife shall ever cut it so long as I live.'"
"THEIR EYES ARE ON ME"
​"His greatest goal was for people to see Jesus, not Smith Wigglesworth."
"'Today in my mail, I had an invitation to Australia, one to India & Ceylon, & one to America.  People have their eye on me.'"
"Sadly, he began to weep:  'Poor Wigglesworth.  What a failure to think that people have their eyes on me.  God will never give His glory to another; He will take me from the scene.'"
"AND HE WAS NOT...  FOR GOD TOOK HIM"
"...Smith Wigglesworth went home to be with the Lord  ...March 12, 1947."
"FAITH + COMPASSION = MIRACLES"
"Has the power that Smith Wigglesworth walked in left the earth?  Did it go with him when he died?  Of course not!  The same power Wigglesworth operated in is here for us today, we don't need more power.  We just need to use our faith & compassion for that power to operate.  Wigglesworth operated in the boldest faith I have ever seen since the book of Acts, but that faith was ignited by compassion.  Smith took God at His Word & was moved by compassion for the people, & that combination produces miracles."
"...God has issued the call  ...Will you answer the call of God?"
"Will you dare to only believe?  Is your heart so moved by compassion for the multitudes, that you will take God at His Word & step out?  Let it be said of our generation, ...Hebrews 11:33, 34.  Stir up the gift within you, & invade your home, your community, & your nation with the power of God.  Let the will of heaven be done on earth - through you!"
God's Generals - Volume One, Roberts Liardon, pgs. 195 - 226.

"Ver. 9.   The axe is laid unto the root of the trees."
"In order to enable you to bring forth this good fruit, God has supplied you with the gospel of His Son.  The gospel contains also the motives to fruitfulness; & these motives are the most powerful that can be presented to the mind.  And the gospel contains also the promise of that Divine influence by which fruitfulness is infallibly secured; for 'He giveth His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.'"
"If you die unfruitful, your destruction is as certain as your death.  (J. Alexander, D.D.)"
"Every judgment is an axe:  pestilence is God's axe; famine God's axe; adversity God's axe."
"It is God's axe, not man's; its edge is sharp; it is heavy; it will do its work well.  (H. Bonar, D.D.)"
"Sin is like a cruel beast, which lieth sleeping at the door of every man's heart.  It must be awaked & stirred up, that men may see their danger.  (S. Hieron.)"
​"Sterness necessary: - When we lay the axe to the root of the tree - when we hew off men's very members, when we snatch them like brands out of the fire, when we make them to see their own faces in the law of liberty, the face of a guilty, & therefore cursed, conscience - there will be need of much boldness."
"Vers. 10-14.  What shall we do then?"
"'Extort no more'"
"'...be content.'"
​"'Do the right thing in the situation in which you find yourselves.'"
"Giving to the needy: - A man doesn't need to be rich before he shows whether he is generous or not."
"Generosity often diminishes with one's growing wealth..."
"Self-denial for others.  Subtraction from our advantage that there may be an addition to somebody else's advantage.  (Dr. Talmage.)"
​"'What shall we do?'"
"'You can do nothing.'"
"'You must do something.  You must do what is in your power.'"
"The way for you to obtain mercy is to be merciful."
"Ver. 13.  Exact no more than that which is appointed you."
​"Instead of hoarding, spend.  Instead of accumulating, give."
"Get your shrunken heart enlarged a little by making it sensible of the needs of others."
"Ver. 14.  And the soldiers likewise."
"'An abomination to the Lord is the false witness who speaketh lies, & he that soeth discord among brethren.'  (Dr. Cuyler.)"
​"Two sorts of blessings: - 'It is a great blessing to possess what one wishes,'"
"'It is a greater blessing still, not to desire what one does not possess.'"
"Contentment..."
"Ver. 15.  Whether he were the Christ or not."
"'He is mightier than I'; i.e., a person of greater authority, dignity, & excellency, than myself."
"(1) The Church is Christ's floor.  (2) This floor Christ will purge, & that thoroughly.  (3) The Word of Christ is the fan in His hand, by & with which He will thoroughly purge His floor."
"...Christ will purge His Church; purge it of its corruptions, without destroying its essence or existence, by the fan of His Holy Word, accompanied by the wing of discipline.  (W. Burkitt, M.A.)"
"...baptism by fire is the great testimony of God to the soul's purification & acceptance."
"Ver. 16.  I indeed baptize you with water."
​"​What are we baptized for..."
"All that is outward is of value only for its significance & its suggestiveness.  (T.T. Lynch.)"
"One mightier than I cometh."
​"The latchet of whose shoes."
"Obedience in little things has much to do with the character of a servant."
"God accepts our worship in little things.  He cares no less for the turtledove offering than for the sacrifice of bullocks & rams.  II.  OUR OWN UNWORTHINESS.  We are sure to feel this when we come practically into contact with any real Christian service."
"He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost & with fire."
"John's baptism was introductory & transitional; Christ's was to be spiritual, quickening, & searching."
"THE ONLY SOURCE WHENCE SUCH A BAPTISM COULD COME.  1. From heaven.  2. Through Christ."
"Our God, when He touches us, is a 'consuming fire.'"
"Fire purifies everything..."
​"The baptism of John was preparatory, the Baptism of Christ perfective; the baptism of John invited to repentance, the Baptism of Christ gave grace upon repentance;"
"Ver. 17.  Whose fan is in His hand."
"THE THRESHINGFLOOR MAY BE PROPERLY REGARDED AS THE CHURCH, INTO WHICH ALL PROFESSORS ARE GATHERED;"
"THE FAN IN HIS HAND MAY SUGGEST TO US THE INSTRUMENT BY WHICH HE PURGES HIS FLOORD, SEPARATING THE CHAFF FROM THE WHEAT.  Christ had no sooner come & entered upon His public ministry than He began to 'purge His floor.'  1. His Word acts as a fan."
"Again, the Master comes with the fan of affliction, & tries His wheat, as He did Job.  There is much meaning in the words, 'He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.'"
​"Water can only remove superficial impurities; it cannot take away what is ingrained;"
"He is coming continually, & His fire of purification is unquenchable."
"The design of the gospel is to separate the good from the bad..."
"Vers. 18, 20.  He shut up John in prison."
​"Sin, when pointed out, must be renounced."
"Be content to feel that this world is not your home."
"Devotedness to Christ is our only blessedness.  (F. W. Robertson, M.A.)"
"Ver. 21.  Jesus also being baptized."
​"The baptism of Christ..."
"By this act He bound together in submission to His Father's WILL THE OLD & NEW DISPENSATIONS, & RECOGNIZED HIMSELF AS THE CENTRAL POINT OF HISTORY."
"The baptism closed our Lord's private life & began His public ministry.  He who had gone down into the water known to men as 'Son of Mary,' came up thence declared to be 'the Son of God.'"
"Christ would be baptized, not to wash Himself, but us; not to put off sin as we, but to put on our sin, that so our sin in Him might be washed away, that He might sanctify (us)..."
"And praying."
"PRAYER A PREPARATION FOR SERVICE."
"...the prayers of God's children are of that force that they bring down the Holy Ghost with all graces upon earth."
"The heaven was opened."
"Like a dove upon Him. - The dove-like descent of the Spirit on Christ;"
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 322 - 353.

"VER. 1.  Now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar."
"We therefore understand the 15th year of Tiberius to have begun in August, A.D. 26.  (E. R. Conder, D. D.)"
"Ver. 2.  Annas & Caiaphas being the high priests."
​"...one who had once been high priest, but had ceased to be in office, would still be called high priest, is evident from that principle which is laid down in several places in the Talmud"
"As with us, 'once a bishop, always a bishop.'"
"The Word of God came unto John."
"God knows where to find men when He wants them for any work in the world."
