MissionSHIFT (Part 3): WebMissions – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The future of missions cannot be considered separately from what is turning to be the phenomena of the 21st century – the Internet. The relationship was properly discussed in the third and more predicative part of MissionShift. Since our own paradigm of missions and ministry is heavily involved with internet technology, it is my desire to respond to this one particular point in a more holistic way.
The Internet is already turning into an unstoppable geyser of information, a source of data, news and opinions that flow freely around the world. My initial response comes from presupposition that churches, being networking community themselves, have not yet fully realized the power of social networking in the Internet model. Politicians, economical magnates and even social watchdogs have long surpassed the church in their social relationship through creating cloud blogging, social nets and Internet advertisements to serve the goals of their own ideology. And although it was through using the social networking and marketing of the first century that the Christian Church grew rapidly from the ashes of wars and persecution, in the postmodern era the Church has continually remained on the sidelines of the virtual (but quite real for many) social involvement. It is my desire then, to accent on this particular issue form a more practical standpoint of the ecclesial position and involvement in this very real process within postmodern society beginning with the good in them.
The Good …
Grant McClung postulated several of these principles a decade ago in his book: Globalbeliever.com: Connecting to God’s Work in Your World. However, things have changed a little since then, as the virtual world is becoming more and more real to many even within the Church. While a decade ago, churches were making first steps in designing their website presence on the internet, today every church staff member is wired with email, blog, social network updater and much more coming directly from his/her mobile device. My friend Antoine RJ Wright from the Mobile Ministry Magazine claims this is only the beginning and I have every reason to believe him.
How can a church make sense and utilize the available resources on the internet? Here are the basics:
1. Creating a network between church staff, volunteer team and congregation in one constant mode of working together toward the common goal of a church or a ministry’s vision
2. Improving communications which respond to the need for ever connectedness of the postmodern generation
3. Implementation through using the Internet network and communication as a testing ground
4. Keeping the score to improve effectives through comparing with other churches and ministry dealing with the same dilemmas or context of ministry
5. Round tables and discussion on various levels in search of more effective ministry paradigms and praxis
6. And last, but not least free media – what TV evangelist used to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars every year is now pretty much available on the internet for free with much more popularity and socialization ratio
These principles are already implemented in virtually hundreds of online networks around the world. The mobile ministry is one very vivid example that changes the way we do ministry as a whole. The process of digital discipline and the existence of an actual digital disciplining networks that bring about to reality strong and growing church communities. But there is even more beyond this point – the fact that a person can live an actual salvific experience on the Internet without a minister ever being physically present. Slowly but surely, the so called “virtual world” becomes very real even for the church and its’ mission.
… The Bad …
The bad related directly to any given web ministry today, is that everything good on the global network is surpassed in times by not so good, bad and even evil. And this is not only a talk against porn, sectarianism, racism and hatred, but a holistic overview of the anonymity and animosity of the internet that seem to draw in people of various personality types. The growing problem for us today is that the virtual world in fact can and does change one’s personality in a very real and personal way.
This should not scare the Church, for when Jesus said “Go to the ends of the world,” He meant the ends of the World Wide Web as well. Even on the contrary, it should motivate the search for new models of web ministry that not only draw in such people, but also ministers to them and disciples them for the Kingdom. In fact, this rather scary characteristic of the particular context of ministry could and should become an effective turnaround in the very idea for ministry on the web.
…And the Ugly
While the internet is an enormous mission field, we are limited on using this method exactly where it is needed the most. Over 20% of world’s population or one and a half billion people do not have access to the internet. Many more can access it only through government restrictions and regulations. Unfortunately, these are the exact people that need to be reached with the Gospel the most. The “ugly” here is that we can become so focused on ministering the virtual reality and stop paying attention to the more real and feasible reality. There is a real danger that eternal human souls simply go to hell while we tamper around with modern and postmodern models of ministry.
Our Web Ministry Efforts and Results
Cup & Cross Ministries International runs over a dozen of Bulgarian vernacular websites related to virtually every aspect of the ministry. Some of them are:
www.Bibliata.com – website devoted to the Bulgaria Bible
www.Bibliata.TV – a GodTube like website in the Bulgaria language
www.Protestantstvo.com – website dealing with Bulgarian Protestant history
www.Kapelanstvo.com – website dedicated to the ministry of the Bulgarian chaplain
www.Spasen.com – Bulgarian Christian web-mail
www.Evangelsko.info – Bulgarian evangelical news portal
www.Hvalenie.com –a website for Bulgarian praise and worship
www.Pastir.com – a website dedicated to the work and ministry of the Bulgarian pastor
www.Propoved.com – a dynamic web database with audio and video Bulgarian sermons
www.Lidersko.info – a resource for church leadership and Christian discipleship
www.Osveten.com – an online community round table for holiness and righteousness
www.Molitvata.com – a web-based prayer center
www.Savetvane.com – a website for Christian counseling
www.Evangelieto.com – dedicated to the new Bulgarian translation of the Bible
www.Kapelanstvo.com – an online resource for Christian chaplaincy
www.BulgarianChurches.com – a global web directory for Bulgarian evangelical churches
The Apostolic Faith (January, 1907)
We are expecting wonderful things from the Lord for 1907. The closing up of the old year and beginning of the new found us on our knees at Azusa Mission. And as the new year was announced, such a wave of glory, and divine love and unity came over us. The meeting went on till morning and all the next day. It is a jubilee year. May we all spend it at His feet, learning of Him.
The Lord did great things in 1906. Pentecost first fell in Los Angeles on April 9th. Since then the good tidings has spread in two hemispheres. Many are rejoicing in pardon, purity, and the power of the Holy Ghost. Wherever the work goes, souls are saved, and not only saved from hell but through and through, and prepared to meet the Lord at His coming. Hundreds have been baptized with the Holy Ghost. Many of them are now out in the field, and some in foreign lands, and God is working with them, granting signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the full Gospel.
People all over the land have heard that the oil of the Spirit is being poured out in Los Angeles, and they are coming for oil-coming thousands of miles. And they are being filled with the holy oil, the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and wherever they go, it is being poured out.
From the little mustard seed faith that was given to a little company of people waiting on God in a cottage prayer meeting, a great tree has grown, so that people from all parts of the country are coming like birds to lodge in the branches thereof. (Matt. 13:31:32.) The faith is still growing, and we are still just in the beginning earnestly contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints.
It is a continual upper room tarrying at Azusa Street. It is like a continual camp meeting or convention. All classes and nationalities meet on a common level. One who came for the first time said, “The thing that impressed me most was the humility of the people, and I went to my room and got down on my knees and asked God to give me humility.”
The altars are filled with seekers. Sometimes the meetings go on all night. People are slain under the power of God and sanctified or rise up speaking in new tongues. In the meetings, you see the holy joy of the Lord in the countenances, and people are melted in the presence of the Lord, filled with His praise.
The Lord is graciously healing many sick bodies. People are healed at the Mission almost every day. Requests come in for prayer from all over. They are presented in the meeting and the Spirit witnesses in many cases that prayer is answered, and when we hear from them they are healed. Handkerchiefs are sent in to be blest, and are returned to the sick and they are healed in many cases. One day nine handkerchiefs were blest, another day sixteen. A man came with a broken arm and was healed. The mission people never take medicine. They do not want it. They have taken Jesus for their healer and He always heals.
There is a very sweet spirit of unity among Pentecostal missions in Los Angeles and workers in suburban towns. Every Monday morning, the misiners and workers from these different points meet together for prayer and counsel. The missions in Los Angeles are at 327 1/2 S. Spring, of which Bro. Fisher is pastor; 8th and Maple Ave., of which Bro. Pendleton is pastor; and 1321 E. 51st St., where Bro. and Sister Kent have charge. Workers from Long Beach, Pasadena, Clearwater, Anaheim, and other nearby places also come in. All are in one accord. In our first meeting several messages were given in tongues through our Bro. Post, and interpreted as follows:
“We acknowledge Christ only, His truth, His Word. We must tarry much before Him. We must acknowledge that He is in our midst, walking among the golden candlesticks, pruning, purging. He who moved among the golden candlesticks, is moving in our midst now. We must recognize Him alone as Head over all, and know no man after the flesh. The Spirit of God will teach us, if we keep low in love and humility before Him. Our Lord says, “I smile upon you, when you are seeking My will, My glory only. There must be no glorying in names or orders or systems, only in Myself alone. All fullness is in me, all power is in My Gospel.”
We must give God all the glory in this work. We must keep very humble at His feet. He recognizes no flesh, no color, no names. We must not glory in Azusa Mission, nor in anything but the Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto us and we unto the world.
We stand as assemblies and missions all in perfect harmony. Azusa Mission stands for the unity of God’s people everywhere. God is uniting His people baptizing them by one Spirit into one body.
PENTECOST RESTORED.
Written after his Pentecostal anointing on the train, by J.W. Ellison, Des Moines, Iowa.
O glorious promise of heaven!
Fulfilled to His people at last;
The tongues of fire have descended,
And sealed us as those in the past.
The Pentecost power is now spreading,
The Bible rings clear as a bell;
The finished work of the Savior,
We now are commissioned to tell.
The touch of the hand brings conviction,
The look of the eye startles sin,
The flood gates of heaven are opened,
And souls are now entering in.
All fear is banished forever,
And sickness and pain flee away,
The touch of Jesus is as powerful,
As it was in that wonderful day.
The union of hearts is like magic,
And bodies are molded like clay;
Souls that are sealed by His Spirit
Have entered the heavenlies to stay.,
Sinners who once have been careless
Have wakened to a sense of their need;
Pentecost surely is spreading,
Regardless of doctrine or creed.
Then glory to Jesus who loved me,
And glory to Jesus who came,
And glory to Jesus who fills me,
And seals with His own precious name.
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PENTECOSTAL POWER IN SAN DIEGO.
San Diego,Cal., Jan. 5.
Dear Saints, Greeting!
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you all, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who always causeth us to triumph in every place, and maketh-manifest through us the savor of His knowledge.
The dear Lord has favored us with continuous victory, reclaimed, sanctified and some baptized with the Holy Ghost every week. The interest is increasing notwithstanding the continuous wet weather. The altar is filled with seekers at most every service.
We have had some m,marvelous cases where those possessed by the devil have been wonderfully and completely delivered and clothed in their right minds. We wish to note one case in particular for the glory of God and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.
A man of German birth came in the meetings, a master in Theology and Spirtualism, who claimed he was Christ incarnate –that he was immortal, and had all wisdom and knowledge. The blessed Holy Ghost gave the saints the discerning of Spirits, and they rebuked the devils in him. And the man fell to the floor, trembling from head to foot. The devils were commanded to come out of him in Jesus’ name. And immediately he began to confess his sins and crimes, too awful to mention. He continued to pray and call upon God for mercy, and in a few days he found peace. He has since gone on to the cleansing Blood and has received his Pentecost, and in humility is owning Jesus as his perfect Savior, clothed in his right mind, joyful and happy.
About twelve have redeceived their Pentecost and a number are still seeking. We are praying that the Lord will establish this work as in Los Angeles. This is an open field with virgin soil, and the work is taking deep and firm hold upon the people. Our hearts are burdened for salvation of the people of San Diego.
F.E. Hill
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AKEON VISITED WITH PENTECOST.
118 * St., Akron, Ohio, Dec. 27th.
Since I * heard of the wonderful way God was working in Los Angeles, my heart got hungry, And the dear saints in Akron kept up a steady cry to God day and night for Him to send it this way. And before we hardly knew it. Akron was visited. Glory to God! He sent dear Ivy Campbell here in answer to prayer, and many have received their Pentecost. The altar is more than filled nearly every service. In fact there is hardly a break in the meeting. Some people bring lunches and don’t stop to eat them. Some, of the sisters sing in tongues like voices from heaven and also interpret some. O, it is wonderful! Many demons have been cast out and the sick are being healed. Glory to Jesus! He is also selecting His missionaries. The meeting runs day and night–sometimes all night.
People come from miles around here and are receiving their personal Pentecost. Bro. McKinney is sending out invitations far and near, and telling how God is visiting Akeon, and it brings in the hungry ones. His church doors were opened wide to welcome dear Sisters Evy Campbell and Hudson from East Liverpool. The meetings have been running over three weeks. The Holy Ghost is the only leader. Praise God!
While some of the prominent ministers are opposing it, yet their hungry members jump over the fence and get to the little mission church and get saved,sanctified, and then receive their personal Pentecost. We are glad God had one humble preacher in Akron who opened wide the door to receive this “latter rain”. We are likely just getting the first sprinkling of the great shower that is to come. Praise God!
The burden of everyone that has received their personal Pentecost is “Jesus is coming soon.”
Jan. 21.–The fire has broken out in Pittsburg too. God is visiting every hungry town and city that will receive Him. The fire is spreading here,in spite of all the water the devil pours on. It seems to act like oil instead of water. Glory to our conquering King!
One of our mothers in Israel has her personal Pentecost and the Hawaiian language. Three Hawaiian boys from Honolulu came to Akron to get work, and God sent them to the Mission, and they said Mother Davis had the Hawaiian language perfectly and interpreted two messages she gave out, which were, “God is love,” and “Jesus is coming soon.”
Yours in Jesus, Mrs. Pearl Bowen.
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PORTLAND IS STIRRED.
Portland, Ore. Dec. 31st.
Peace from God the Father be unto you and all the saints.
Well, God has stirred up this North till every devil in hell is stirred also.
I finished my work in Salem: was there two weeks. Seven received Pentecost. The saints are in perfect harmony. Students, city officials and the first people of the place heard the Gospel, but as far as we can see now, they have rejected the Gospel. Must of the ones that received their Pentecost are from the little places around, and they have gone home to spread the glad tidings of this precious Gospel. O my heart is so full this morning. Glory! Glory! Glory!
Well, Sister Glassco and three of her children got their Pentecost in Salem. And before they got home, on Christmas day,while Bro. Glassco was preaching. Pentecost fell on the meeting and two spoke with tongues. We had planned to come on Saturday and this was Tuesday. When we got here, three more had received the baptism. We arrived here at noon and went into the meeting at three. The power fell before the meeting was half through and two received Pentecost at night, two more. Last night Mildred received her Pentecost. The slain of the Lord lay so you can’t move about the altar. The altar is full before the meeting is half over. The house is just packed. O if we only had a larger hall. I cannot tell how God is working here.