"The true minister of God is charged with the word of Heaven.  That which he speaks he speaks not of himself, he simply pronounces & proclaims with earnestness & persistency the truth which has been breathed into his own heart by the Spirit of God."
"Time spent in solitude is not misspent if the ear be bent towards God, & our love be listening for the coming of His word.  (J. Parker, D. D.)"
​"Ver. 3.  The country about Jordan."
"The Jordan is a river that flows down & down, till, when it enters the Dead Sea, it is 1,300 feet below the level of the Mediterranean"
​"As early as the days of Constantine, to be baptized in its waters was deemed a great privilege, while in the 6th century Antoninus relates that marble steps led down into the water on both sides at the spot where it was believed our Lord had been baptized, while a wooden cross rose in the middle of the stream."
​"Preaching the baptism of repentance."
"I.  THE PREACHER.  You can often guess a man's style or the character of his message from his personal appearance & demeanour."
"II.  HIS MESSAGE.  1. What he preached was a gospel of Divine origin.  There can be no other.  A human-made gospel is a self-condemned thing."
"It is inspiration - 'the word of the Lord came.'  If the gospel be not Divine, it is nothing."
"The subject-matter of the Baptist's gospel is 'Repent.'"
"Repentance means atonement; atonement demands love;"
"'God is love.'  (J. B. Meharry, B. A.)"
"The preaching of the Baptist was - 1. Stern  ...2. Absolutely dauntless.  ...Having nothing to hope for from man's favour, he has nothing to fear from man's dislike.  3. It shows remarkable insight into human nature, & into the needs & temptations of every class which came to him  ...4. It was intensely practical."
​"Now this is the way the sinner acts who truly repents of his sins.  He thinks of sin as the serpent that once coiled itself round him.  He hates it.  He dreads it.  He flies from it.  He fears the places where it inhabits.  He does not willingly go into the haunts.  He will no more play with sin that this lady would afterwards have fondled snakes.  (Bishop Merd.)"
"Ver. 4.  The voice of one crying in the wilderness."
​"John preached the baptism of repentance, but, behold, it was repentance with hope, repentance & the remission of sins."
​"The 6th verse...  'All flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
"Preparing the way of the Lord in worship"
"The Lord comes to reign, if He comes at all.  We must so prepare the way that He can come & can reign.  There must be forethought as well as good will; preparation as well as diligence."
​"Ver. 5.  Every valley shall be filled."
"I.  VALLEYS MUST BE LEVELLED UP.  1. Inattention.  2. Apathy.  3. Despondency.  II.  EMINENCES MUST BE LEVELLED DOWN.  1. The mountain of pride must be reduced.  (1) The pride that will not make full confession of sin.  (2) The pride that will not receive the kingdom of heaven as a little child.  (3) The pride of reason that will not accept salvation until its mysteries are comprehended.  (4) The pride of worldly professors.  2. The mountain of presumption must be depressed."
"3. The hills of ingratitude must be brought low.  III. THE CROOKED PLACES MUST BE STRAIGHTENED.  1. Prejudice.  2. Jealousy.  3. Censoriousness.  4. Covetousness.  IV. THE ROUGH PLACES MUST BE SMOOTHED."
"That rut of drunkenness must be filled up.  Those sinks of immorality must be filled - lying, cheating, oppression, uncleanness.  The rough places of instability must be smoothed.  (Prof. F. W. Macdonald, M. A.)"
"There were 4 things which he taught the people, in order to make ready their hearts for the Lord Jesus.  I.  TO EXPECT HIM.  II.  TO FEEL THEIR NEED OF HIM TO SAVE THEM FROM THEIR SINS.  III.  TO REPENT OF ALL SIN.  IV.  TO HEARKEN TO HIM, & BELIEVE, LOVE & OBEY HIM WHEN HE CAME."
"Crooked may also refer unto men's crooked spirits; how cross & uneven are some men's hearts & spirits to the word & will of God.  'The carnal mind is enmity against God, it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be'  (Rom. 8:7)."
"Ver. 6.  The salvation of God."
"If we inherit salvation in the life which is to come, if we enter upon a life of immortality in blessedness, it will be because we are saved by grace.  (H. W. Beecher.)"
​"Vers. 7, 8.  Then said he to the multitude that came forth."
"Necessity of warning"
"Sinners need to be warned of their danger.  (H. C. Trumbull.)"
"Warnings of God: - As the mother bird shrieks when the hawk is in the sky, that her young ones may hide themselves under her wings, so God, the Father of men, utters His voice of warning against sinners, that they may rush to His mercy's protection, before the devouring lion of hell overtake them in destruction.  (John Bate.)"
​"Earnestness is needed in warning others"
"Ver. 8.  Fruits worthy of repentance."
"Fruit-bearing the test of life"
"The life must accord with the profession"
"Whether it is love, or friendship, or generosity, or gratitude, or trust, or repentance, it will evidence its genuineness in something more than profession."
"There is a great deal of sorrow over sin & over sinning that is not repentance."
"Repentance is the turning away of the soul from sin as sin; it is the turning toward something better than sin."
"Sinful courses will be abandoned.  Reparation will be made.  A new course of living will be adopted.  In word & in action there will be fruits worthy of the name of true repentance.  (H. C. Trumbull.)"
​"Repentance is - (1) Not a piece of ceremonialism;  ...(3) a resolve, an action against sin.  The call to repent is a call to action."
"...change your whole course of moral thought, feeling, conduct."
​"We have Abraham to our father."
"Pride of ancestry  ...a common evil, & it was very prevalent among the Jews."
"Corruption runs in the blood, though grace does not."
"Our being the children of pious parents merely can no more effect our salvation, than our being the children of wicked parents can effect our destruction; personal character being that alone by which our future state will be determined."
​"Abraham's blood, without Abraham's faith, will avail only to condemn."
The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 301 - 322.

"John G. Lake - 'A Man Of Healing'"
"If there was ever a man who walked in the revelation of 'God in man,' it was John G. Lake.  A man of purpose, vision, strength, & character, his one goal in life was to bring the fullness of God to every person."
"He often said that the secret of heaven's power was not in the doing, but in the being.  He believed that Spirit-filled Christians should enjoy the same type of ministry Jesus did while living on earth, & that this reality could only be accomplished by seeing themselves as God saw them."
"THE SHADOW OF DEATH"
"...born March 18, 1870, in Ontario, Canada.  One of 16 children, he moved with his family to Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, while still a young boy."
"Lake first heard the Gospel preached at a Salvation Army meeting when he was 16, & soon after, surrendered his life to the Lord."
"'I made my surrender to Him.  The light of heaven broke into my soul, & I arose from my knees a son of God, & I knew it.'"
​"8 family members - 4 brothers & 4 sisters - died from illness.  'For 32 years some member of our family was an invalid,' Lake wrote."
"WRONG 'SCIENCE' - RIGHT ATTITUDE"
"Lake was meticulous in his research both in science & in spiritual matters.  He tirelessly investigated the Bible with an eye to not only understand it, but to also prove its accuracy in everyday life.  As a result, Lake walked, talked, & breathed in the flow of God's resurrection life."
"'I shall never cease to praise God that He revealed to me the depth... of the power of the blood of Jesus.  A beautiful anointing of the Spirit was on my life.'"
"...in 1891, Lake moved to Chicago, & was admitted to the Methodist school of ministry."
"He...  decided to leave the Methodist school & moved to Harvey, Illinois, where he founded The Harvey Citizen, a local newspaper.  While living in Harvey, he would meet his future wife, Jennie Stevens of Newberry, Michigan."
"THE GIFT OF 'JENNIE'"
​"The 2 loved one another dearly & were married February 5, 1893, in Millington, Illinois.  God blessed the couple with a marvelous unity in the Spirit, & 7 children."
"One of Jennie's most important ministries to her husband was prayer & intercession."
"Lake valued dearly the advice & support of his wife."
"...2 short years into the Lake's wonderful marriage  ...Jennie was diagnosed with tuberculosis & heart disease."