Now I must tell you about Nildred. She spoke in four tongues and sang so sweetly and interpreted every word. The interpretation of the song was.
“Jesus is calling O sinner come home.
Glory to His name, O sinner, come home.”
Then she arose and the crowd was silenced like death. She began to wave her arms and preach in tongues and interpret. Will give you a part of it. “He that comes unto me, I will in no way cast out.” (Tongues.) “The Lord has prepared me to preach His Gospel.” (Tongues.) “Jesus is coming soon.” (Tongues.) “He will take away His bride, one will be taken and the other left.”
Jan. 8.-The crow * throng the hall. We have to have a policeman to keep the aisles clear. They tell us throngs of people come and are turned away. The Zion people held a mass meeting Sunday and decided to come in a body for their Pentecost.
O I am so glad He has chosen me. The Lord has healed some bad cases. One woman had epileptic fits. When the devil went out of her, she was so weak she could not stand. A man’s hand that was helpless was healed. A woman with her mind almost gone was healed in the hall last night before the sinners’ eyes.
Pentecost falls on people when they come the second time to the meeting, sitting in their seats.
I stay in the mission. It’s humble quarters, but Jesus is here. Every minute of my time is given to God. I get tired sometimes. Was sent for to pray for a man with a high fever. I prayed before I went, was so tired. Jesus said, “I do the healing.” When I got there, Jesus healed him before I laid hands on him. He got up and came to meeting. Oh, I am learning the wondrous secret; it is letting Jesus do the work and carry all the load. Oh *** so happy in His love and service.
People from all over are coming. A young lady came from Albany. She was a sinner and got all, * to her Pentecost, yesterday, in one day. There are 38 now that have received the baptism, eight since Saturday, and this is Tuesday morning.
I hear the work in San Francisco is fine. Souls saved, sanctified and baptized, and the church people coming in. Oh, God is spreading this Gospel in spite of the devil. How glad I am I ever found my way into the dear old mission on Azusa St. Love to all the saints. -Florence Crawford.
215 2nd Ave.
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BLESSED ***
1617 7th Ave., Seattle, Wash., Dec. 21.
May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
We are having some good times, and so far there are about forty-five baptized souls. We had a wonderful service out on Peugeot Sound and I baptized about thirty, young and old. It was raining and somewhat cold, but the Lord was with us. A little girl about twelve years of age, who had been seeking her Pentecost, got it right there the minute her feet touched the water. The Lord cut her tongue loose, and she spoke all the while going out and coming in. The Lord was with us in wonderful power. O, He is a wonderful Savior. We have been praying for power for two weeks now.
The weather is very rainy here. It rains about six days of every week, but our Father’s smile is upon us, and that is better than anything else.
Jan. 7.-In the last few days, the Lord has poured out His Spirit here, and there must be in the neighborhood of about seventy souls that are baptized now.
Yours in Him,
-Thos. Junk and wife.
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APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION IN SAN JOSE.
San Jose, Cal., Jan. 24.
Dear Apostolic Faith:
God our Father has been doing great things for us since we last wrote. We are now worshiping in our own hall. We have a very nicely furnished mission, for which we praise the Lord.
The fire is still falling. Last Sunday we had a wonderful all-day meeting. The slaying power was manifest in a remarkable manner. One lay for hours under the power. A young girl took God at His Word, opened her mouth wide, and the Lord filled it with praises in new tongues.
A Mrs. Williamson brought her daughter to the meetings for healing for her eyes, which were very bad. The power was present to heal and the child went home completely recovered. Many others have been healed since the meeting opened. Sister Williamson has received her Pentecost and God has put her in His heavenly choir, to sing the heavenly songs for His glory. She also writes in many languages. She interprets most of the songs that she sings, and when she speaks in tongues, she also interprets.
Several of those who have received their Pentecost have been called to the foreign field to labor for Him. One young woman is making preparations to leave for Hawaii very soon.
I am just holding the fort till my Father sends someone to take charge of the work here, when I expect to leave for a trip around the world, sounding the golden trumpet, heralding the year of jubilee. For the coming of the Lord is near, even at the door. And he wants the heathen nations to hear the glad tidings and be ready for His coming.
I believe this movement is the last call that the world will receive before He comes for His bride. Rev. 19. 7, 8. These are the days of preparation. Nahum 2. 1-5. The chariots that Nahum saw are the automobiles which we see running in our streets today.
I am anxious to be on the go, for I feel that the time is short. What we do, we must do while it is day.
-H.M. Turney.
PENTECOST IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Dunn, N.C. Jan. 2.
To the Saints in Azusa Mission, and through all California, greeting in Jesus Name!
O praise Him! It is wonderful. Last week I held a few services in the country in one of the Holiness churches, and two received their Pentecost and spoke in tongues. The languages were as perfect as I ever heard. One was a Sunday school superintendent and the other an elder of the church. I had to leave that meeting to fill my appointment here, but the meeting is still going on there.
This is only the third day, here, and already about ten have received their Pentecost. Five preachers received the baptism and some of them have two or three languages already and can preach sermons and pray in the tongues. The church is filled to overflow and people come from all over the country. Sinners are being converted and others repenting. This town of about 2,500 has never seen Pentecost before, but praise God, it has come and the town is stirred from center to circumference. People have laid aside eating and business to a great extent and are going down before God in earnest. How I praise God for this wonderful salvation. All the signs follow me since I received Pentecost. O let us trust only to the still, sweet voice of Jesus. He does it all. O how I praise God for sending me to Los Angeles, and for you all.
Jan. 17-Our God is fulfilling His promise and His Spirit is being poured out here in Dunn as never before. Many have come from South Carolina and Georgia and have received their Pentecost and gone back, and there some have received the baptism. The fire is spreading. The meeting continues here in greater interest. Nearly every service, someone receives their Pentecost and speaks in tongues. Some of our preachers have preached, sung and prayed in unknown tongues, and without speaking a word of English, have awakened sinners.
Several colored people have received their real Pentecost and speak in tongues. God has wonderfully blest some of the people with the gift of song. One colored sister, a school teacher, received the Pentecost the other night and spoke in tongues for some time. She has manifested a call to foreign fields. All the people of God are one here.
I prayed much that God would give me access to my brethren, and thus I might convince them of His blessed truths. And not one of them has taken issue against me as yet, but come forward and have received their real Pentecost and are going forth in the power of the Lord. Some of the people are getting ready for the foreign fields now. O how I praise God!
Brothers, pray, and spread the tidings around wherever man is found. I may never see you in the flesh any more, but I am coming *******.
Many are getting their Pentecost at home and abroad. I go from here to High Point, N.C. Have more calls than I can fill in six months.
Your brother and servant of God,
-G.B. Cashwell.
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PENTECOST IN LAMONT, OKLA.
Jan. 17th.
Dear Saints, Greeting!
Left Los Angeles Dec.4, and arrived in Oklahoma just one week later, making a few stops on the way. Quite a number were tarrying and waiting for Pentecost when I arrived, but much had to be done before God could pour out His Spirit. The people had been in much bondage. Eating pork, wearing neckties, drinking coffee, and wearing a moustache were taught to be very sinful, and except you were circumcised to these you were lost.
After about ten days of prayer and holding up the Blood, God begin to break them up and they began to beg pardon of one another and their neighbors. And in a short time, in a cottage prayer meeting, God poured out His Spirit in slaying power and nearly all went down, one woman coming through speaking in tongues. God now began to work and souls were saved, backsliders reclaimed, and believers sanctified at nearly every service. The country was stirred for miles around. Some came 100 miles to get Pentecost and healing.
One lady who had been a Free Methodist was reclaimed and sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost. She speaks and sings in tongues. She began to sing at home in tongues, and her husband got under such conviction he could scarcely do his work, and in a few days came to the altar and was beautifully saved. ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.
The Lord told me to move on, last Sunday. Meeting closed Sunday night with many seekers at the altar. The saints will go right on and push the battle.
Jan. 21.-Arrived here Friday morning after spending two days in Chicago. Quite a number here are seeking the baptism. We expect great things here. Pray much for me. I can feel it when they pray for me in public. Some time ago in a prayer service, the Lord showed me Bro. Seymour praying for me, and I seemed to be carried away in the Spirit. Under the Blood,
-G. A. Cook,
612 Terrace Ave., Indianapolis, Ind.
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Several have already received the baptism with the Holy Ghost in Des Moines, Ia. It was not through anyone sent there, but they were tarrying before God and Pentecost fell.
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In Toronto, a number have received the baptism. Bro. O. Adams went there from Los Angeles. He had not yet received his Pentecost, but told them about what God had done in Azusa Mission and other places. They went right to tarrying before God. A company stayed after meeting to pray through and the Spirit fell and three were filled with the Holy Ghost.
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We are receiving hundreds of names and addresses for the paper. Please write very plainly. Those who ask for it regularly are enrolled on the books. We are sending out thousands of sample copies to friends whose names are sent in by others. If we do not hear from these. we send only two are three numbers. Please notify us of any mistakes.
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If you want to keep fat and filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, live off of the Word.
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The Lord is enabling us to publish another issue of 30,000 papers for the fifth number of the Apostolic Faith. He has greatly blest in getting it out. Though it is somewhat late, we trust it will be the greater blessing.
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When you were poor and ugly in your own sight, then was the time God exalted and used you, but when you get to be some great Nebuchadnezzar, then God turns you out to eat grass like an ox. Keep little and God will use you.
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A baby that accidentally took poison that it found in a bottle in a closet, was healed in answer to prayer. The mother held on to God in agonizing prayer, “Lord, save my baby.” The little thing was cold, but the Lord healed it completely.
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“The Holy Ghost is blessing us daily, but we must have a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for there are people in our midst that are praying night and day for a great awakening among the people.” -Mrs. C. A. Roll, 1005 Edwards St., Fort Worth, Tex., Jan.9.
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Sickness is all the work of Satan. Sometimes we bring it upon ourselves by overexertion. Sometimes it is permitted of the Lord because of sins of omission or commission. Satan cannot afflict us unless God permits. He has no power over us unless we get on his territory.
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Souls are getting the baptism in Clearwater, Cal. Mother Wheaton went down to tarry with them and was baptized with the Holy Ghost and spoke in two languages. She is very happy and filled with the Holy Ghost and God is using her. Bro. McLain writes that there are lots of hungry souls there and the devil is stirred.
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Several have written and asked if we received the offerings sent. We can answer that they all came safely, even to some letters that came through the fire in a train wreck and were scorched on the edges and stained by water, but they came safely and money in them. So we see how the Lord takes care of consecrated offerings.
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“I received my Pentecost last Saturday morning, 1:15 a.m. Praise God! I am wholly given up to His will. Words cannot express the blessed peace I have in my soul. My soul is filled with His glory. Hallelujah! Praise God for His wonderful Gift to men. We are praying for and expecting 120 Spirit baptized souls to take San Diego for God.” -H. G. * San Diego, Cal.
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“The Scandinavian people here are receiving their Pentecost. I was with them in their watch night meeting. O how God poured out His Spirit on all flesh. Many spoke in tongues and sang the songs of heaven,-a heavenly choir. Some fell under the power of God. My soul doth magnify the Lord. He thrills my spirit, soul and body.”-Mrs. S. C. Magie, 710 Times St., Ballard, Wash.
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A sanctified body is one in perfect health, through faith in God. It does not mean we could not get sick, but we are maintained in health by faith. We do not want to teach people they can not get sick, because they would think they were infallible creatures. “As the branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can ye accept ye abide in Me.” So we must abide in church for health.
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In Akron, Ohio, a young man went to the Pentecost meetings and got under conviction through the preaching. And went to the pastor of the First Congregational Church and returned to him $10 that he had stolen about 14 years ago, and promised to pay the rest. The pastor was very much surprised for the man had been under his preaching for years and never got under conviction. He said, “That kind of religion is loaded with good shot. There are no blank cartridges in it.”
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Bro. Tom Hezmalhalch has been home to Los Angeles on a visit and we have been feasting together on the good things of Father’s table. On his way back to Colorado, the Spirit directed him to stop off at the Needles. Taking the train on Tuesday morning to resume his journey, at four o’clock he passed the train he had taken at Los Angeles for Denver, every car laid in the ditch. By some means they had left the rails. If he had not obeyed the Spirit, he would have been in the ditch and precious souls would have suffered. It pays to know the Lord and obey Him.
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How will you miss hell if you stumble over this precious Gospel, if you ignore this Gospel which God has granted signs and wonders to follow? If you grieve the Holy Spirit, and trample upon the Blood of Jesus Christ, how will you miss hell? There is no way for you to escape hell if you reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. O, my friends, the precious Blood is flowing for you. If you come to Him, He will wash away your sin, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness and carnality, and set you up His throne in your heart.
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One who received the Holy Ghost baptism in Clearwater, testified, “It was in morning worship. We read a chapter and I wanted to pray but the Lord tied my mouth. The power began to come in waves. The Lord took full possession. I fell over like a dead man. I was dead to the world. I tried to pray while lying on the floor, but when my tongue was loosened, it was in a different languages. And O the joy that came into my soul no human tongue can tell. It seemed as if human joys vanished. I talked about half an hour. This is something I never had before. It seemed as if the whole world and the people looked a different color. Jesus had come to me. I can never sing His praises or tell His praises while eternity rolls.”
END OF PAGE ONE
The Apostolic Faith
312 Azusa Street
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WHEN JESUS COMES.
Oh the bliss of that glad moment
When Jesus cleaves the sky!
Then tears and strife and pain shall cease,
Our sorrow turn to joy.
The graves of righteous dead shall break,
And living saints shall rise;
Together we shall mount the air,
And throng the waiting skies.
Clouds of angels shall come with Him.
Oh the rapturous sight!
As Christ descends to earth again
In heaven’s effulgent light.
He who came from heaven before
To suffer, bleed, and die,
Now comes in majesty to reign,
The Lord of earth and sky.