"...upon doctors' recommendations, Lake moved his young family back to Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, where he entered into the real estate business.  But Jennie's condition continued to worsen until 1898 when the doctors told him there was nothing more that could be done for her."
"LET'S GET RADICAL!"
"Where was God's power now?  His entire family had been afflicted with illness."
"...the person closest to his heart, Jennie, was close to death."
"But Lake had experienced God's healing power before."
​"Lake brought his invalid brother to Dowie's home where he was healed.  When they laid hands on him, his blood disease disappeared & he jumped off his death bed."
"DIE? 'I WILL NOT HAVE IT!'"
"'No words of mine can convey to another soul the cry that was in my heart & the flame of hatred for death & sickness that the Spirit of God had stirred within me.  The very wrath of God seemed to possess my soul!'"
"He could only think of 1 man who had this kind of faith - Dowie.  So he telegraphed him the following words:  'My sister has apparently died, but my spirit will not let her go.  I believe if you will pray, God will heal her.'"
"Dowie's answer came back:  'Hold on to God.  I am praying.  She will live.'"
"Upon reading these words, Lake waged a tremendously furious spiritual attack on the power of death, rebuking it fervently in Jesus' name.  In less than an hour, his sister revived totally.  5 days later, she joined the family for Christmas dinner!"
"But that was then, & now his dear wife was suffering, & her condition was growing worse."
"THE DEVIL REVEALED"
"In utter hopelessness, Lake threw his Bible against the fireplace mantle & it fell to the floor opened to Acts chapter 10.  As he walked over to pick it up, his eyes drifted to verse 38:  '...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost & with power:  who went about doing good, & healing all that were oppressed of the DEVIL; for God was with him.'"
"Those powerful words ripped through his thoughts.  'OPPRESSED OF THE DEVIL!'  That meant that God wasn't the author of Jennie's sickness, or any sickness!"
"Now he was convinced it was the devil who had caused Jennie's illness.  It was the devil who was stealing the mother of his children.  It was the devil who was destroying his life!"
​"9:30 A.M."
"Then Lake turned to Luke 13:16 & read:  'ought not this woman... whom SATAN HATH BOUND, lo, these 18 years, be loosed from this bond...?'"
"Through using him, Jesus Christ could conquer the throes of death!  There was no doubt in his mind that Jesus died for the healing of his wife, just as He died for her sins.  And he determined that absolutely nothing could rob Jennie of that gift."
"He marched into the bedroom & declared to the seen & unseen that his wife would be healed at exactly 9:30 A.M.!"
"When 9:30 arrived, Lake knelt at his precious wife Jennie's side & called on the living God.  When he did, the power of God came upon Jennie & permeated her body from head to foot.  Her paralysis left, her heartbeat became normal, her cough ceased, her breathing regulated, & her temperature returned to normal - immediately!"
"...she cried out, 'Praise God, I'm healed!'"
"Then, Jennie threw back the covers from her bed - & stood up - healed!  The joyous praise that followed was indescribable as both she & John worshipped God!"
"THE LIGHTNINGS OF JESUS"
"Soon, the story of Jennie's healing became national news inspiring many to travel great distances to visit the Lake home."
"People arrived at their home daily to see God's miracle, & to be prayed for.  Many others sent in prayer requests."
​"'You talk about the voltage from heaven & the power of God!  Why there is lightning in the soul of Jesus!  The lightnings of Jesus heal men by their flash!  Sin dissolves & disease flees when the power of God approaches!'"
"Lake would also compare the anointing of God's Spirit to the power of electricity."
"...as God's 'lightning rod,' he would rise within God's calling to electrify the powers of darkness & solidify the body of Christ."
"EXERCISING SPIRITUAL STRENGTH"
"In 1901, Lake moved to Zion, Illinois, to study divine healing under John Alexander Dowie."
"...in 1904 when Dowie's increasing financial problems began to surface, Lake decided to distance himself & relocated to Chicago."
"...the call of God inside of him continued to grow."
"'It became easy for me to detach myself from the course of life, so that while my hands & mind were engaged in the common affairs of every day, my spirit maintained its attitude of communion with God.​'"
"Some people think that if you are called to the ministry, you must leave your secular job immediately."
"By learning to commune with God from within his spirit, Lake continued to progress toward the perfect timing for his ministry.  He didn't venture out ahead of God or cause his family to suffer.  Then when the time was right, he was able to sell everything, because he had learned great faith from his years of walking with God as a businessman."
"...'being' precedes 'doing'.  He had learned to follow the divine timing of heaven."
"TONGUES & THE TIMING OF HEAVEN"
​"In 1906, Lake began to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  He sought the Lord for 9 months then quit, thinking it was 'not for him.'"
"'When the phenomena had passed, the glory of it remained in my soul.  I found that my life began to manifest a varied range of the gifts of the Spirit.  And I spoke in tongues by the power of God, & God flowed through me with a new force.  Healings were more of a powerful order.'"
​"'Tongues have been to me,' said Lake, 'the making of my ministry.  It is that peculiar communication with God... [that] reveals to my soul the truth I utter to you day by day in the ministry.'"
"Again, waiting for God's right timing is very important.  Our call from God was established before we were born."
"But just being 'aware' of God's calling doesn't mean it is 'the time' for that call to be launched into the earth.  Divine timing must come before full-time ministry can begin.  So don't be discouraged during your time of preparation.  And don't compare your call with the call of others.  Each call has its own timing & plan.  Your faithfulness to the Word of God, along with fervent spiritual preparation determines the timing."
"AFRICA IS CALLING"
"After his baptism of the Holy Spirit, Lake's desire to enter full-time ministry increased."
"'I am through forever with everything in life but the proclamation & demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.'"
"In 1907, John & Jennie disposed of their estate, their wealth, & their possessions.  In a great move of faith, they determined to be entirely dependent upon God.  Now it was time to preach."
"Lake had developed a great interest in Africa when reading about the explorations of Stanley & Livingstone when he was still a boy.  As he grew into a young man, he began to experience spiritual visions that seemed to place him more often in Africa than in America."
"God said he would go to Africa in the spring!"
"...one morning, Lake felt led to begin a fast.  As he sought the Lord over a period of 6 days He was told that from that point on he would start casting out demons.  A special knowing to discern & cast out evil spirits quickly followed, & within a short time, Lake began moving in this area with great precision."
"WALKING ON THE WATER"
"...in April of 1908, the group left for Africa.  The team was made up of Lake, Jennie, their 7 children, Tom, & 3 of his companions.  One of Tom's companions had lived in Africa for 5 years, could speak Zulu, & would serve as interpreter."
"...as Lake obeyed, the Lord miraculously provided for the team."
​"HOME AWAY FROM HOME"
"'How many are in your family?' the lady asked.  'My wife, myself, & my 7 children,' Lake said.  The lady suddenly looked ecstatic & shrilled, 'You are the family!'  Then she went on to explain how God had directed her to meet their boat & that on it would be an American missionary family consisting of 2 adults & 7 children.  And that she was to give them a home."
"That same afternoon, the Lake's were settled into a furnished home in Johannesburg.  God had provided it, just as they had asked.  The American lady, Mrs. C. L. Goodenough, remained a faithful friend throughout their ministry."
"A SPIRITUAL CYCLONE"
"Days after Lake arrived, his first ministry door was opened.  A South African pastor took a leave of absence for a few weeks & asked Lake to fill his pulpit.  He immediately accepted the offer."
"Over 500 Zulus were in attendance his first Sunday in the pulpit.  As a result, a great revival broke out among them, & within weeks multitudes from Johannesburg & the surrounding area were saved, healed, & baptized in the Holy Spirit."
"'From the very start it was as though a spiritual cyclone had struck.'"
"The meetings would often last until 4 A.M."
​"...hundreds packed into Johannesburg to be prayed for."