The bloodwashed saints in robes of light
With bodies glorified,
With glad hosannahs on their lips
Shall then be Jesus’bride.
The cross laid down, our burdens gone,
The crown of life we’ll wear,
And standing close by Jesus’ side,
His glory we shall share.
The marriage supper shall begin,
The marriage bells shall ring;
Angels and archangels shout,
And help the saints to sing.
The praises of Immanuel
Who died for Adam’s race,
Who purchased such ecstatic joys
For sinners saved by grace.
O God, how wonderful it seems
That Thou shouldst deign to call
From out of earth’s dark race of men
A bride for Thy dear Son.
Our hearts rejoice to think, dear Lord,
That Thou wilt soon appear,
We read the signs in earth and sky,
And know that Thou art near.
Amen, e’en so, dear Lord, we say,
Come Jesus, quickly come,
And end the awful conflict here,
And take Thy loved ones home.
My brothers, we may hear the cry,
Before this meeting end,
“Jesus is here!” “Arise, my love,
And to thy Lord ascend.”
Our prayers shall then be turned to praise,
And faith shall end in sight;
What bliss to see His blessed face!
What infinite delight!
-Bro. Alfred Beck.
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“BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH!”
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their ****** groom. And five of them were wise and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, there was a cry made, Behold the bridegroom; go ye out to meet him.
“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. (R.V. Going Out.) But the wise answered saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
“And while they went to buy the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily i say unto you, I know you not.
“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.” Matt. 25, 1-13.
You know virgin in the scripture is a type of purity. Christ is speaking in this parable about the church and its condition at His coming. Many precious souls today are not looking for the return of their Lord, and they will be found in the same condition as the five foolish virgins. They started out to meet the bridegroom, and had some oil in their lamps but none in their vessels with their lamps. So when the cry was made to go forth, they were found wanting in oil, which is the real type of the Holy Ghost. Many of God’s children are cleansed from sin and yet fight against getting more oil. They think they have enough. They have some of God’s love in their souls, but they have not the double portion of it. The thing they need is oil in their vessels with their lamps. It is just as plain as can be.
Dearly beloved, the Scripture says, “Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Rev. 19, 9. So they are blessed that have the call. Those that will be permitted to enter in are those who are justified, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost-sealed unto the day of redemption. O may God stir up His waiting bride everywhere to get oil in their vessels with their lamps that they may enter into the marriage supper. The Holy Ghost is sifting out a people that are getting on the robes of righteousness and the seal in their foreheads. The angel is holding the winds now till all the children of God are sealed in their foreheads with the Father’s name. Then the wrath of God is going to be poured out.
“Behold the Bridegroom cometh!” O the time is very near. All the testimonies of His coming that have been going on for months are a witness that He is coming soon. But when the trumpet sounds, it will be too late to prepare. Those that are not ready at the rapture will be left to go through the awful tribulation that is coming upon the earth. The wise virgins will be at the marriage supper and spend the time of the great tribulation with the Lord Jesus. They will have glorified bodies. For we which remain unto the coming of the Lord will be changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Many precious souls believe today that in sanctification they have it all, that they have already the baptism with the Holy Ghost or enduement of power; but in that day, they will find they are mistaken. They say, Away with this third work. What is the difference, dear ones, if it takes 300 works? We want to be ready to meet the bridegroom. The foolish virgins said to the wise, “Give us of your oil.” This thing is going to happen. Many that are saying they have enough and are opposing, will find their lamps going out and ask the prayers of God’s people. God is warning you through His servants and handmaidens to get ready; but many are going to come back to get the oil from others. Dear ones, we cannot get more than enough for ourselves. You can grasp the saints’ hands but you cannot squeeze any oil out. You have to get the vessel filled for yourself. Many are going to be marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling, and the cares of this world are going to get in the way. Above all, we want to get the oil, the Holy Ghost. Every Christian must be baptized with the Holy Ghost for himself. Many poor souls in that day will be awfully disappointed. May we seek Him today, the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. Now is the time to buy the oil; that is by tarrying at the feet of the Lord Jesus and receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
It seems that people will be able to buy oil during the rapture. It seems that the Spirit will still be here on earth and that they could get it, but it will be too late for the marriage supper. So the Lord warns us to be ready, for we know not the day nor the hour.
Those that get left in the rapture and still prove faithful to God and do not receive the mark of the beast, though they will have to suffer martyrdom, will be raised to reign with Christ. Antichrist will reign during the tribulation and everything will be controlled by him and by the false prophet, when they have succeeded in uniting the whole world in acknowledging the antichrist. Those that acknowledge him will be permitted to buy and sell, but those that stand faithful to the Lord Jesus and testify to the Blood will be killed for the word of their testimony. But by proving faithful to death, they will be raised during the millennium and reign with Christ. But we that are caught up to the marriage supper of the Lamb will escape the plagues that are coming on the earth.
May God fit everyone of us for the coming of the Lord, that we may come back with him on white horses and help Him to execute judgment on the earth and make way for the millennial kingdom, when He shall reign from shore to shore, and righteousness shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea.
That is the time that Enoch prophesied of, “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints,” Jude 14. “Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against these nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives,” Zec. 14, 3, 4. The mountain shall be parted in two. Then shall the antichrist and the false prophet be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and Satan shall be bound a thousand years. Rev. 19, 20 and 20.2.
We shall be priests and kings unto God, reigning with Him a thousand years in a jubilee of peace. Our Christ will be King of kings and Lord of lords over the whole earth. We shall reign with Him over unglorified humanity. Some will be appointed over ten cities and some over two, and the ******* of Israel. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in His throne.” Rev. 3. 21, 22.
W.J.S.
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THE CHURCH QUESTION.
You cannot win people by abusing their church or pastor. As long as you preach Christ, you feed souls; but as soon as you jump on the preacher, you grieve the Spirit. Preach Christ, and you will feed the flock and have fat sheep; but if you get to preaching against churches, you will find that sweet spirit of Christ that envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, thinketh no evil, suffereth long and is kind, is lacking and a harsh judging spirit takes its place. If you feed them from Christ, you will find the same Spirit burning in their hearts.
The main thing is, Are you of Christ? It is to late in the day for us to go to work and tear down some other man’s building and build up one of our own. The thing to do is to get the truth into the people. The churches are not to be blamed for divisions. People were hunting for light. They built up denominations because they did not know a better way. Now if they want to live in families, let them get the truth. Jesus will settle the rest when He comes. He wants people feeding on Christ and letting the Spirit be their leader. We follow human leaders as far as they follow Christ, but we keep our eyes on the great Shepherd.
We do not have time to preach anything else but Christ. The Holy Spirit has not time to magnify anything else but the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Standing between the living and the dead, we need to so bear the dying body of our Lord, that people will only see Christ in us, and never get a chance to see self. We are simply a voice shouting, “Behold the Lamb of God!” When we commence shouting something, else, then Christ will die in us. If Christ be lifted up, He will draw all men unto Him.
When people run out of the love of God, they get to preaching dress, and meats, and doctrines of men, and preaching against churches. All these denominations are our brethren. The Spirit is not going to drive them out and send them to hell. We are to recognize every man that honors the Blood. So let us seek peace and not confusion. We that have the truth should handle it very carefully. The moment we feel we have all the truth or more than anyone else, we will drop.
We must deal patiently with the Lord’s people. The Lord shows us in the parable of the ninety and nine, that we should not take the little lamb and beat it over the head; but lift it up into our bosom, just as the Shepherd did. We do not want to stamp out the little spark of life in one of God’s weak ones, who has the Blood of Jesus Christ in their heart.
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It is wonderfully blessed to receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. He sings through you His own songs. It is so sweet when you are lying down on your bed, and the Lord drops a song from Paradise into your heart, a song you knew nothing about, and puts an organ of sweet music into your soul.
ANNIHILATION OF THE WICKED.
Many people today do not believe in an everlasting hell; but we read in the precious Word of God that the Lord Jesus taught it. Lu. 16, 19, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazrus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”
We can see that there is no annihilation in God’s Word for the wicked, but there is a blazing and burning hell awaiting them. Their home will be in everlasting flames, where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Rev. 20, 10.
The Lord says in Matt. 18-8, “It is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.”
Dear loved ones, there is an awful hell. God teaches us in Ps. 9, 17, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” We find the punishment of the wicked taught us from the closed gates of Eden all the way down. He sent fire and brimstone from heaven upon wicked Sodom and Gomorrah, which are “set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire,” Jude 7. May God help men everywhere to repent of their sins and accept the precious Blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin and unrighteousness, that we may enter into heaven where the Lord Jesus has prepared us a home. (He is coming back again, praise His holy name!)
Hell, no doubt, is millions of miles from heaven, but yet the rich man, we find, had good clear eyesight. He had the sense of hearing, taste, feeling, and his memory was perfect. He could recognize Lazarus and talk with Abraham and beg him to let Lazarus come with a drop of water for his tongue. If the doctrine of annihilation were true, then this rich man would have been burned into ashes, and there would be no more of him. But we see in the Word of God, that Jesus taught a burning hell. We see the rich man that had had gold and silver and raiment and sumptuous food, tormented in hell, and his heart’s cry was that his brothers might not come to that place of torment.
Many who have preached a no-hell Gospel will find out better when they die and come to the judgment, just as this man died, and in hell lifted up his eyes.
May God help us to turn from sin and wickedness and not try to wrest the Scriptures, but take them just as they are written. This rich man was now a poor beggar in hell. Abraham said, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivest thy good things, and likewise * evil things; but now he is comforted*-thou art tormented.”
How we ought to obey the precious words of our Lord when He preached that wonderful sermon on the mount, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul; or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” This man had all the good things of life, and lost his own soul,-a beggar in hell. So it is with those that lay up treasures on earth and are not rich toward God. God’s words are true and we must receive them.
I am so glad that the Lord has a boundary line between hell and heaven for Abraham said to Divea, “Between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed; so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.” So there is no visitor from hell to heaven or from heaven to hell.
This man may have been like many today that do not believe in everlasting hell, but in the annihilation of the wicked; but he now sees that there is a burning hell. He begged for Lazarus to be sent to his father’s house to warn his brethren from coming to that place of torment. Abraham said, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” And he said “Nay, Father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.” And he said unto him, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
Dearly beloved, we have God’s Holy Ghost preachers that are testifying to the Blood that cleanses from sin and warning of an everlasting hell. If we will not hear them and accept the words from them, we will ever be lost. The Scriptures teach, “He that believeth and is baptized not shall be damned.”
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HARK! THE MOMENTS THEY ARE PASSING!
Hark, the moments they are passing,
Each one counts a brother lost;
Beauty, youth, and age possessing;
Few but seem to count the cost.
All contentment-all are viewing
Sinners straying from the Blood;
Toward death and hell their feet are pressing,
Fighting with a pardoning God.
Oh! how dreadful is their station!
Oh! how low in sin they lie!
Come, my brother, have compassion,
Look upon with pitying eye!
Tell them of a Savior given,
Teach them on the Lamb to gaze,
Turn their thoughts from earth to heaven,
And their lips to speak His praise.
Then arouse, my brother, pray thee!
Let no virtue be at peace;
Come, arouse, we still implore thee,
Let their souls our zeal increase;
Cease from idle contemplation,
Never let the tempter be;
Rest not, * in full salvation
They, unveiled, our Savior see.
-T. Hezmalhalch.
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We have seen missions and churches banded together to stop what they call a “tongues” salvation. But, dear ones, this is not a salvation of tongues, it is in the Blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin.
HOLY SPIRIT BE MY QUEST.
Holy Spirit, by my guest,
This my soul’s one deep request;
My heart’s throne to Thee I give,
Holy Spirit, with me live.
Holy Spirit, this my plea,
Stay forever more with me;
From this hungry heart of mine.
Ne’er withdraw Thy light divine.
Thus for aye my heart would be,
Constant dwelling place for Thee;
Holy Spirit, while I pray,
Come to ‘bide with me always.
-Sarah J. Stew
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“RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST.”
1.-The first step in seeking the baptism with the Holy Ghost, is to have a clear knowledge of the new birth in our souls, which is the first work of grace and brings everlasting life to our souls. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” Every one of us that repents of our sins and turns to the Lord Jesus with faith in Him, receives forgiveness of sins. Justification and regeneration are simultaneous. The pardoned sinner becomes a child of God in justification.
2.-The next step for us is to have a clear knowledge, by the Holy Spirit, of the second work of grace wrought in our hearts by the power of the Blood and the Holy Ghost. Heb. 10, 14,15, “For by one offering, He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us.” The Scripture also teaches (Heb. 2,11), “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” So we have Christ crowned and enthroned in our hearts, the tree of life.” We have the brooks and streams of salvation flowing in our souls, but praise God, we can have the rivers. For the Lord Jesus says, “He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. This spoke He of the Spirit, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given.” But, praise our God, He is now given and being poured out upon all flesh. All races, nations, and tongues are receiving the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the prophecy of Joel.
3.-When we have a clear knowledge of justification and sanctification, through the precious Blood of Jesus Christ in our hearts, then we can be a recipient of the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Many people today are sanctified, cleansed from all sin, and perfectly consecrated to God, but they have never obeyed the Lord according to Acts I. 4, 5, 8 and Luke 24. 39, for their real personal Pentecost, the enduement of power for service and work and for sealing unto the day of redemption. The baptism with the Holy Ghost is a free gift without repentance, upon the sanctified, cleansed vessel. **. Cor. 1, 21-22, “Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” Praise our God for the sealing of the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption.
Dearly beloved, the only people that will meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and go with Him into the marriage supper of the Lamb, are the wise virgins-not only saved and sanctified, with pure and clean hearts, but having the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The others we find will not be prepared. They have some oil in their lamps but they have not the double portion of His Holy Spirit.
The disciples were filled with the unction of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost, that sustained them until they received the Holy Ghost baptism. Many people today are filled with joy and gladness, but they are far from the enduement of power. Sanctification brings rest and sweetness and quietness to our souls, for we are one with the Lord Jesus and are able to obey His precious Word, that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” and we are feeding upon Christ.
But let us wait for the promise of the Father upon our souls, according to Jesus’ Word, “John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. * * * Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judes, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts. I. 5, 8. Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! O worship, get down on your knees and ask the Holy Ghost to come in, and you will find Him right at your heart’s door, and He will come in. Prove Him now. Amen.-W.J.E.
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GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.
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“Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I would not have you ignorant.”
Paul was speaking to the Corinthian Church at this time. They were like Christ’s people everywhere today. Many of His people do not know their privileges in this blessed Gospel. The Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. And in order that we might know His power, we must forever abide in the Word of God that we may have the precious fruits of the Spirit, and not only the fruits but the precious gifts that Father has for His little ones.
Dearly beloved, may we search the Scriptures and see for ourselves whether we are measuring up to every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. If we will remain in the Scriptures and follow the blessed Holy Spirit all the way, we will be able to measure up to the Word of God in all of its fullness. Paul prayed in Eph. 3. 16, “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
Many people say today that tongues are the least gift of any that the Lord can give, and they do not need it, and ask What good is it to us? But by careful study of the Word, we see in the 14th of Corinthians, Paul telling the church to “follow after charity and desire spiritual gifts.” Charity means Divine love without which we will never be able to enter heaven. Gifts all will fall, but Divine love will last through all eternity. And right in the same verse he says, “Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy,” that is to say, preach in your own tongue, which will build up the saints and the church.
But he says in the next verse, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God, for no man understandeth him, howbeit in the Spirit, he speaketh mysteries, (R.V., hidden truth.) But he that prophesieth speaketh unto man to edification, exhortation and comfort.” He that prophesies in his own tongue edifies the church; but he that speaks in unknown tongues edifies himself. His spirit is being edified, while the church is not edified, because they do not understand what he says unless the Lord gives somebody the interpretation of the tongue.
Here is where many stumble that have not this blessed gift to use in the Spirit. They say, What good is it when you do not know what you are talking about?
Praise God, every gift He gives is a good gift. It is very blessed, for when the Lord gets ready, He can speak in any language He chooses to speak. You ask, “Is not prophecy the best gift?” Prophecy is the best gift to the church, for it build up the saints and edifies them and exalts them to higher things in the Lord Jesus. If a brother or sister is speaking in tongues and cannot speak any English, but preaches altogether in tongues and has no interpretation, they are less than he that prophesies, but if they interpret they are just as great.
May God help all of His precious people to read the 14th of I. Cor., and give them the real interpretation of the Word. May we all use our gift to the glory of God and not worship the gift. The Lord gives us power to use it to His own glory and honor.
Many times, when we were receiving this blessed Pentecost, we all used to break out in tongues; but we have learned to be quieter with the gift. Often when God sends a blessed wave upon us, we all may speak in tongues for awhile, but we will not keep it up while preaching service is going on, for we want to be obedient to the Word, that everything may be done decently and in order and without confusion. Amen.
-W.J.H.
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“BEARING HIS REPROACH.”
“Wherefore Jesus also that He might sanctify the people with His own Blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Heb. 13, 12, 13.
Many Christians have never been nailed to the cross outside of the city. They know what it is to be born in the city, but they have never gone outside the gate bearing His reproach. We see the need of a crucified, sanctified, holy life, that we might be one with Christ Jesus; but we will never get it in the city, that is, without crucification. In the city, there is pride, fame, and honor; but outside the gate, on the cross, hangs our Savior, who is despised and dishonored, rejected of men. It was there He suffered to sanctify His people. The crown of thorns was put upon Him in Pilate’s judgment hall and His back marked with the stripes, and the Blood dripped all the way to the cross, so the way is marked for us by His Blood.
In the city, we find people with conversion. But you must come out of the worldly church today, into some little cottage prayer meeting or mission to get sanctified. There are few church members that will stand up straight for sanctification. There were few synagogues that would receive Jesus. He preached from a * on the ******* crowds ** went out into the mountain.
The old man of sin must be slain and Christ must be enthroned in our hearts. Then we are prepared to receive the precious gift of the Spirit. The reason so many cannot see it is because it is so plain and simple. It takes a simple person to believe the Word and stand on it, and look up into Father’s face and claim His promise through Jesus Christ. The way is so plain that a wayfaring man though a fool, need not err therein.
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GOD IS HIS OWN INTERPRETER.
People may say it is no language the Spirit is speaking through you. It matters not what they say. They do not know, any more than Belshazzar knew about that hand writing on the wall. It took God to interpret that. The natural man cannot understand the secrets of God. It takes a born child from heaven to understand. Bless God. He has taken this out of the king’s hands. The devil is shut out of the mysteries of God. He can be a clairvoyant, a Spiritualist, a hypnotist and understand all the works of darkness, but in Divine miracles he is a fool. It took Daniel to receive the interpretation of the writing on the wall. The wise men were dumb.
It took one who walked with Jehovah to interpret Nebudchednezzar’s dream. The astrologers said that no one could show the king’s matter but “the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh.” But Daniel’s God could interpret. He is His own interpreter today. Leave it with him. The Lord is giving many the interpretation of what they speak.
You do not have to strain to interpret. You do not use your mind at all. The Lord God uses your vocal organs and the words come out without your having anything to do with it. When God is speaking, no flesh can take a part in it. Often the Lord sends someone that understands the tongue to verify the interpretation.
When we are speaking in unknown tongues and no one comprehends or interprets, it is speaking in communion with the Lord our God and it is joy and happiness to our soul. Others cannot understand but in the Spirit we speak mysteries. But when we interpret, it is edifying to the whole body. “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret.” I. Cor. 14, 13.
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Someone says that it takes little “thimble-brained” people to accept this Gospel. We have so much unbelief-been fed upon it and saturated in it-that we must be emptied out before we can be filled. The one that does not know any more than just to believe God, gets down and takes Him at His Word and the witness comes that the Blood of Jesus does save, and sanctify from all sin; and he takes the promise of the Father, the baptism with the Holy Ghost and receives the Bible evidence of that. It is now as in the time of Christ,” the common people heard Him gladly.” The Greeks required knowledged and the Jews a sign, but the simple hearted people just believed Jesus. The Lord has such people today that are following the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. May God help us to humble ourselves. “Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
END OF PAGE TWO
LATEST REPORT FROM OUR MISSION. ARIES TO AFRICA.
Bro. and Sister Batman, Bro. and Sister Hutchins and sister Lucy Farrow sailed from England for Monrovia, Liberia, Africa the latter part of December. The rest of the party were bound for a station further south, so they were to take the steamer “Guelph” a few days later. They are Bro. and Sister S.J. Mead and Bro. and Sister Shideler. Their address is Lincoln Station, caconda, Bengue is, Africa. They were so busy packing and getting off that they had not much time to write. They expected to be about three weeks on the way. We are looking for regular reports from them.
They write, “Pray for us, dear ones, as we reach our field of labor. We overcome through the precious Blood. Many we all keep humble and filled with the Spirit. We must now say goodbye, but we are not far separated in Christ.”
We must not forget these dear ones that are one with us and a part of the body in dark Africa. We must pray for them. Offerings will be gladly forwarded them from Azusa Mission or you can send post office money orders direct. Be sure to put five cents in stamps on letters to them, or ten cents if they weigh over half an ounce.
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SPEEDING TO FOREIGN LANDS.
Liverpool, England, Dec. 16.
I write to let you know something of the way the Lord has been dealing with us on the way.
We held a meeting in New York lasting almost two weeks and had the pleasure of seeing many sanctified and quite a number receive their Pentecost. One dear sister who had been seeking for a number of days began to sing and sang almost an hour and her husband spoke in a tongue which sounded like Hebrew. Another brother was hugging him and he began to speak in the tongues and they converted in this tongue for a while.
A wealthy lady was sanctified and received her Pentecost in a short time, her servant was seeking, and just as her mistress jumped up, she too was on her feet and the two began to praise God together and speak in tongues, bless God forever. The same night, a friend of this lady went to her home and during a night of prayer, she laid hands on the brother and he received his Pentecost and began to speak with tongues and glorify God.
When we went to the steamer, a large number of the saints gathered and we had quite a time saying good-bye to all the dear ones. We realized we were blest by meeting them. May God continue to use them in the future as He has in the past.
We arrived here yesterday morning safely and shall stay until the steamer sails for Africa next Saturday. We have held a service for natives of Africa. He careth for us faithfully day by day.
Yours in Christ.
-Mrs. J.W. Hutchins,
Monrovia, Liberia, Africa.
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RECEIVED HER PENTECOST.
Testimony of Mrs. Myrtie K. Shideler written in New York on her way to Africa. Her address now is Monrovia, Liberia, Africa.
I felt led to write out my full testimony to leave before we go on our way. I have been quite well known on the coast in Christian work, in Peniel Mission and church work, so I believe it will glorify God if some of it goes into print. As you think best, however. It is principally for the saints there, that they may know that Pentecost has really come to my soul, as we step out for dark Africa.
About one year ago, God began showing me Africa and the great need of her perishing millions, and my heart burned with the desire to go. (Since God for Christ’s sake cleansed my heart from all sin nearly twelve years ago, I have never been comfortable when out of active service for God.)
We came in touch with Bro. and Sister Mead about this time, and they were able to tell us all we asked about Africa, as they had spent 21 years there, and expected to return, and were praying to God for a young couple to take back with them to the work there. We were very much united with them in spirit from the first. They lived in Los Angeles and were able to attend the meetings at Azusa Street, and wrote us of them at our home in San Diego. We had been warned against the meetings as wildfire and fanaticism; but when we saw for ourselves, we recognized the work of God, and our hearts began to hunger and seek. We both received much light and blessing at that time, but our work hurried us away and we went without having received the full Pentecost.
Shortly before we arrived in Kansas City, when I was having a season of quiet, the Lord revealed very clearly to me that pride was not all out of my heart, and let me get something of a view of Jesus’ meekness and humility. Then my heart was so filled with sorrow, and I cried out for forgiveness. I could feel the warm flow as of blood, trickling down inside. This lasted for some moments and I was melted in love and meekness and humility from Jesus, and could truly cry, “I am willing to be counted as filth and off-scouring for Him.”
After we arrived in New York City, I felt led to give my testimony in a little mission meeting at 351 N. 40th St., and speak of this blessing. The meeting had been planned by man, and I did not see how I should be given an opportunity, but promised God if He would make an opening and give me power to tell it to His glory, I would do it.
We were on our knees in the opening prayer, as God was speaking to me, and as I said I would, the vision of Jesus came upon me with four-fold power, and the little chorus went ringing through my heart; “Jesus’ blood covers me,
I was blind but, hallelujah, now I see.”
I was tremblingly looking for an opportunity. A brother had been appointed to read the Scripture and preach after the prayer; but as we rose to our feet, someone started to sing a chorus and I felt it was my time, so got to my feet, thinking I would take just as much time as possible. By the time the chorus ended, the power of God was so heavy upon me, I could scarcely open my mouth, and every fibre of my being was trembling. Yet my feet felt glued to the floor and my knees stiff, so I could not sit down. I only got out a few broken sentences that I remember. (I never fainted in my life and was never unconscious, but God certainly took me out of myself.) He showed me things which there are not words enough in the English language to express. I do not wonder we need to cry ” for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise.” The room and the people were hid from my senses and vision, and JESUS walked in regal majesty, and His whole being was inexpressible and unutterable LOVE. O His walk! His Kingly brow!! Yet such sorrow and love. It seemed I was not worthy to so much as stoop and touch the hem of His beautiful garment, and yet I knew that He would clasp me to His bosom.
He seemed to change His countenance from time to time. Sometimes it was as He went up the rough path to Calvary, marred with the thorn crown, and such marvelous pity and sorrow on His face. Then it was the calm, majestic face of Him who conquers. My soul could only cry, “See how He walks and O how He loves.” I can never explain it-words fall. I know all the dear ones know, who have their Pentecost.
I do not know how long I stood and praises to God just burst from me. They tell me I sang in a tongue. I was not conscious of singing at all. From seeing others under the power, I had thought it must be a terrible nervous tension, but it was the most perfect surrender and relaxation. The leaders of the mission had not seen the power of God in this way, so an interruption was allowed to come in, which grieved the Spirit so He did not have …s way fully after that, though I was under the power the remainder of the meeting, and for three days was as one drunken, and had no sense of either hunger or thirst.
Since then, such waves of power roll over me from time to time. I can scarcely keep my feet, and I am sure if my old friends in California could see me, they would think I was indeed insane. Bless God! How I would love to shout the praises of my God and King among them! Night before last, a whole sentence in an unknown language came spontaneously from my lips, as I was dressing for the meeting. It came after a season of deep abasement of soul-a sense of such great unworthiness. I never dreamed that human beings could have such blessings as this Pentecost brings. Jesus promised it all, but I was so blind. His precious Blood bought all for my soul. Glory! Glory! Glory! to my God and King!
-Myrtie K. Shideler.
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FROM OUR BROTHER IN SWEDEN.
48 Skofde, Sweden, Dec. 15th, 1906.
Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
I am longing to be with you all but God is still the same here. Praise His name! I am kept by His mighty power and I am growing in grace every day. I have been testifying in houses, so you can see that the door is open and people are hungry for more of God. Glory to His name!
I like to see sinners saved from their sins, but these Christians must be right first and filled with the Spirit. I think God will grant us an outpouring of the Spirit in Sweden soon.
My heart is still burning and the Lord has been teaching me many things, even giving me more holy boldness. I do not know how to give praises unto God for His goodness and mercy to me. Glory to Jesus for evermore!
I am stirred in my spirit to see so many play Christian. I am tempted very hard sometimes of Satan, but God is giving me grace to stand. So I have full victory and I know He is able to take me through. I am praying every day for the Lord’s work in Los Angeles and other places, and I am thinking much about you all. I would like to be in California, but the Spirit says that I have some more work on the other side of the sea. I hope you are praying for me. This is not Azusa Street Mission here, but I am praying that the Lord would grant us fire from heaven and give life to half-dead Christians. Bless the Lord forever.