"There were also many great manifestations of healing.  Wounded, sick, & weak, the people would line up on one side of the platform & would leave the building after they were prayed for, shouting 'God has healed me!'"
"JOHN & JENNIE:  THE TEAM"
"Lake believed his wife 'possessed the spirit of discernment in a more marked degree' than he did.  She would often receive a word of knowledge concerning those who were unable to receive healing because of personal difficulty or sin in their life."
"As the people passed before John in his office, he laid hands upon them.  Those who were instantly healed, were dismissed.  But those who continued to suffer, or received a partial healing, were sent into another room.  Then when Lake finished with the multitude, he would bring Jennie into the room who would, by the Spirit, personally reveal to each one of them the hindrances of their healing.  Upon hearing the inner secrets of their hearts, many would confess & ask God for forgiveness.  Then John & Jennie would pray again, & God would heal those who repented.  Those who refused to repent, even after acknowledging the truth of what Mrs. Lake had told them, went home suffering in their affliction."
"WHAT WAS HE LIKE?"
"Lake was a man of action."
"The Spirit of God powerfully rested on Lake during these years.  As he shook hands with those entering the services, they would often fall to the ground under the power of God.  At other times, people would fall prostrate when they came within 6 feet of him!"
"Lake demonstrated his deep compassion by never turning away a cry for help."
"There were times when he needed rest, but the people would find him, then bring him their sick.  Lake prayed for them night & day & refused to turn anyone away."
"TAG TEAM"
"Lake & Hezmalhalch were now 'team' preachers.  Each would speak 5 or 6 times during a meeting, & no one could tell where one's message finished & the other's started.  It was all harmonized by the Spirit of God."
"Lake established the Apostolic Tabernacle in Johannesburg, & in less than a year he had started 100 churches.  The work of overseeing these churches spread throughout Africa & kept him more frequently away from home."
"GOODBYE, JENNIE"
"...on December 22, 1908.  While ministering in the Kalahari Desert, his beloved Jennie died."
"Most accounts of Jennie Lake's death attribute it to malnutrition & physical exhaustion."
"...she physically neglected herself."
"Lake had become so absorbed in ministering to others that he wasn't aware of what was happening to his own wife."
"One point often ignored in the ministry is that there will always be a 'need' to be fulfilled.  One ministry can't meet all the needs that will appear, no matter how powerful or anointed that ministry seems to be.  So common sense is invaluable to Christian ministry.  The natural body & the natural family need attention, & the family unit should always be the core of any ministry."
"Understandably, Lake was devastated when he arrived home to find his wife had died.  It was a very dark time for him & the agonizing pain stayed with him for many years."
"THE PLAGUE"
"As the team landed on African soil in January of 1910, a plague was raging over portions of the nation.  In less than a month, 1/4 of the entire population had died."
"Lake & his assistants went to help, free of charge.  He & 1 assistant would go into the houses, bring out the dead, & bury them.  But no symptom of the plague every touched him."
"At the height of this horrible plague, a doctor sent for Lake & asked him:  'What have you been doing to protect yourself?  You must have a secret!'"
"To this Lake responded:  'Brother, it is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.  I believe that just as long as I keep my soul in contact with the living God so that His Spirit is flowing into my soul & body, that no germ will ever attach itself to me, for the Spirit of God will kill it.'"
"Lake then invited the doctor to experiment with him.  He asked the doctor to take the foam from the lungs of a dead plague victim & put it under a microscope.  The doctor did so, & found masses of living germs.  Then Lake astounded the people in the room as he told the doctor to spread the deadly foam on his hands & announced that germs would die."
"The doctor did so & found that the germs died instantly in Lake's hand.  Those who witnessed the experiment stood in amazement as Lake continued to give glory to God, explaining the phenomenon like this:  'You can fill my hand with them & I will keep it under the microscope, & instead of these germs remaining alive, they will die instantly.'"
"This same power constantly flowed through Lake's hands into the bodies of the afflicted bringing healing to the masses.  The 'lightnings of God' blasted all disease & infirmity."
"When the Queen of Holland requested Lake to pray for her problems with conception so she could carry a child to full term, he sent the Queen word that her prayer had been answered.  Less than a year later, the Queen, who had miscarried 6 times, gave birth to her first full-term child, Queen Juliana of Holland."
"MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT"
"In December of 1910, Tom Hezmalhalch left Lake's ministry.  This was a very difficult time for Lake."
​"Lake spent the rest of 1910-1912 ministering healing as he prayed for the sick.  Great miracles were performed that still affect Africa today.  And he started 2 main churches:  The Apostolic Faith Mission/Apostolic Tabernacle (not related to the Apostolic Faith Church) & the Zion Christian Church."
"Lake & his congregation regularly published a newsletter that was mailed to thousands of people."
"'The ministry of Christianity is the ministry of the Spirit.'"
"Lake understood how to carry his entire congregation into the presence of the Lord."
​"THE ANOINTED ROVER"
"By the time John G. Lake would leave Africa to finally return to America, his ministry efforts had produced 1,250 preachers, 625 congregations, & 100,000 converts.  The exact number of miracles that occurred in his ministry could never be counted on earth.  These statistics are the results of 5 years of ministry!"
"Lake returned to America in 1912."
"...in 1913, John met & married Florence Switzer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  In the years following they became the parents of 5 children.  Florence was an excellent stenographer & was responsible for recording & preserving many of Lake's sermons."
"THE HEALING ROOMS OF SPOKANE"
"...he went to Spokane, Washington, where he would stay & set up 'healing rooms' in an old office building.  It is estimated that some 100,000 healings occurred in those rooms."
"...the Better Business Bureau decided to verify the authenticity of the healings."
"...Lake gave the investigators the names of those who had been healed throughout the city so they could question them.  And after that, he offered to sponsor a meeting the following Sunday at which 100 people would give their healing testimonies.  He asked the bureau to formulate a panel of physicians, lawyers, judges, & educators who could render a verdict."
​"They... praised him for the work he was doing in their city."
"Those interviewed by the bureau included a woman who no longer had her female organs, yet through healing, was able to procreate.  She showed her miraculous baby to those investigating the ministry."
"Another woman shared about the miraculous healing of her severely broken kneecap.  After she received prayer, the bone popped back into place, without pain, in less than an hour.  Still another woman afflicted with incurable cancer was totally healed after prayer.  And another was instantly healed of rheumatoid arthritis as her bones reshaped & returned to normal.  This same woman was also healed of prolapsed stomach, & the earlobe she was born without miraculously grew into place."
"But the most remarkable case at Spokane's Healing Home was that of a small boy.  It is said the boy's head was shaped like a yacht, 'upside down.'  Physicians announced there was nothing that could be done for him until he was 12 years old, & then the surgery would be very dangerous.  But after prayer, the boy's bones softened, his head expanded, & his skull was restored to normal.  His paralysis also miraculously left & he was able to speak like other children."
"'When you see those holy flashes of heavenly flame once in a while in a person's life, as we observe in our Sister Etter; when someone is healed, it is because her consciousness & Christ are one.  She is fused into God.  I saw a dying, strangling woman healed in 30 seconds as Mrs. Etter cast out the demon.  The flame of God, the fire of His Spirit, 10 seconds of connection with the Almighty Christ at the Throne of God, that is the secret of it.​'"
"STRIVE FOR PENTECOST"
"According to government statistics, between the years of 1915 - 1920, Spokane, Washington, was the 'healthiest city in the world' because of the ministry of John G. Lake.  The mayor of Spokane held a public commemoration to honor his efforts."
"Lake also founded The Apostolic Church in Spokane that drew thousands from around the world for ministry & healing.  He held services 6 nights a week, twice on Sundays, & made house calls throughout the week."
"In May of 1920, Lake left Spokane & moved to Portland, Oregon, where he traveled as an apostle & pastored for a time.  Soon, he began another Apostolic Church & healing ministry similar to the one in Spokane."