I have something to tell you. The Lord’s Holy Spirit says that the evil one, or Satan, is trying to get in among you in the meetings very hard, and that the saints of the Lord have to pray him out now before it is too late. Payer is victory. I am waiting for something wonderful to come, a world-wide revival soon, beginning from west and going east.
Please tell the saints of the Lord that Christ is coming soon and that the time is very short. Jesus is looking for His bride, a few out from the body, the church, the chosen ones, the first fruits to God and unto the Lamb, the wise virgins who have oil in their vessels with their lamps.
I am waiting on the Lord. I have need of more of Him. My mother and many others do not understand me at all. But bless the Lord, I have found a few on the Lord’s side, and the Lord knows me and is with me every day, glory to His name. I was praying one day upon my face and my mother looked in at the window of my room and she got almost afraid for me and asked me what I was doing so far.
Remember, dear ones, that we are servants to a great Master and have very much to do in a short time. May the Lord of heaven give me boldness to stand up for our King wherever we go. We have nothing to be afraid of, so let us get a new hold in faith in God, and get on our faces. Tell all the dear saints the same. It is of no use at all to look upon one another or wait upon somebody. It is now that we must fight for our King, because we are not of this worldly kingdom but of the heavenly. Praise God!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Yours in Christ.
-A.G. Johnson.
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It was not till Jesus received His baptism that He met His greatest temptations. The more spiritual we get the more subtle are the temptations of the enemy, so the greater need we have to get deeper into the Word of God. Some have thought that the people who get the Holy Ghost baptism do not need the Bible, but that is the greatest He of the devil. Always keep in the Word. The deeper we get into the mysteries of God, the more we need the Word. The way people get into fanaticism is to put aside the Word and go to following the Spirit. If you do this, you will get full of spirits-you will get into Spiritualism. But if we keep close to the Word of God, there is no danger of going into fanaticism.
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The devil hates the spiritual body of Christ as much as he hated the literal body. He thought he had killed Christ when he killed His body, but, hallelujah, he did not do it. Christ arose on the other side of the cross and we affirm that He is alive and does save, sanctify, and baptize with the Holy Ghost. We are also seeing His promise fulfilled in some of the persecutions that attend the preaching of the full Gospel.
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This Bible becomes a new book to those baptized with the Holy Ghost. You absolutely lose your own judgment in regard to the Word of God. You cut it down without trimming or cutting, right from the mouth of God. You live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
AMONG THE INDIANS AT NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA.
Jan. 8th.
I teached the Needles on Saturday, Jan. 1. Found dear old friends there, working in their beautiful little mission house among the Mojave Indians for our dear Master. God is acknowledging their efforts and saving precious souls.
I went with our dear brother to visit the Indians in their homes. The Mojave tribe is fast dying out. No wonder. Because of an old superstitious practice, they have no desire to improve their condition. But when they get converted, they at once begin to clean up and build themselves homes, and cease from the evil practices and habits of the tribe life.
When a relative dies, they burn everything that belongs to that house as well. They used to kill the relatives horses and cattle, roast them, and have a great feast; but the government stopped that. They do not bury their dead, but burn them, and dig their ashes into the ground.
When they become Christians, they are true to God, for they despise hypocrisy. If they fall from grace, they acknowledge it, and usually confess it openly.
On Sunday afternoon, we had over thirty Indians in the Mission besides the white people. It was a blessed time. While the Indians were testifying in their own language, and some in English, the dear Lord wonderfully blest our souls, and the Holy Spirit witnessed with power through all who took part. The interpretation by some of the Indians is as marvelous as the Holy Spirit speaking through others in tongues.
The evening meeting was a wonderful demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s leading, to all present. The converted Indians have a better knowledge of what the baptism with the Holy Ghost is, than their teachers do. Our Indian brother George rose and interpreted into their own language what we had said. It was a wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The correct continuance of thought given, was too correct to be simply the work of a retentive memory.
While another Indian brother was preaching in the Mojave language, a sister asked me if I understood it. I told her I did. She said she thought so, for God had revealed to her the truth that the Spirit had given me a most wonderful understanding of what they all said. Their language is fully two thirds demonstrative, mostly in the features and pointing with the fingers or hands, one being as significant as the other. The simple knowledge of what a word means is not enough. The pointing of the finger or movement of the body or features, gives the same word an entirely different meaning. This is because their language contains very few words. But when they speak the words, God, Jesus, or Holy Ghost, it is with such reverence that would put many a white person to shame.
The Indian preacher in his own language said, “When God-Father forgive you all your wrong doing, through God-Jesus, you have first make Indian (yourself) all naked from wrong. Then God-Father forgive. But you no naked in heart. God-Holy Ghost no occupy till Jesus make naked in heart, (pointing to a picture of Jesus on the wall, every time he mentioned His name.) Then (going through an imaginary performance of stripping himself naked, beginning at the head and ending with his feet), he said, “As you make naked outside, God-Jesus make Indian naked inside * from the devil, (slapping his side * the hand fist and fingers spread apart. God-Holy Ghost no live where devil live. God-Holy Ghost talk through us to all the Indians in the mountains, like Holy Ghost talk through that brother, (for the Holy Ghost had spoken through me in three languages, giving the interpretation after each one.) And God-Jesus make all Indians in mountains, and us, and these, and these all big Holy Ghost tribe.”
There are thousands of Indians of different tribes in the mountains, and he meant they, and themselves, and the white people, and a colored brother, pointing to each of us, would, by the Blood of Jesus Christ, be made one great spiritual family. Tell me, my brother, can you have a better understanding of the two works of grace and the baptism with the Holy Ghost? I ask who taught this people the truth? For all the ministers here are teaching that you receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost when you are justified. It is none other than the Holy Ghost Himself who came for that very purpose, and will not let the true and innocent be deceived.
One of the Indians came to me and said, “Bro. Tom, we understand you, and we want you to pray for us every day, that we may have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as God wants us to have Him.” They do not call the baptism a blessing or “it” but express it in their own tongue as “God-Father, God-Jesus and God-Holy Ghost coming to occupy your own heart forever.”
I told their teachers, if God had given them the same power to understand what they were saying as He gave me, they would hang their head with shame, for the Indians knew more about the truth than they did. One dear, honest soul with tears said she knew it and did not know what to do. I told her if she would only keep her covenant with God that she made that night after the meeting, He would not only baptize her with the Holy Ghost, but would witness through her of the wonderful works of God in Christ Jesus to every tribe, in their own language; and if she did not, God would remove their bishopric, and give it to one who knew Him in His fullness. For the cry for help from these different tribes among the mountains has gone up to our Heavenly Father, and He will answer it, for someone will obey Him and go. God will satisfy the longing of these precious souls, and they shall be filled with the knowledge and love of God as it is in Jesus Christ.
Dear saints, will you pray for God to equip some one or more to go into this most wonderful field at our own door? It is foolishness to think God cannot fit up those He sends out to preach His Gospel, with every material and ability to accomplish His will.
Yours, T. Hezmalhaich.
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Many people claim to be saved from hell but not from sin. A good many are preaching that kind of salvation. They preach the fire all out of hell, but it is still there. We preach it is a lake burning with fire and brimstone, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” The only salvation is through the blood of Jesus that cleanses from all sin. It will save you throughout eternity. Christ has conquered death and hell.
THE HEAVENLY ANTHEM.
One of the most remarkable features of this Apostolic Faith movement is what is rightly termed the heavenly anthem. No one but those who are baptized with the Holy Ghost are able to join in-or better, the Holy Ghost only sings through such in that manner. Hallelujah!
“I have heard and understood both in the Gujerathi and Hindusiant languages, the singing of different psalms and other portions of the holy scriptures. The singing is done in various foreign languages.”-Geo. E. Berg, Hermon, Cal., former missionary to India.
On Sunday night, Dec. 9, a sister sang in the Gujerathi language of India, the first four verses of the 8th chapter of Solomon’s Songs. It was a song such as a bride might sing of the bridegroom. “Awake not my beloved.” It was most blessed and beautiful to notice us the Holy Spirit sang through the dear sister; it brought a great wave of heavenly fire and blessing to those present.
Again a beautiful song was sung in tongues: “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.” (Matt. 21:9). This was the greeting given our Savior at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The brother who understood the language said in the foreign tongue it was the sublimest poetry. At the same time, the room was filled with the glory of God.
We afterward learned of a remarkable coincidence. The same song was being sung at the Pentecostal Mission at 327 1/2 S. Spring St. and was interpreted there the same. The saints worshiping in these two places were in perfect harmony of spirit, and the Holy Ghost witnessed to it.
At the all-day meeting on Christmas, a day never to be forgotten, we had a Christmas carol in tongues. It began with one voice, just as on Bethlehem’s plains, and a chorus of voices joined in. It was interpreted by one who knew the language: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to men.” This was very sweet and heavenly. It followed the reading of the Scripture.
People are melted to tears in hearing this singing. It is the harmony of heaven and the Holy Ghost puts music in the voices that are untrained.
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A LITTLE GIRL’S VISION OF HEAVEN.
Our little girl Myrtie was recently taken with a severe cold and sore throat and had every symptom of scarlet fever. She knows the Lord, having been saved three years ago and has received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and speaks in tongues.
During a season of prayer on Tuesday evening, Dec. 18th, all the family, papa, mamma, Herman, and four-year-old Ruth laid our hands on her head and each one prayed for her healing. A wonderful spirit of song came upon us. The Spirit sang the songs of Zion through our lips. During this season of song, my little girl sat on a chair with her eyes closed; and when the song stopped, she said, “O papa, I have seen Jesus.” And then she told the following vision:
“I came to a city of many streets. There seemed to be a division in the city, there was a narrow street that separated. On one side the streets were clean and paved and the buildings were of marble and strong, and there was a car there with the words on the front, TO ZION. On the side of the car was TO THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF GOD. On the dirty street was a dirty car, and on the front was TO HELL. On the side was GOING DOWN.
“After I got on the clean car, I went to the conductor and asked him if I could go over to the unclean car, and the car was stopped and I went across with others, and we took five apiece off from Satan’s car. And when they came across the line from the unclean street to the clean, their garments and faces became clean. And when we came to the white car, the car expanded itself to make room for all that came.
“I saw the car the devil was on, go down into a dark abyss. Then our car stopped and we all went over to where this car disappeared. Jesus spoke and a great grate of iron came and then a great stone, and stopped up the mouth of the abyss so that Satan could come out no more.
“As the car went on, I saw that everything was beautiful. The mists rolled away. Beautiful flowers appeared.
“When we arrived at the beautiful city of God, there were lovely homes given to us. And after we were there long enough to get adjusted, we went to visit the Palace of the King. I saw Jesus on a throne made of diamonds and pearls. He was dressed in shining raiment, sparkling in every color.
“A beautiful Christmas feast was spread on tables. The cloth on the tables and the food was beautiful. The walls of the room and the carpet on the floor shone with beautiful colors. I looked in a mirror and saw I was clad like the angels. I saw my father and mother and brother and sister coming in, and their clothes were transformed like the rest. The molding around the room was decorated with holly, most beautiful to behold. Jesus called attention to me and said, ‘Do you see that little girl down there?’ Their eyes seemed to look clear through me. Then he said, ‘This girl was very sick and had faith and I healed her.’ And all the host sang a most beautiful song of praise. Then Jesus took us and showed us all around. When we came out, He had a beautiful chariot ready to take us all back to earth.”
-E.K. Fisher, Glendale, Cal.
Lock Box 145.
(Bro. Fisher is one of the pastors of Pentecostal Missions in Los Angeles, at 327 1/2 S. Spring St.)
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BIBLE TEACHING ON MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE.
We read in the Word of God, (Eph. 5, 25-
We hear in the Word of God, (Eph. 5, 25-
32) “Husbands love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word; that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man yet hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.”
The Lord says, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” In regard to the divorce question and remarriage, we believe simply what the scripture teaches all through the Bible. “Thou shall not commit adultery.” According to Rom. 7: 2,3. “For the woman which hath a husband is bound to the husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the saw of her husband; so that if while her husband liveth, she shall be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she shall be free from the law of her husband, so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man.”
1 Cor. 7, 39, “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth, but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord.”
Now this is to the church that are under the Blood. People that are not under the Blood, go to the law and get divorces, because they are under the law. They are living after the flesh, but we are under grace.
1 Cor. 7, 10, shows that if there should be any separation with any of God’s people, they are not entitled to marry again, so long as the man or wife lives. “And unto the married I command, yet not I but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband; but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife.” So that is the Scripture.
O how careful we ought to be in homes, among families to teach plain Bible doctrine. Many homes today have been wrecked and brought to naught through false teaching. Wives have left husbands and gone off, claiming that the Lord has called her to do mission work, and to leave the little children at home to fare the best they can. And they will take this Scripture to back it up, Luke 14, 26. “If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sister, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” So they will stand upon that Scripture and say God means for them to hate their children and husband, and go off and try to save somebody else’s home, or the heathen, when their own home needs to be saved. May God help us and give us wisdom, for He is not the author of confusion but of peace.
Many precious husbands have left their wives and children at home, and their wives are working hard to support the little children, washing, ironing, scrubbing, and farming, while their husband is claiming to be doing missionary work, and saying the Lord gave him that same Scripture in regard to forsaking. They take it for granted that the Lord does not want them to be bothered with their families. But in the Bible we read, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach. One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?” How can such a man teach a family and bring peace in homes, when he himself is not at peace in his own home? How can he train other people’s children to love God, when his poor little children are looking out for papa, and he never sends anything home to the little ones? O may God give us wisdom and understanding in His precious Word. Please read I. Tim. 3, all the way through, also I. Tim. 5. This does not mean to the man only but also to the woman, for they are both one in the Lord.
Dearly beloved, let us respect homes and families. There are many precious souls today just ready to run away from their homes. They do not want to make home tidy and care for the children, and prepare for their * May God help us to obey all His * Wives, love your in Luke 14. 26, is not teaching desertion. We husbands, Husbands, love your wives. Jesus, are not to desert our dear children and precious wives and precious husbands; but to let nothing get between us and our Christ. Many who have had a beautiful experience of sanctification, have allowed their baby or husband to become an idol between them and their God, and have hindered the blessed Holy Spirit, so the Lord is teaching us to Love Him with all our heart. Many believe the Lord taught desertion. Praise God, He never did come as Christ and God to break up homes and families When we get saved and sanctified and baptized with the Holy Spirit, then our mission station begins at home and with family prayer, until one by one the members of the family receive the Lord Jesus. We have seen this so much since God has poured out His Spirit. So many sons and daughters respect father and mother. Bless His holy name.
It is no sin to marry. “Marriage is honorable and the bed undefied, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Heb. 13. 4. There are those today in the marriage life, since they have received sanctification and some the baptism with the Holy Ghost, who have come to think that it is a sin for them to live as husband and wife. Jesus said, in Matt. 19. 5-6, “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh.” Dearly beloved, we cannot get outside of the Word. Paul writes a letter to the church on this subject in 1. Cor. 7. It is a letter that teaches husbands and wives how to live. Many precious souls are in great bondage and need the precious Word to unloose them. If we are governed by His Word, there will be peace, joy, and happiness in our homes, and they will be heaven on earth. We find in the Corinthian Church, when the Spirit of God was being poured out, many thought it was a sin to live with their husbands and with their wives, and Paul had to teach them in 1. Cor. 7. 11, “I say therefore to the unmarried and the widows: it is good for them that they abide even as I. * * And to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband.”
Dearly beloved, we that are preparing to meet our Lord, to be His bride, the Lamb’s wife, ought to live in the Scriptures, cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
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The Lord not only sanctifies the soul but the body. Every sanctified soul may have a sanctified body. The blood can be purified from hereditary diseases and your body made a pure, holy temple for the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. We do not need to die of disease or sickness. You cannot find it in the lids of the Bible that the Lord has to go to the devil to help take His children to glory. He sanctifies from inherited disease. God never put the poison into the child in inherited sickness. No, it was never God that did that. It comes under the head of works of the devil which Jesus came to destroy.
END OF PAGE THREE
A SONG OF PRAYER.
Music to which this song is sung, was composed by little Mildred Crawford, and as she played the piece on the piano, Sister Rees sang the words to it for her, composing as she sang in the Spirit.
Oh! my Heaven’y Father,
Till life’s storms are past,
Guard and guide Thy little one
Through each dreary blast;
Trials and strife do toss me,
And dark does seem the road,
Without my loving, Savior,
Who’ll carry all my load.
Chorus-Blessed, blessed Savior,
Hear me while I pray;
Ever keep me near Thee;
Lead me all the way.
If I’m true and stedfest,
And put my trust in Thee,
Thou’rt faithful who hath promised
Thou’rt a’l in all to me.
By Thy Holy Spirit,
Thou dost make me free;
I’ll ever love and serve Thee,
Through grace in liberty.
Precious Lord, I thank Thee
In fullness of my heart,
For the peace, the joy, the gladness
Thy Spirit doth impart
Oh! may I never falter,
But ever faithful be.
Obedient to Thy mandates,
Who gave Thy life for me.
Accept me oh! my Savior,
And now in me fulfill,
Thy needful preparation
To do Thy holy will;
And when at Thy appearing,
to claim Thy bride to be,
Oh! may I reign with Thee, Lord,
Throughout eternity.
-Castilla Rees,
1374 5th Ave., Oakland, Cal., Dec. 2.
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PENTECOST IN PUEBLO, COLO.
Jan. 16th.
Our hearts rejoice beyond measure for the privilege of witnessing the marvelous outpourage of God’s love and power at Pueblo. The people were very much bound by the adversary, but Monday night was the most glorious time the dear souls ever saw for liberty and victory.
All felt the power and presence of God in the very first hymn. Before singing the second verse, I said, Let us now tell the Lord, “We will give Thee full liberty of our hearts.” We did it, and after a few minutes upon our knees, the blessed Holy Spirit descended upon us and took us and the meeting completely under His own control. It is simply impossible to describe what followed. Liberty and victory was the shout of triumph over and over again, until several received the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and others who were seeking for sanctification and baptism and did not get through, were encouraged to go on until they had the victory.
The Holy Ghost was pleased to work through a little girl, pleading in a strange tongue for every soul in the hall. The tears streamed down her face, portraying great agony of soul. As I went toward her, I shall never forget the power I felt when * two feet from the child. I felt as if batteries of mighty power had seized my body and the whole was one great reservoir of electric forces. The sympathy for others that was in that child’s soul came into mine, and the tears gushed from my eyes, and my soul began to cry out for others. Others had the same experience, especially Bro. Thomas, who said it was the great day of his life. The song of praise and victory was everywhere in the room, going from heart to heart, until the whole was one “Bethel” of praise to Him who hath bought us and washed us from our sins in His own precious Blood.
I am persuaded, beloved, these are but the droppings of what we shall witness and experience, if we will only keep out of sight and let God, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost, be honored and exalted and be all and in all.
Your brother and fellow laborer in the cause of Jesus Christ.
-T. Hezmalhaich.
1900 Lincoln Ave., Denver, Colo.
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Bro. M.L. Ryan has moved the “Apostolic Light” office to Portland. The address is 215 Second St. He writes, “The glory still abides.”
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A sister testified in tongues in the language of India, which was interpreted: “I am feasting of the living bread. Why will you not feast with me?” This was the sweet Spirit of Jesus, an unselfish Spirit, longing for others to come.
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The “Pentecostal Wonders” published by the Union Gospel Mission, Akron, Ohio, is one with us in this movement. It is in the center of a great awakening in Ohio where workers went from Los Angeles. It is a blessed sweet spirited paper, published free. God bless and use it.
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The Lord will hold you just as responsible for believing a lie as He did Adam. False doctrine kills the soul. If we get out of the Word of God and believe a lie, we lose the Blood and lose the life out of our souls. Let no one, not even if he comes as an angel of light, nor your own church or pastor, it may be, get you to doubt the Word of God and believe a lie.
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If you want to see God work in power, see a people that are living in love and unity and harmony; but if the devil can get in and divide the people of God and sow dissension among them, then God cannot work. I have five fingers on my hand. One is a little one, but if I cut this little one, it will hurt the whole body. So the least member in the body is just as necessary as the greatest. (The greatest member is the most humble one.) Every Blood-washed soul is a member of the body. We cannot reject one without hurting the whole body. If you cut the little finger, it goes right to the heart and every member suffers.
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We had an error in the last paper, to which friends have kindly called our attention: “Hades in Greek and Gehenna in Hebrew mean “lake of fire.” A brother handed in this statement, and not being Greek and Hebrew scholars and not having time to study it up, we let it pass. We do not expect to smooth over any errors in this paper, but we will make them right. The words abobe mentioned are translated “hell” but not “lake of fire” which is the final abode of the wicked. After the great white throne judgment, death and hell and whosoever is not found written in the book of life will be “cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:14-15.)
PENTECOST IN WASHINGTON.
Oysterville, Pacific Co. Wash.
Dec. 24th.
I was converted when a mere child, sanctified two years ago, and since then have been hungering and praying for Pentecost, though I had no idea what to call it.
The Lord drew me to Salem, Ore., and after tarrying six days I received the same enduement of power that Jesus promised to His disciples.
The Lord set me apart for His service and soon gave me a commission. He is using me as a worm of the dust. Glory be to His holy name! He says in His Word, He can use a worm to thrash mountains, I have spoken in many languages and have had sentences interpreted at different times as follows: “This is Jesus,” “God is with us,” “Jesus is your teacher,” “Joy in the Lord,” “Jesus is coming.” Once while under the power I sang three stanzas of the hymn which commences, “Holy, holy, holy,” in a beautiful language. It is so sweet to be acquainted with God. I am determined to be faithful and meet you all in the skies.
The Lord opened meetings in my house last Tuesday, which seem to have no end in sight. Thursday He showed me to take the meeting into a hall. The Lord sent my brother to help. Saturday night there were four seekers for Pentecost at the altar. Conviction fell upon the people. Many went home, as we supposed to bed; but when we had tarried till midnight, in came three young girls who had been backslidden, proclaiming victory, with shining faces. They had gone home, prayed through and returned. They soon dug deeper and are now among the seekers for Pentecost.
Sunday morning the Free Methodist pastor having a regular appointment there, opened the meeting with a hymn and prayer, then made a few remarks in a sweet, Christ-like spirit-said he was open to conviction but wanted God to lead him. He then turned the meeting over to us, sat down, and got blest. Hallelujah! The Lord took full possession and we closed with twelve seekers at the altar. At night again the Spirit took control.
People were there from neighboring towns. Men were there who have attended church but once or twice in their lives. The Lord is working on old people and little tots. One boy of seven received heart cleansing. The above mentioned pastor felt the power working among his flock, and is now a seeker himself. O hallelujah to our King! This is multiplying and increasing upon our hands till we feel it is but the first drops before the great shower. To God be all the glory.
-Mrs. K.E. Andrews.
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TESTIMONY OF A MINISTER.
For more than thirty years, I was a minister in one of the leading denominations, and by the grace of God sought to walk in all the light as God revealed it to me. In common with many honest hearts among God’s children, for many months past, I had been seeking for a deeper fullness of God’s love, conscious that, however much God had blessed His church, yet for the time now upon us, we needed a greater anointing in order to be made adequate to the work to be done. With this conscious need, a cry went up to God for a Pentecost. And surely He heard and answered according to His own perfect will.
Early in this year, God sent three humble saints from Texas to Los Angeles, and on their arrival, with a very few others, they met to seek for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They sought earnestly to know God’s will, by daily searching His Word, yielding themselves up to Him for His fullness for service. But few were favorable to what they called new teachings, so this little band had to move their place of meeting; but with the one purpose in view, they unceasingly sought the Lord for the promise of the Father. So earnest became this little band that, with much fasting (they continued almost day and night for some days, till, indeed, their day had fully come, and as suddenly as on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit fell upon them and filled them, and all began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. But this speaking in other languages was not all, for, indeed, they were filled with all the fullness of God, and all the characteristics of the first Pentecost were manifest. Can any unblased man doubt as to the source of this strange power, when these humble children of God were waiting only upon Him, seeking for Himself. This was, indeed, the day of small things. But the promise is that the latter rain is to be much more abundant than the former.
About this time, as indicated above, the writer was led of the Lord, to go to Pasadena, some twelve miles from Los Angeles, to assist in tent work, living in a small tent, which gave much quiet opportunity to yet wait more fully upon God, little knowing himself what God was preparing him for. I heard frequently of the Pentecost in Los Angeles, as I was quite often down to my home in the city. These reports were quite conflicting, but God kept me quiet by resting in Himself, giving me the assurance that He was His own interpreter and would in due time make plain.
About the middle of June, without any planning of my own, I was led for the first time into those meetings at Azusa St., Los Angeles, in an attitude of entire dependence upon God, knowing that He would protect me from error and show me the truth. I was soon convinced that God was indeed working in ways that I had never witnessed, and the fulfillment of Scripture was plainly manifested. In the altar service, I quietly presented myself before the Lord. On the second day, while at the altar, as distinct to my inner consciousness as a clear voice to my ear, Jesus said, “receive ye the Holy Spirit,” and as a hungry person would readily take food, I did eagerly accept the gift of my Lord. This was on Saturday afternoon. I did not feel any overflow of joy or emotion, but rather a deeper calm and quiet, and in my mission work on the Lord’s Day following, I had more liberty and a clear knowledge of my Lord’s presence.
On the Monday following I returned to Los Angeles and was in the meetings all day. My whole being seemed to be in one accord with all God was doing. The meeting at night seemed indeed remarkable, as the large room was crowded, and God’s presence so very manifest. So earnest was the spirit of testimony that Brother Seymour could not begin his message from the Lord until after nine. As he preached, God’s power seemed to be increasing in me, but I thought of nothing more. Just about the close of the sermon, a little after ten, as suddenly as on the day of Pentecost, while I was sitting some twelve feet right in front of the preacher, the Holy Spirit fell upon me and filled me literally, as it seemed to lift me up, for, indeed, I was in the air in an instant, shouting, praise God, and instantly I began to speak in another language. Two of the saints quite a distance apart, saw the Spirit fall upon me. One of them sprang towards me, also talking in an unknown language. Oh, how God did indeed fill my whole being in a way indescribable. I could not have been more surprised if at the same moment some one had handed me a million dollars. I had not been seeking the gift of tongues, or any other gift; but, oh how I did long for God Himself to completely fill me, and in His great love surely He did.
As you see, this Pentecost is not the gift of tongues, but, as on that Pentecost recorded in 2nd of Acts, the gift of tongues was a sign and a powerful and a practical witnessing agency. So I fully believe this latter rain will be in its full development. “They spoke as the Spirit gave utterance,” and all who knew me before, bear witness, that not simply in some other tongue, but in my own mother tongue, the Spirit does give another utterance. In an experience of over thirty-five years God has kept me from fanaticism, and I am sure that in no time in my life was I more fully surrendered to God and free from all desire aside from just His will only. What I received as described above, I call the baptism of the Holy Spirit, for, as you see, it was just like that recorded in the 2nd chapter of Acts. Do you ask, watchman, what of the night? After four months of prayerful seeking only the will of God, now in this Pentecost, I am sure, “this is that,” the beginning of the early and latter rain. This is surely of God. Not that all about and around is of God; by no means. Not that mistakes have not been made. We are still in the flesh. This I do know, that God has come into my life, in a fuller and more profound sense than ever before, and He makes all things spiritual much more real, and His love completely permeates my whole being. Also, just what Jesus said the baptism would give, viz, witnessing power. This I know is manifestly more in myself and all who have received the like gift.
In these few months from the time the praying, fasting few received the longsought-for reading of the heavens, and Jesus did baptize them with His Spirit, up till now, this work has spread till its influence has reached half round the world. Many of all ages and races, from varied conditions and abilities, from the very young to the octogenarian, those learned, and of no education, each alike has received a definite baptism of the Spirit. Surely the glorious coming of our blessed Lord is very near, and all this supernatural work of God is needed for the work to be completed. This is only the beginning of the gracious latter rain, which our risen Lord will pour out upon all flesh, and as the Holy Spirit shall temper each vessel meet for service, He will fully restore all the gifts, or rather manifest each as needed. For all is inherent in Himself, and all thus baptized will indeed be one. The Holy Spirit is now leading us into much prayful study of His Word. He makes Christ increasingly, all in all, the flesh nothing, God’s children one, and the coming of Jesus intensely real. Beloved in the Lord, don’t criticize, but join us in prayer.