"'This is Pentecost as God gave it through the heart of Jesus.  Strive for this.  Contend for this.  Teach the people to pray for this.  For this, & this alone, will meet the necessity of the human heart, & this alone will have the power to overcome the forces of darkness.'"
"He traveled around America for the next 11 years, duplicating his work everywhere he went."
"LAKE'S MISTAKE"
"Lake's children from his first marriage suffered greatly because of his constant absence.  Even when he was present in a room, he would drift away in meditation, being constantly mindful of the ministry & the Lord.  Because of this, his children felt greatly neglected."
​"Remember, it was these same children who saw their mother starve & work to death in Africa.  As a result, each of them had developed very hardened attitudes & they left home very early, between the ages of 15 & 16, to live in Canada.  As they grew into adulthood, their lives were characterized by hardened bitterness.  However, 2 of his sons commented while on their deathbeds, 'I wish dad were here to pray for me.'"
"Lake grieved over his lack of attention given the children.  And he would later write in a letter that the many miracles wrought at his hands were personally unfulfilling & not worth the loss of his family."
"THE REDEEMING FACTOR"
"But Lake learned from his experiences, & finally found the key to being a good husband, involved father, & powerful minister.  His children borne by Florence had a different attitude toward him."
"In his later years, Lake was not 'so heavenly minded that he was of no earthly good.'"
"Lake had finally learned to enjoy the natural & the supernatural to the fullest extent."
"He loved to have fun at the dinner table when the family was together."
"Lake also enjoyed a wonderful sense of humor.  He loved to read Will Roger's newspaper column, & would later be though of himself as 'a great entertainer.'  He liked to keep the atmosphere around him light with laughter."
"THE MAGNET OF GOD"
"At the height of his ministry, the outside world had become so drawn to Lake's understanding of God that they constantly flocked to him."
​"Lake always directed his family to treat all believers as kings & priests."
"Lake was truly concerned about the world's infatuation with mere psychological power."
"'These are only on the psychological plane.  Beyond that is the spirit plane & the amazing wonder of the Holy Spirit of God, & if God got hold of my spirit for 10 minutes, He could do something 10,000 times greater than that.'"
"'Christianity is 100% supernatural,' he often said.  'All Power' language is Christianity vocabulary only.'"
"He possessed a remarkable ability to encourage faith & revelation in the hearts of others who listened to him."
"'If he [a Christian] has not the Spirit to minister in the real high sense, he has nothing to minister.  Other men have intellectuality, but the Christian is supposed to be the possessor of the Spirit.  There should never be any misunderstanding along these lines.'"
"...Lake called every believer to the power of Pentecost."
​"'I can see as my spirit discerns the future & reaches out to touch the heart of mankind & the desire of God, that there is coming from heaven a new manifestation of the Holy Spirit in power, & that new manifestation will be in sweetness, in love, in tenderness, & in the power of the Spirit, beyond anything your heart or mine ever saw.  The very lightning of God will flash through men's souls.  The sons of God will meet the sons of darkness & prevail.'"
"LEGACY OF THE MIRACULOUS"
"By 1924, Lake was known throughout America as a leading healing evangelist.  He had established 40 churches throughout the United States & Canada"
"Gordon Lindsay, founder of Christ For the Nations in Dallas, Texas, was converted while hearing Lake preach in Portland.  Lindsay attended his services nearly every night of the week & considered Lake to be his mentor.  When Lindsay later contracted deadly, ptomaine poisoning, he was totally healed once he was able to get to Lake's home."
"In 1931, Lake returned to Spokane at the age of 61.  He was now weak with fatigue, & almost blind.  So he decided to have a 'talk' with the Lord.  He reminded Him of how shameful it would be if he were to go blind after over 100,000 people were healed in his ministry in America alone.  By the end of the talk, his vision was completely restored, & remained that way for the rest of his life."
"REIGHNING IN THE HEAVENLIES"
"...on September 16, 1935, John G. Lake went home to be with the Lord.  He was 65 years old."
​"'Dr. Lake came to Spokane.  He found us in sin.  He found us in sickness.  He found us in poverty of spirit.  He found us in despair, but he revealed to us such a Christ as we had never dreamed of knowing this side of heaven.  We thought the victory was over there, but Dr. Lake revealed to us that victory was here.'"
"...walk in the revelation of your righteousness in Christ.  Righteousness is a lifestyle that produces victory in every situation."
"...this lifestyle can be lived & enjoyed by those who pursue it.  So don't stop short of what God has given us through Jesus Christ.  Allow the Holy Spirit to reveal your heavenly position to you, then take your place & change the nations for God."
God's Generals - Volume One​, Roberts Liardon, pgs. 167 - 193.

"Perhaps you say, 'It is impossible for a child in arms to understand or know anything about God.'  How can any one be sure of that?  It was foretold of John the Baptist, that he should be 'filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb'; & if this was the case with him, how much more must it have been the case with the Lord Jesus?"
​"...The Child Jesus grew.  He did not stand still."
"God calls us all ever to something higher & higher, & that higher stage we must reach by steadily advancing towards it."
​"This growth took place in 3 particulars - 1. In spiritual strength.  ...2. In wisdom.  ...3. In grace."
"...Christ in His youth was an example of reverent submission to parental authority."
"Vers. 41, 42.  And when He was 12 years old."
"Every year they went up to Jerusalem."
"No wide road led from Nazareth to Jerusalem.  The 80 miles of ground that stretched between the village & the city was only crossed by narrow paths.  The journey had to be made on foot."
​"Men often stare & gaze at that which is the least worthy of attention.  What is it, think you, which interests the holy angels most?"
"...it is the growth & progress of God's kingdom in the hearts of single persons"
"...the better & holier we become, the more shall we be interested in what interests God &holy angels."
"Prayer & praise & reverence & devotion, & obedience & right being & right doing in all things at home, & worship & attentive hearing in the House of God, are duties which parents ought to see that their children attend to.  ...(H. C. Trumbull.)"
"Ver. 43.    When they had fulfilled the days."
"The disobedient child makes the sinful man."
"Children should be encouraged to inquire into things.  (Thos. H. Barnett.)"
​"Prayer & Scripture & Sunday are only dull because your heart is not in them, because you do not try to throw your mind into them, & so to create for yourself an interest in them.  If your heart were in them, be sure you would find them the purest of all pleasures.  (Dean Goulburn.)"
"Ver. 44, 45.  And they sought Him among their kinfolk."
​"'How is it that Christians lose the sense of the fellowship of Jesus?'"
"'Supposing Him to have been of the company' - what a pity they did not make sure!"
"If you must suppose, suppose He is not with you."
"They lost Him in a crowd.  How many miss Jesus in the noise & bustle!  Be resolute to have your quiet hours.  Seek first the kingdom of heaven."
"Break away from everything.  Go after Jesus until you find Him.  (J. Jackson Wray.)"
"Christ is not present where He is not honoured."
​"Have you ever noticed what an expression of peace there is on the faces of those whose walk is with God, as contrasted with the unrest that characterizes the faces of those living without God in the world"
"HOW THIS SEARCH WAS REWARDED.  1. Christ was found.  2. Christ spoke Divine words to His parents.  3. Christ went back with them to Nazareth, & was more precious to them than ever.  (E. D. Solomon.)"
"Ver. 46.  After 3 days they found Him in the Temple."
​"It is easy to understand that the Temple must have had a wonderful attraction for Him, so that He found it very difficult to tear Himself away from it."
"Christ engaged in Bible study..."
"If there is a man nowadays who thinks that he doesn't need Bible study, or that it is beneath his dignity to be in the Bible school, he either seems to suppose that he knows more than Jesus knew, or he seems to count it hardly safe to be on the same plane with the Son of God."
​"Let us observe that what drew Him to the Temple was not only the beautiful & solemn worship which went on in it, but the teaching which was given there.  He loved not only prayer & praise, but learning also.  Oh, that there were more children like Him!"