Yours in Jesus,
-A.H. Post.
Pasadena, Cal. – * The Way of Faith.
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THREW AWAY HIS CRUTCHES.
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Report of a Case of Healing in Oakland.
The Man was a Sinner on whom This
Miracle Was Shown.
Oakland, Cal., Dec. 18th.
A wonderful miracle of healing took place at the tent yesterday afternoon. Bro. Manley’s lesson was on Divine healing and he emphasized the statement that God healed sinners. As if to corroborate his testimony, when he had closed, a rough-looking man arose with a crutch under one arm and a cane in the other hand. He said in substance, “I am a bad man. I have had a university education-practiced law for seven years-went wrong and became a tramp-an outcast-the drunken hobo you see. Two days ago I was going to jump into the bay, when this friend, (pointing to a roughly dressed young man) told me of this place and that people got healed here. Now I am here to be healed of this leg, and I know it will be done.”
He had been kicked by a horse last May and the bone had healed in a lapped position instead of being joined end to end, leaving him very lame.
Well, Bro. Manley and the saints went right back to the chair where the man was sitting, and Bro. Manley prayed the prayer of faith, laying his hands on the man’s head. And in a few moments, the man jumped to his feet, looked amazed and said, “It’s done! It’s done!” threw away his crutch and cane and went all over the tent, walking as good as anybody.
The most profound sensation was produced by this exhibition of the power of God, and nearly everybody was in tears and praising God.
Oh what a wonderful God we are serving. The man sought for salvation all the afternoon, and late at night was converted.
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“A cancer and a rupture of seven years standing have been healed in Salem since we got here. The cancer came out in three days, roots and all. Jesus is healing the sick. Many other healings are taking place.”-Florence Crawford, Salem, Ore., Dec. 20.
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The Missionary Faith Home at Alliance has received the Pentecost. A number there have been baptized with the Holy Ghost, and it has become a center of power. People are going there for their Pentecost. Bro. Levi Lupton who is at the head of the work there and has a paper called the “New Act,” is a returned missionary from Africa. He saw the need of the gift of tongues while there. He now speaks in four tongues, and other Christian workers are receiving the baptism and gift of tongues, which means much for the missionary cause.
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“I am glad I received my Pentecost, for it is the best thing I ever had. My sin is to win souls for Jesus. I have not been bothered with opium any more. I have no desire to go back. I have squared the $10 with that man, and by paying it, the Lord has blest me. The Lord has been giving me the gift of healing and singing through me in unknown tongues, and has been wonderfully using me in His work. I was holding a street meeting in Martinez and some of them had me arrested, but the Lord’s grace is enough. I have had heavenly sunlight even in jail.”-Harry Gerke, 10 Commercial St., San Francisco. (This dear brother was saved from opium only a short time ago in Azusa Mission. He had a hard fight with the devil, but God has established him. Praise God!)
A BUSINESS MAN’S TESTIMONY OF PENTECOST.
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(We take the privilege of publishing this testimony from a private letter written to Sister Florence Crawford.)
When I first went into that 9th St. Mission, I was as nearly an infidel as it was possible for one raised as I had been to be. I had persuaded myself that the Bible was not to be taken literally, but figuratively, and had rejected the idea of everlasting punishment, and tried to disbelieve the providence of God; that is, that He interested Himself in us personally.
I thought I was as good as the average church member, notwithstanding I had not been attending church for about five years. I had belonged to a church in Chicago until five years ago. I went into the church in good faith, but when it dawned upon me that what was preached was not expected to be practiced, I just concluded we had been “gold-bricked,” and quit, and had been too indifferent to go to any church again, until I heard of the coming of the Los Angeles Pentecostal people, and I was at the first meeting at 9th Street Mission, out of pure curiosity, expecting to see a fake.
I shall never forget how it made me squirm and writhe in the very depths of my soul when you held up the mirror-the Word of God-with all the dust and cobwebs brushed off, and I got a clear view of myself as I really was. How all the excuses I had piled up to justify myself slipped from under me, and how mean I appeared as I thought of myself as an outcast from God. After I had quit going to church, I had begun going to theaters, and eventually even took an occasional drink with my office companions, and had also gambled a little in mining stock “bucket shop.” There had been a constant unrest of soul, for somehow my conscious would never allow me to get any enjoyment out of sin.
That was my condition when I happened into the Mission. I say happened in; I should say when I was led there; for I now know that I was led there by the Spirit of the living God. Bless His Holy Name forever! For the first time, I realized that to be a true, sincere Christian meant to live without sin at all. It meant in my case even the giving up of tobacco, before I could so much as ask God to have mercy on me.
There is no need of going into the details of the struggle I went through before I surrendered. What I thought I could never do, God did for me. He took away all appetite for tobacco instantly-a habit to which I was a perfect slave-for which I never cease to thank Him.
On Aug. 12th, God made known to me that my past sins were all forgiven, and that I was His child.
Then I heard sanctification explained, saw my need of it, and sought for that experience. I had a fearful struggle with self, doubt, and pride, before I finally got all upon the altar, and just gave up, which I did Sept. 21st. The instant I really let go of everything and said to God, “I can’t do another thing,” He just laid hold of me and flooded my soul with such joy and peace and a sense of cleanness, that really it was some time before I could see how it was possible for me to get anything more and contain it.
But I became hungry for the baptism with the Holy Ghost and power, and began seeking for that precious gift of God. Then commenced a battle royal sure enough. It seemed that all the powers of darkness were determined to prevent me from obtaining the priceless blessing. When the devil would get me cornered where it seemed as though God had forsaken me, I would always beat him back with this, “Well, one thing I do know, I have been cleansed from all sin and have no desire whatever to sin, and that is a grand thing for me.” Then I would find the most precious scripture just when needed to exactly fit my case, and again take courage.
And so the battle went on for over two months till Nov. 25th, which you will remember was the night you laid your hands on me for my healing; and I received both healing for my lungs and the infilling of God’s Holy Spirit. Glory to His Holy Name forevermore!
I shall never forget that night. Why, I was raised from the depths of despair to the very throne of our God. (Right here the Spirit stopped me and sang through me praises to my blessed Redeemer and King, my Master whom to serve is my greatest joy.)
As long as the memory of that blessed night (Nov. 25) remains with me, I shall ever say, “God bless Sister Crawford abundantly and use her to encourage many, many others in similar need.”
Now all these blessings have been a free gift to me. I have not a single mark to my credit. God had a stubborn, unbelieving, thankless child to deal with when He picked me up, and He just had to have wonderful love and patience to bear with me. But He did. And now I am eternally His, sealed unto the day of redemption. Praise His name. Hallelujah! I feel a burning desire to see others possess the same blessing. I could tell you of wonderful victory and blessed seasons since my baptism. When I think of what Jesus has done for me, I feel as though I could go through fire for Him, but of myself I can do nothing. He has put an abiding love in my heart for Him and for my fellow man.
Your brother in Christ,
-J.G. Bourman.
490 24th St. Oakland.
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Our office at 312 Azusa St. has been almost snowed under by letters, sometimes as many as fifty a day. Many are hungry for the baptism with the Holy Ghost; many want healing for their sick bodies or for friends, and others want salvation. Dear ones, if we have not been able to answer your letters, please take this paper for an answer. If you send in questions, we may answer them in the next paper.
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“The Lord is using we boys more than I ever dared to think of before I came into the work. I would not change my position for the best in the country, including the President’s job. We have more to be thankful for, I believe, than any man in the country. It’s just haven wherever we go. It’s just a heaven to go to heaven in. We hold meetings on the street cars and railway trains and praise the Lord! He just fills and thrills us with glory all the time; and interprets tongues through us at times, and we sing in unknown tongues. He has given me some very beautiful songs in unknown tongues. Praise His holy name! Praise God! He just piles gifts and glory on me until I think all I need is more strength to stand it and more humility to keep me from getting puffed up. Pray that God will keep me humble and keep me under the Blood.”-William Millson, 312 Azusa St., Los Angeles.
PENTECOST IN TORONTO.
On December 8, the writer came to Toronto, Canada, to assist in two mission meetings. The first is in the northwest part of the city and closes tomorrow night. There the Lord has met us in full salvation power. We praise Him!
But we wish to write especially of what our eyes have seen and our ears have heard of Gods’ work elsewhere in this city, particularly at 651 Queen East, Bro. and Sister Heben being in charge. Here is a threestory building all separated unto the Lord. A public assembly room, not large, is on the first floor. The second floor is occupied by the superintendents of the work. And the third floor is for rest for those who need help from the Lord. At the present time, it cost about $73 a month to cover all expenses. No collections are taken and no help asked for, except for old clothes for the poor. God supplies all the needs. Of course He does.
Here there are held three services on Sunday, a Bible reading on Monday evening, an all-day prayer meeting on Wednesday, and divine healing on Friday evening. It was my privilege to attend two of these all-day meetings, save at night. Here God is pouring out His spirit. Several have been definitely baptized with the Holy Ghost and speak with tongues. It all came about in this way:
Mr. and Mrs. Hebden began praying for more power to heal the sick and cast out demons. The Lord said to Mrs. Hebden, “Tongues, tongues.” She answered, “No, Lord, not tongues, but power, power.” The Spirit was grieved. Then she replied, “Anything, Lord, tongues or anything.” Soon after this the power came upon this yielded woman and she began to speak in an unknown language. And now the Holy Spirit speaks and prays in a tongue through her, and sings and writes and makes sketches which appear like landscapes. Paul exhorts, “Let him pray that he may interpret.” She has prayed and now interprets. One of the sketches was as clouds rolling up from the earth. Two days after this was given, it was interpreted to her to mean…a resurrection of the saints. I heard Mrs. Hebden speak yesterday interpreting what she said. It was this: “God’s people should pray for more humility.” Another sentence was, “On the 17th of November, the Lord baptized me with the Holy Ghost and gave me the Bible evidence.”
Bro. Hebden received his Pentecost last Sabbath morning, while quietly meditating on the word of the Lord, not thinking of the baptism. He praised Jesus, and the Holy Ghost fell upon him. He prayed in a tongue yesterday in my hearing. The meetings are heavenly. They are conducted informally. A stranger could scarcely discover who is in the lead. Christ is the Head. The Holy Ghost leads.
There is a divine hush in the home. There is seriousness without rigidity, quietness without death and formality, joy and much praise without flippancy, liberty without license. How anyone not right with God can come into these meetings and not get under deep conviction, and how a believer can fall to enjoy them, are conundrums. Pentecost has begun in Toronto.
One young woman who was very nice and precise in the world was marvelously saved. She had been under deep conviction for days. When once surrendered, she seemed to sweep with one bound from the altar of burnt offering into the most holy place, from the cross to the Pentecostal chamber, sealed with the Bible evidence. (Act. 10:46) She laughed incessantly for hours and hours. Sometimes she speaks in a tongue while at her work.
May the dear Lord hasten to get us humble enough to trust us with His gifts, and simple enough to receive all He so freely offers, for His own glory. Going on with the Lord, I remain,
Your unworthy servant,
A.S. Copley, Cambridge, O.
-From “Way of Faith.”
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Missionaries to Sweden from San Pedro, Cal., Bro. and Sister Eric Hollingsworth, have arrived safely after a very blessed time on the way. Their address is Kristinelund, Tumba, Sweden.
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In Akron, Ohio, there is a general awakening. People carry their Bibles to the shop with them. And the revival is going on without preachers. People are coming hundreds of miles to attend the meetings. Many have gone from the meeting starting others.
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“Oh praise the King of Kings for His goodness to us these last days! I am so glad that the wonderful power is not only in the mission in cities, but also among the cowboys and farmers in the country. O praise His name! We have got the Pentecost here and it is glorious. We are contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints, and are looking for the soon coming of our Lord and King, Jesus of Nazareth.”-Arthur E. Grimshaw, Box 267, Pawhuska, Okla. Jan. 16.
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A sister came to the mission for the first time, very sick. As she took her seat and saw how God was working, she said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have what these people have, but let me eat of the crumbs.” she was very hungry for the Lord. Right while she was sitting in her seat, the Lord saved her, sanctified her, and baptized her with the Holy Ghost, giving her the gift of tongues. She began saying in a foreign tongue, “The Lord has made me every whit whole.” Someone who understood the language she was speaking, told what she was saying. The Spirit had told her what it was, and now, though she had hardly been able to drag herself into the Mission, she was perfectly healed. This was all in about half an hour, and she was the happiest creature you ever saw. She could not keep still but kept praising God while others were speaking, and when we last saw her she was still praising Him.
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“When I knelt seeking the baptism with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit spoke through one man most beautifully in a language of India a precious message, and I believe God sent it for my own benefit. I was looking up to God and doing business with Him. he spoke a language that is spoken 15,000 miles from here, and I looked and one glance was sufficient to show me that the Holy Ghost was speaking through that man. There are very few that get the native accent by study, but this man spoke the beautiful accent of that country. I want to repeat the words that he spoke, ‘O Lord God, thou art my Redeemer, thou art the great King of Kings. I adore and magnify thee in my inner soul.’ That convinced me that the Holy Ghost was giving languages in this place. I have interpreted at least seven messages in the languages of British India, therefore I know what I am talking about. Be very careful that you do not put your hands on the ark of God.” -Geo. E. Berg. Hermon, Cal.
END OF PAGE FOUR
Missional in Florida
The Apostolic Faith (December, 1906)
Many are asking how the work in Azusa Mission started and who was the founder. The Lord was the founder and He is the Projector of this movement. A band of humble people in Los Angeles had been praying for a year or more for more power with God for the salvation of lost and suffering humanity. They did not know just what they needed, but one thing they knew, people were not getting saved and healed as they desired to see. They continued to hold cottage prayer meetings for several months.