"Ver. 48.  Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us?"
"...He was not only her Son, but God's"
"Only by understanding what He is, can you understand what He wants you to do.  And understanding comes by love.  And love to God comes by faith in Jesus Christ."
​"Ver. 49.  Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business."
​"A Divine necessity...  'I must' do My Father's work.  A grand purpose fills His being, & His whole nature is bent on its accomplishment"
"'I must be about My Father's house & work.'  (J. Clifford, D. D.)"
​"He spent time in learning & inquiring."
"This Holy Child is about His Father's business, for He is engrossed in it.  His whole heart is in the hearing & asking questions."
"The way to worship God is to get heartily into it."
​"I feel an all-controlling, overwhelming influence which constrains Me at all times & in every place to be about My Father's business; the spirit of high, holy, entire, sincere, determined consecration in heart to God."
​"Be about your Father's business.  Oh, it is a sweet employment to serve your Father.  (C. H. Spurgeon.)"
​"Can we say, 'I delight to do Thy will, O God'?  Would it not change our lives a little if we felt this must as Jesus felt it?"
"We feel that we must be about the business of our husbands, our children, or our friends; but we too often regard our Father's business as something for our leisure moments only, to be taken up or left according to convenience."
"We know so little of Christian joy, because we know so little of perfect obedience."
"Let us abide with our Father, until, knowing Him better, we love Him more; & then say to all the hindering influences that are round about us, 'Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?'  (Marianne Farningham.)"
​"How magnificent a thing might life become could we but turn away from all temptations to do our own will, & say to the tempters, were they even father or mother - say in the strength of Christ - 'I cannot; wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?'  (Stopford A. Brooke. M. A.)"
​"The godly youth attends to business with diligence & fidelity, & (performing his duties in the spirit of prayer) with the prospect of success.  He performs everything as unto God - he acts by God's guidance, he inherits God's blessing."
​"...it is the great business of our day, to be reading the Bible, praying, thinking"
"Vers. 50, 51.  And was subject unto them."
​"The only acts recorded of Christ's childhood are acts of obedience - to God His heavenly Father, & also to His earthly parents."
​"No higher wish can be framed, no better prayer offered than this:  that all may be able to learn those lessons of daily life which Christ Himself had practised before He taught."
​"His mother kept all these sayings in her heart."
"There are memories of the intellect which are short-lived & evanescent; they are like the morning cloud that vanishes away.  But the things that are kept in the heart are not evanescent; they last for ever."
"Love photographs impressions of the past, in colours that do not fade; the things which are kept in the heart are kept for ever.  (G. Matheson, D. D.)"
"Ver. 52.  And Jesus increased in wisdom."
"It is a blessing, above all others, to grow up in a house where the gospel rule prevails."
​"Go where God bids you go, abide where He would have you abide, & do each hour the work He appoints for that hour; do all in faith & love, & for His glory; for the rest you need have no fears."
"Good men are always walking on from strength to strength, till at last they see God in Zion."
​"The increase of Jesus in wisdom during this period was 1. Real.  ...2. Unchecked.  ...3. It was effected by means - (1) Careful home-training.  (2) The natural beauties of the neighbourhood of Nazareth.  (3) The Scriptures.  (4) The annual journeys to Jerusalem.  (5) Prayerful communion with His heavenly Father.  4. Normal, & so an example of what our development should be in fellowship with Him.  (J. J. Van Oosterzee, D. D.)"
​"God's favour to be sought: - Jesus won the favour of man by seeking the favour of God.  It is not important that man should be pleased with us as that God should."
​"...if we are always asking how God will look at our course; if we give large weight in our thoughts to His opinion & His commandments; if we seek to shape our course to win His approval, we are sure to get what we most long for; & we are surer of having also the favour of man than we could be through any other course.  If God is our friend, He can secure to us man's approval.  (H. C. Trumbull.)"
​The Biblical Illustrator​, Baker, pgs. 260 - 300.

"CHAPTER 5 - WILLIAM J. SEYMOUR - 'The Catalyst Of Pentecost'"
"Serving as the 'catalyst' of the 'Pentecostal Movement' in the 20th century, William J. Seymour turned a tiny Los Angeles horse stable on Azusa Street into an international center of revival.  Because the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues was a major part of the meetings held there, Seymour became the leader of the first organized movement that promoted this experience.  At Asuza, blacks, whites, Hispanics, & Europeans all met & worshipped together, crossing formerly impossible cultural lines.  Although the success of the revival was short-lived, we still enjoy its fruits."
"They believed the Word of God & waited for its ​manifestation."
"In every situation that arose, the seekers made a demand on the Word's authority.  If insects tried to destroy someone's crops, believers at Azusa marched out to the field & declared the Word of God over their crops & the insects!"
"In another story a large group of firemen came rushing into the Azusa Street Mission during a service carrying fire hoses to extinguish a fire.  But they never found one!  Neighbors of the mission had seen a light that led them to believe the building was engulfed in flames, so they called the fire department.  However, what they had actually seen, was the glory of God."
"EYE OF THE TIGER"
"May 2 of 1870...  William was born into a world of horrible racial violence."
"Once freed from slavery, Seymour's parents continued working on the plantation."
"Undaunted by the lack of formal education, he, like many others, taught himself primarily through reading the Bible."
"Seymour found his identity in Jesus Christ, believing that the Lord was the only liberator of mankind."
"It is said he experienced divine visions, & that early in life began to look for the return of Jesus Christ."
"He was determined that man-made shackles would never hold him."
​"SAINTS & SMALLPOX"
"To him it was becoming ever more evident that there was no class or color line in the redemption of Jesus Christ."
"He was an avid follower of John Wesley.  Wesley believed in strong prayer, holiness, divine healing, & that there should be no discrimination in Jesus Christ."
"Seymour wrestled with his calling & was fearful to answer... he contracted smallpox, which was usually fatal in that era.  He survived 3 weeks of horrible suffering, but was left with blindness in his left eye & severe facial scarring."
"Seymour felt his contraction of the disease was a result of refusing the call of God.  So he immediately submitted to the plan of God & was ordained through the Evening Light Saints.  Soon he began traveling as an itinerant evangelist & provided his own financial support."
"...Seymour, like many in his circle, believed that God was his provider.  He believed that if God called him, then God would support him."
"SPEAKING IN TONGUES...  TODAY?"
"...he decided to make Houston his ministry base."
"The Evening Light Saints didn't approve of Seymour's new theology.  So, he left the group, still never having spoken in tongues.  Then Charles Parham announced the opening of his Bible school in Houston that December & Mrs. Farrow vehemently insisted that Seymour attend.  Moved by her fervency, & his own growing interest, Seymour enrolled."
"Due to the culturally-accepted practice of the  day, it is questionable if Seymour was allowed to stay overnight.  Parham was moved by Seymour's hunger for the Word."
"Though Seymour did not embrace every doctrine that Parham taught, he did embrace the truth of Parham's doctrine concerning Pentecost.  He soon developed his own theology from it."
"IN THE BEGINNING"
"...Miss Terry asked Seymour to come to Los Angeles & pastor a congregation that had broken away from a Nazarene church."
"Seymour packed his bags & left for California in late January."
"'It was the divine call that brought me from Houston, Texas, to Los Angeles.  The Lord put it on the heart of one of the saints in Los Angeles to write me that she felt the Lord would have me come there, & I felt it was the leading of the Lord.  The Lord provided the means & I came to take charge of a mission on Santa Fe Street.​'"
"THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF THE CITY"
"In Los Angeles a spiritual hunger was stirring.  There was a deep desire & longing for something to happen."
"BREAKING THE MESSAGE IN"
"Seymour arrived in Los Angeles where there was already a revival climate, citywide."
"The large group assembled, eager to hear Seymour's first sermon as he expounded  powerfully on the gospel of divine healing & the soon return of Christ.  He then began his message from Acts 2:4 on speaking in other tongues.  He taught that a person is not baptized in the Holy Spirit unless he or she speaks with other tongues.  And he admitted that he had not yet received this manifestation.  Nevertheless, he proclaimed it as God's Word."
"Seymour was met with mixed reactions."
"Seymour faced a large, difficult audience of Holiness preachers...  but he clung to the Word."
"According to Seymour, their problem was with the Word of God, not with him."
"214 NORTH BONNIE BRAE STREET"
"...the Asberys asked him to move into their home on North Bonnie Brae Street & to begin holding regular meetings there.  Seymour accepted ."
"Their meetings consisted of hours of prayer as they sought for  the baptism of the Holy Spirit."
"When they arrived at the Asbery home on Bonnie Brae Street, every room was packed with people.  Many were already praying.  Seymour took charge of the meeting, leading the group in songs, testimonies, & more prayer.  Then, he began to tell the story of Mr. Lee's healing & his infilling of the Holy Spirit.  As soon as Seymour finished, Lee raised his hand & began to speak in other tongues.  The entire group dropped to their knees as they worshipped God & cried out for the baptism.  The, 6 or 7 people lifted their voices & began to speak in another tongue.  Jennie Evans Moore, who would later marry Seymour, fell to her knees from the piano bench as one of the first to speak in tongues."
"Some people rushed outside to the front porch, prophesying & preaching."
​"The meeting lasted until well past 10:00 P.M. when everyone left in great joy & thankfulness."
"For 3 days, they celebrated what they dubbed, 'early Pentecost restored.'"
"Groups from every culture began to find their way to 214 Bonnie Brae Street.  Some would stand outside the windows hoping to hear someone pray in tongues.  At times they heard great shouting.  At times it was intensely quiet.  Many fell 'under the power' & lay on the floor - some for 3 to 5 hours."
"Unusual healings also took place."
"'The noise of the great outpouring of the Spirit drew me.  I had been nothing but a 'walking drug store' all my life, with weak lungs & cancer.  As they looked at me, they said, 'Child, God will heal you.'  In those days of the great outpouring, when they said God would heal you, you were healed.  For 33 years, I have never gone back to the doctors, thank God, nor any of that old medicine!  The Lord saved me, baptized me with the Holy Ghost, healed me, & sent me on my way rejoicing.'"
"It was during the 3rd night of these meetings that Seymour finally experienced his own encounter with the Holy Spirit.  It was late on the night of April 12, 1906, after many had left the meeting, when Seymour himself was filled & began to speak in other tongues.  He was kneeling beside a man who was helping him pray for a breakthrough, when at last he received.  The long-awaited gift of the Holy Spirit had finally come to the man whose preaching had brought His freedom to so many others."
"312 AZUSA STREET"
"The Asbery home could no longer accommodate the crowds.  So on April 14, 1906, Seymour & his elders set out to find the perfect place."
​"Seymour found what had once been an old Methodist church."
"When Seymour acquired the building, the top floor was being used for storage.  The bottom floor had been converted into a horse stable.  The windows were broken & bare electric light bulbs hung from the ceiling.  Seymour was offered the building for 8 dollars a month."
"As the word got out, people came from everywhere to help restore the building.  A. G. Osterburg, the pastor of the local Full Gospel Church, paid several men to help renovate the building.  Volunteers swept the floors & whitewashed the walls.  J. V. McNeil, a devout Catholic & owner of the largest lumber company in Los Angeles, donated lumber for the cause.  Sawdust was placed on the floor, & planks were nailed to wooden barrels for use as pews.  2 empty crates were nailed on top of each other to act as Seymour's pulpit."
"BEGINNING STAGES"
"April 18, 1906 marked the day in U. S. history of the great San Francisco earthquake.  The next day, a lesser shock was felt in Los Angeles, causing many out of fear to repent of their sins.  Hundreds of them fled to Azusa to hear the Gospel message & to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.  Even the very wealthy came to this lower-class area to hear of God's power."
"The meetings were spontaneous, so no one ever knew what would happen or who the speaker would be."
​"In the beginning stages of Azusa, all of the music was impromptu without the use of instruments or hymn books.  The meetings began with someone singing a song or giving a testimony.  Because there was no program, someone would finally arise, anointed to bring forth the message.  The speaker could be any race, age, or gender.  And everyone felt that God was responsible for the altar calls which could take place at any point of the meetings."
"'Many were curious & unbelieving, but others were hungry for God.  Outside persecution never hurt the work.  We had to fear from the working of evil spirits within.  Even spiritualists & hypnotists came to investigate, & to try their influence.  Then all the the religious sore-heads & crooks came, seeking a place in the work.  But this is always the danger to every new work.  They have no place elsewhere.  This condition cast a fear over many which was hard to overcome.  It hindered the Spirit much.  Many were afraid to seek God, for fear the devil might get them.'"
"God was looking for a willing vessel - & He found it in Seymour.  God is not looking for those who brag of their status & experience."
"Deceit can't stand against the authority, strength & wisdom of prayerful, godly, leadership."
"Strong, godly leadership can separate gold from the brass."
"Great emphasis had been placed on the blood of Jesus, inspiring the group to a higher standard of living.  And divine love began to manifest, allowing no unkind words to be spoken of another.  The people were careful to make sure that the Spirit of God wouldn't be grieved.  Both the rich, educated people & the poor, unlearned people sat as one in the sawdust & makeshift barrel pews."
"PACKING THE STREETS, FALLING LIKE TREES"
"The presence of the Lord was so real."
"It was said that the power of God could be felt at Azusa, even outside the building.  Scores of people were seen dropping into a prostrate position in the streets before they ever reached the mission.  Then many would rise, speaking in tongues without any assistance from those inside."
"The scene had become an international gathering."
"Many, newly baptized in the Holy Spirit, would feel a call to a certain nation.  So men & women were now departing for Scandinavia, China, India, Egypt, Ireland, & various other nations."
​"Though there was much excitement swirling around about the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Azusa, many misunderstood the ultimate purpose of speaking in other tongues.  Many felt it was only a divine language for the nation to which they were sent."
"John G. Lake visited the Azusa street meetings."
"...'It was not what he said in words, it was what he said from his spirit to my heart that showed me he had more of God in his life than any man I had ever met up to that time.  It was God in him that attracted the people.'"
"'The meeting has been a melting time.  The people are all melted together...  made one lump, one bread, all one body in Christ Jesus.  There is no Jew or Gentile, bond or free, in the Azusa Mission.  No instrument that God can use is rejected on account of color or dress or lack of education.  This is why God has built up the work... The sweetest thing is the loving harmony.'"
"...revolutionary words in a time of such racial division."
"BEGINNINGS OF DECLINE"
"Persecution outside of Azusa was expected, but it finally began within."
"'Apostolic Faith Mission' written across the top of the building..."
"...Azusa Mission was now being perceived as a loose offshoot of Charles Parham's ministry."
"'TARRYING' & TONGUES"
"...a misconception of the 'tarrying' concept.  They would simply wait for hours for the Spirit to come, & restlessness began to surface when they felt many were abusing this time.  What they didn't realize was that the Holy Spirit had already come.  He was there!"
"...confusion surrounding their understanding of speaking in other tongues.  Up to this point, it had primarily been taught that tongues were for foreign missions."
"Many Azusa missionaries were greatly disappointed when they discovered this was not the rule."
"It would be later, during the growth of the Pentecostal Movement, that tongues would be understood as a prayer language as well."
"FANATICS, FAKES & FRACTION"
"Though Seymour didn't fully agree with all of Parham's theology, I believe he respected & trusted Parham's leadership experience."
"It is true that there were many divisions within the Los Angeles revival."
​"When Parham arrived, Seymour introduced him as the 'Father in this Gospel of the kingdom.'"
"...things didn't go as Seymour had planned.  After Parham's sermons & private exhortations, Seymour padlocked the mission's door to keep Parham out."
"...at Azusa, besides the shouting & dancing, the people jerked & shook.  It was a highly emotional atmosphere, & there were many genuine, Spirit-filled expressions along with the false."
"Seymour's theology was to allow the Holy Spirit to do whatever he wanted.  But only a few knew enough about the movings of the Spirit to lead the people in it."
"There is a fine line between wounding the human spirit & offending the Holy Spirit."
"...Parham  ...'I hurried to Los Angeles, & to my utter surprise & astonishment I found conditions even worse than I had anticipated...  manifestations of the flesh, spiritualistic controls, saw people practicing hypnotism at the altar over candidates seeking baptism, though many were receiving the real baptism of the Holy Ghost.'"
"...I found hypnotic influences, familiar-spirit influences, spiritualistic influences, mesomeric influences, & all kinds of spells, spasms, falling in trances, etc."
"'A word about the baptism of the Holy Ghost.  The speaking in tongues is never brought about by any of the above practices/influences.  No such thing is known among our workers as the suggestion of certain words & sounds, the working of the chin, or the massage of the throat.  There are many in Los Angeles who sing, pray & talk wonderfully in other tongues, as the Spirit gives utterance, & there is jabbering here that is not tongues at all.  The Holy Ghost does nothing that is unnatural or unseemingly, & any strained exertion of body, mind or voice is not the work of the Holy Spirit, but of some familiar spirit, or other influence.  The Holy Ghost never leads us beyond the point of self-control or the control of others, while familiar spirits or fanaticism lead us both beyond self-control & the power to help others.'"
"Seymour wrote:  'Some are asking if Dr. Charles F. Parham is the leader of this movement.  We can answer, no, he is not the leader of this movement of Azusa Mission.  We thought of having him to be our leader & so stated in our paper, before waiting on the Lord.  We can be rather hasty, especially when we are very young in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We are just like a baby - full of love - & were willing to accept anyone that had the baptism with the Holy Spirit as our leader.  But the Lord commenced settling us down, & we saw that the Lord should be our leader.  So we honor Jesus as the Great Shepherd of the sheep.  He is our model.'"
"So in attempting to uphold his doctrine of unity, Seymour remained true to his teachings by not allowing an unkind word to be spoken against any of his accusers."
"THE SANCTIFICATION SLUR"
"Though Seymour followed John Wesley, he didn't follow his teachings on sanctification."
"He taught that sanctification, or sinless perfection, was a separate work of grace aside from salvation.  Once you were sanctified, Seymour believed, you acted sanctified all the time.  But if you sinned, you lost it."
"'If you get angry, or speak evil, or backbite, I care not how many tongues you may have, you have not the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  You have lost your salvation.'"
"Seymour would padlock an opposing minister, but he would never speak out against him!"
​"LOVE & BETRAYAL"
"In spite of the many accusations, mistakes, & persecutions, Seymour remained faithful in his purpose for revival."
"...Seymour's thoughts turned to marriage.  Jennie Evans Moore, a faithful member of his ministry in Los Angeles, became his wife."
"But the news of their marriage angered a small, yet very influential group at the Mission.  One of the main antagonists was Clara Lum, the mission's secretary responsible for the newspaper's publication.  After learning of Seymour's marriage, she abruptly decided that it was time to leave the mission."
​"A few believers at Azusa had some very odd ideas about marriage.  Lum's group believed marriage in the last days to be a disgrace because of the soon return of Christ & severely denounced Seymour for his decision."
"It may have been that Clara Lum was secretly in love with Seymour, & left because of her jealousy."
"This unthinkable action crippled Seymour's worldwide publication outreach.  His entire national & international lists of over 50,000 names had been stolen, leaving him with only their Los Angeles list."
"THE LAST DIVISION, MAN OR GOD?"
"Throughout 1909 and 1910, Seymour continued his ministry at Azusa, though the number of people decreased dramatically due to lack of influence & funds."
"The last conflict at Azusa took place between Seymour & Durham.  The 2 differed greatly in their theology.  Durham preached adamantly & soundly, that people couldn't lose their salvation even if they sinned in the flesh.  Salvation was by faith with works involved, not by works alone.  Durham preached the needed balance between law & grace that the Pentecostal Movement desperately needed, because the 'works' doctrine had led to many divisions.  His teaching felt like a cool rain on those who heard.  It literally brought the people in droves!"
"Alarmed by Durham's large following & doctrinal differences, the elders of Azusa contacted Seymour.  He returned immediately to Los Angeles for a conference.  But Seymour & Durham couldn't come to an agreement in their doctrine.  So in May, Seymour used the padlock again, locking Durham out of the mission!"
"Unshaken by this action, Durham & his workers secured a large, 2-story building that seated more than 1,000 people.  The upstairs served as a prayer room, which was open day & night.  The crowds from Azusa followed Durham.  Thousands were saved, baptized, & healed while the old Azusa Mission became virtually deserted."
"'TIRED & WORN'"
"But the old Azusa Mission remained open to anyone who would come.  Seymour remained its leader & kept his doctrine the same, though no one seemed interested in attending."
"In the end, only 20 people remained."
"In 1921, William Seymour made his last ministry campaign across America.  When he returned to Los Angeles in 1922, people began to notice that he looked very weary."
"Finally on September 28, 1922, while at the mission, Seymour suffered a sudden attack of severe pain in his chest.  One of the workers ran for the doctor who was only blocks away.  Upon examination, Seymour was told to rest.  Then at 5:00 P. M. that same afternoon, while dictating a letter, another chest pain clinched him.  He struggled for breath, then went to be with the Lord at the age of 52.  The cause of his death was officially cited as heart failure."
​"The words on his tombstone simply read, 'Our Pastor.'"
"SHADOWS & WOLVES"
"Following the years after Seymour's death, Mrs. Seymour carried on as pastor of the Azusa Street Mission.  Everything continued smoothly for 8 years.  Then more problems arose in 1931.  Through a series of legal battles waged by someone trying to take over the Mission, city officials became annoyed with the group & declared the property a fire hazard.  Later that year it was demolished, but not before it was offered to a Pentecostal denomination who replied, 'We are not interested in relics.'  Today only a street sign stands over the property which is now nothing more than a vacant lot."
"...Jennie died of heart failure & joined her husband in heaven on July 2, 1936."
"THE LEGACY OF POWER"
"Though the legacy & ministry of William J. Seymour seems heartbreaking, the results of his efforts between 1906 and 1909 produced & exploded the Pentecostal Movement around the world.  Today, many denominations attribute their founding to the participants of Azusa.  Most of the early Assembly of God leaders came out of Azusa.  Demos Shakarian, founder of the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship, said his grandfather was an original Azusa member."
"Probably everyone in the Pentecostal Movement today can attribute their roots, in some way, to Azusa."
​"GOD IS NOT A RACIST"
"God won't allow His glory to fall prey to the arguments of men.  If that should happen, He leaves - end of discussion."
"...a 'catalyst' is something that 'precipitates a process or event, & increases the rate at which a reaction takes place.'  That is exactly what Seymour did.  William Seymour's Pentecostal ministry increased public awareness to such a degree that it not only turned around a major U. S. city, it also spread throughout the world at an incredible pace.  It seems that every continent was touched in some way by the revival at Azusa."
"No particular race can claim the patent on a move of God.  God has never worked according to the color of man; He operates through the heart of man."
"...follow those who press into God's Spirit.  Let us go on to maturity & fight for the prize rather than personal glory."
"Only eternity will fully reveal the fruit of William J. Seymour's ministry.  One thing is clear, he was an able stick of dynamite who God could use to send the explosions of Pentecostal revival around the world.  And he did."
God's Generals - Volume One, Roberts Liardon, pgs. 137 - 165.

"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.

"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.