Then they felt led of the Lord to call Bro. Seymour from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles, the saints in Los Angeles sending his fare. It was as truly a call from God as when He sent His holy angel to tell Cornelius to send for Peter. He came and told them about the baptism with the Spirit, and that every afternoon at three o’clock they would pray for the enduement of power. He told them he did not have the Pentecost but was seeking it and wanted all the saints to pray with him till all received their Pentecost. Some believed they had it, and others believed they did not have it because the signs were not following. Hardly anyone was getting saved.
There was a great deal of opposition, but they continued to fast and pray for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, till on April 9th the fire of God fell in a cottage on Bonnie Brae. Pentecost was poured out upon workers and saints. Three days after that, Bro. Seymour received his Pentecost. Two who had been working with him in Houston came to Los Angeles just before Pentecost fell. They came filled with the Holy Ghost and power. One of them had received her personal Pentecost, Sister Lucy Farrow, and said the Lord had sent her to join us in holding up this precious truth. She came with love and power, holding up the blood of Jesus Christ in all His fullness.
And the fire has been falling ever since. Hundreds of souls have received salvation and healing. We can truly say that the revival is still going on. The Lord God is in Los Angeles in different missions and churches in mighty power, in spite of opposition. This revival has spread through the towns about Los Angeles and through***** with His stripes we are healed.” He gave His blood for the salvation of our souls and He gave a perfect body for these imperfect bodies of ours.
It is by the stripes of Jesus that we are healed. There was never a whip lash put on Jesus’ back* Pilate acourged Him before the judgment bar. The marks that were made on that perfect body of our Savior, the blood that ran down in Pilate’s judgment hall from His stripes, reach our infirmities and cleanse us from all sickness and disease and make us every whit whole.
The Passover lamb was a type of Christ. We find that the Lord commanded the children of Israel, when they were about to come out of Egypt to take a lamb without blemish and kill it and sprinkle the blood at the doors of their houses and eat the body of the lamb in their houses. The blood stood for salvation to save them from the destroyer. So the blood of Jesus saves us from sin, for Satan is not able to make his way through the blood. Now they were to eat the body of the lamb in their very own homes that they might have strength and health that night to go out of Egypt, there was not one sick. This was a real type of the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ for soul and body.
We find the Jews afterward kept the Passover. They looked back to their deliverance and commemorated it every year by eating the lamb’s body, the type of our Christ. The body of the lamb pointed to Christ’s body broken for us. So we look back to Calvary, to our Savior who hung and died and gave a perfect body for us.
O remember Calvary. He said at the Passover supper, just before He was crucified, “Take, eat, this is my body.” What for? For health. And He gave them the cup and said, “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.” So every time we partake of the Lord’s supper, we do it in remembrance of this two-told salvation for body and soul.
Many are sickly and fall asleep because they do not discern the Lord’s body. They will take a doctor before Jesus. They put a doctor between them and the atonement. Yet they will say, “Lord, Lord,” and do not the things that He says: “Is any afflicted, let him pray. Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick.” Jas. 5. 13, 15. The doctor gives you poison and you die because you dishonor the atonement. You are sickly, you fall asleep. You come to the Lord’s table and yet you do not believe in full salvation for soul and body. You take the cup and eat the bread, and yet deny the body of the Lord for health and salvation. So you are sick because you do not discern the body of the Lord Jesus.
“Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink Him blood, ye have no life in you.” *. 6 53. Dear beloved, this means that we must honor the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ in all its fullness, as David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” Let us take the Lamb’s body, through faith in our Lord for salvation and healing of these bodies as we honor His blood for saving and sanctifying our soul and spirit. Amen.
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-and were willing to accept anyone that had the baptism with the Holy Spirit as our leader. But the Lord commenced settling us down, and we saw that the Lord should be our leader. So we honor Jesus as the great Shepherd of the sheep. He is our model.
The Lord adds here daily such as should be saved, and plants them in the body to suit Himself, and all work together in harmony under the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no pope, Dualism, or Sanfordism, but we are all little children knowing only Jesus and Him crucified. This work is carried on by the people of Los Angeles that God has united by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Bro. Seymour is simply a humble pastor of the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made him overseer, according to Acts 20.28, “Take heed therefore, unto yourself and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseer, to feed the church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood.” And as missionary workers and teachers go out from this place, they have the same privilege of being pastors over the people the Lord puts them over by the Holy Spirit, and of feeding them with the pure Word of God. Each mission will be united in harmony, having its own pastor simply that the Holy Ghost shall appoint.
We believe in old time repentance, old time conversion, old time sanctification, healing of our bodies and the baptism with the Holy Ghost. We believe that God made Adam in His own image, according to Gen. 5 1; Ps. 8 4; and Matt. 19 4. We do not believe in any eighth day creation, as some have taught, and we do not believe in the annihilation of the wicked.
We stand on Bible truth without compromise. We recognize every man that honors the blood of Jesus Christ to be our brother, regardless of denomination, creed, or doctrine. But we are not willing to accept any errors, it matters not how charming and sweet they may seem to be. If they do not tally with the Word of God, we reject them.
This is the year of jubilee when God is sending the latter rain, and the refreshing times have come. He has raised up a nation in **********a witness. Jesus died for us-not the Holy Ghost. Praise our God. They were not to tarry in Jerusalem till He should pour out His blood upon them, but tarry for the promise of the Father. John truly baptized with water, but the Lord Jesus was coming to baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire. Jesus said, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence,” and “ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
The baptism with the Holy Ghost is not a work of grace but a gift of power. Sanctification is the second and last work of grace, but the baptism with the Holy Ghost is a gift of power. It is a free gift without repentance. No consecration to be made in receiving the Holy Spirit. Consecration is all made in sanctification. The Lord Jesus is dwelling within, and you have an unction from the Holy One which teaches you all things. The baptism with the Holy Ghost makes you a witness unto the uttermost parts of the earth. It gives you power to speak in the languages of the nations. So everyone that is really sanctified with a clean heart, and seeks the baptism with the Holy Ghost according to the 2nd chapter of Acts, receives the witness of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. You may not receive the gift of tongues when you receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost, but you receive the witness of tongues, that is to say,-you will speak in tongues when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
In seeking the baptism with the Holy Spirit do not ask the Lord for tongues. Just pray the Lord to give you the baptism with the Holy Ghost as He gave his disciples, according to the second chapter of Acts, and wait before Him till the Lord verifies His promise in your precious soul.
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It is one thing to be filled with the Holy Ghost, and it is another thing to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. It is one thing to fill a glass with water, that is to hide it out of sight. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb but not baptized. The Holy Ghost had been in the world all the time. “Holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” He was with Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Enoch and many other men of God, but He was not poured out upon all flesh till the day of Pentecost.
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“Wherefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore, unto Him without the gate bearing His reproach. Dear loved ones, in order to get sanctification, we have to go without the gate. We must leave the beautiful city, the precious temples, fame, honor, position, and go out of the gate. There we will find Jesus, the despised one, hanging between two thieves. It is so sweet to live this sanctified life. Very few people have sanctification in its fullness, which means crucification to self according to Gal. 5 24:25. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Hallelujah.
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A Pentecostal revival has commenced in the Altamont Bible institute of South Carolina and one girl received the gift of tongues.
PENTECOST IN WOODLAND.
Bro. G.W. Evans, who has just come from Woodland, California, reports a Pentecostal revival in that place. Thirty-two have been baptized with the Holy Ghost, thirty-one sanctified, and twenty saved. Seventeen members out of the Baptist Church are filled with the Holy Ghost including the superintendent of the Sunday School and his wife. The Sunday School superintendent of the Methodist Church is also baptized with the Holy Ghost, and the difficulty now on hand is the need of a larger building to accommodate the crowds. Fourteen were healed at one meeting. God’s word is made so clear and plain that the crowds are pressing in spiritual hunger for the living truth. Sisters Sophie and Reece from Oakland, whom God has been using, are at present in charge.
A man that had been possessed with a mad demon and had been in the asylum was delivered. The Lord cast out this demon, clothed him in his right mind and completed the work, baptizing him with the Holy Ghost. Another remarkable case was where a party was under sentence of court, which decision was suspended and the defendant saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost and became a good citizen.
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PENTECOST IN SAN DIEGO.
San Diego, Cal., Nov. 28th.
We are praising God for victory in San Diego. Bro. Love and I came down here last Thursday to see if the Lord was preparing to take out a people for Himself in this city by the sea. On arriving in the city, we were not long in finding my old friend and brother, Geo. Reilly, who was earnestly tarrying for the Pentecost. We appointed a meeting at his house the same night and he was gloriously baptized with the Holy Ghost and spoke with tongues. We met again the next evening and two more received their Pentecost with Bible evidence. Hallelujah! The Lord had already laid it upon Bro. Reilly to open up a mission on this line. He had secured the building and we had it ready for service by Saturday night. The people came out and nearly filled the seating capacity and we had a most wonderful meeting. Some were justified and sanctified and blessedly anointed. Interest is increasing. Some falling under the power of the Holy Ghost and mighty conviction of the people. We believe the Lord wants Azusa Street Mission duplicated to this city. We expect to stay here till the Lord says, “Flee ye to another.” He has showed us that He has much people in this city. Hallelujah! Pray for us and San Diego.-F.E. Hill.
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PENTECOST IN SAN JOSE.
They are having a real old time Pentecostal revival in San Jose, California. The devil is stirred and doing his best to put out the fire, but they just ignore him and ******** with the Holy Spirit *****ATTENTION THE REST OF THIS COLUMN IS VERY MESSED UP!
answer the correspondence. God is raising up the workers.
People are coming and making their confessions and giving up all, to get ready for the coming of Jesus. Never in the history of this work has there been so much confession and restitution.-Apostolic Light.
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It is every believer’s birthright to be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
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Two bands of Apostolic Faith workers have been arrested in Whittier, but it has only increased the interest and deepened the work.
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An anointed handkerchief was sent to Elizabeth Smith, Brunswick, Ga., and as soon as she opened the letter she was instantly healed.
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We have heard the funeral of the Gospel preached, the power of nobody unto nothing, now we are preaching the power of God unto salvation.
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One came here that had been suffering for years in body, and was healed by the power of God while in the meeting without even asking for prayers.
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A young lady was contemplating suicide came to the meeting and was saved, then sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost. She is very happy in the Lord.
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When the conditions are just right, the Lord is just as responsible for the healing of our body as of our souls. The reason so many are sick, is because they trust in the arm of flesh instead of God.
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A brother testified, “Last week I came in a backslider and half drunk and the Lord forgave my backsliding right in my soul, and a few days afterward, He sanctified me and baptized me with the Holy Ghost.”
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The gift of tongues is the glory of God flooding your soul and the Spirit taking possession. You will never know what it means to be clay in the hands of the Potter until you receive the Pentecostal baptism.
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Pentecost has fallen in Long Beach, Cal. Souls are slain under the power of God and meetings cannot close. A number have received the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The Lord is using Bro. E. McCauley to push the work there.
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It was God’s eternal purpose that Jesus should be born in a humble place. No place is too humble for Jesus to dwell in. He poured out His Spirit in the humblest meeting place in Los Angeles, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
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Interpreted message spoken in tongues: “Open your heart and receive the Spirit. I will give good gifts to My children. ***** Lord used us to His glory in Chattanooga. He set that town on fire. Praise His name. The dear ones did not want to see us leave, but the will of God must be done. The last meeting we had with the people was beside the train that brought us away. Under the shed there was where the Lord used me last in that city. He sang and preached through me and some confessed their sins and asked, what shall I do to be saved? Some promised to live a better life. O glory to Jesus. While on the train, we preached the Word and some received it with joy. We hope to set sail for Africa soon. Pray that God may use us on the boat to the salvation of souls. Love to all the dear saints.”
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A passage of scripture that has been spoken in many unknown tongues and interpreted is that beautiful text, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Also the following texts were interpreted messages, “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these sings shall follow thee that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”
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Sister Ida Ritchie of 1147 Sheridan Road, Chicago, has received her Pentecost. She writes, “I shall never forget that night, I was about two hours receiving words in different languages and songs in the Spirit. O what a great joy it is to me to know that I can go with the language and songs and the love of God to the dying, famishing heathen. How I treasure the privileges and gifts. O how precious to be born in this age.”
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Bro. G.W. Batman writes from New York City, “We have been having great meetings in the little mission here. Many souls have received the baptism and talk in tongues. To my surprise, Stephen Merritt requested me to speak last Sunday forenoon in his large tabernacle, and the Lord helped me in a wonderful way, and some souls were seeking the baptism. Praise God. I am stronger in the Lord since we came here than in Los Angeles. We expect a few more wonderful days before we sail for Monrovia, Liberia Africa Dec. 8. That will be our future address.”
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A late report from Bro. Junk of Seattle, Wash., says, “We have been greatly blest here. About 24 or 26 souls have been baptized, among them are about eight children from seven to fourteen years of age. The devil is raging terribly.”
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We are so glad to hear that dear Sister Shiply, Bro. Ryan’s mother in Salem Ore., has received the Pentecost. Last Sunday she received many languages, one of them being that of the Kalamath Indians and sang in some of the Indian chanting songs. She also gave prophesies and messages to the people and interpreted. People are stirred and amazed at the miracles God is doing. A preacher who has been on the investigation order, heard a sister from Washington speak in Hindustani, which he was enough acquainted with to understand some of the words and it convinced him of the genuineness of the work.
The Lord has been working in Chattanooga, Tenn., where a band of Africa missionaries stopped on their way. Souls have been saved, a number have been baptized with the Holy Ghost and received the Bible evidence. Brother and Sister Hutchins and Sister McKinney have now gone on to New York. Their destination is Monrovia, Liberia, Africa.
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A little girl who knows the Lord as her healer, was suffering from fever. After different ones had prayed for her, she said, “Now maybe the Lord wants me to pray, so she said, “Dear Jesus, you have heard all these people’s prayers, now heal me for Jesus sake.” Then she lay down and went to sleep. God heals many times in answer to children’s prayers.
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The devil says he has no lake of fire, though sinners, skeptics, and ungodly preachers all are trying to find consolation in the doctrine of no hell, annihilation, and universalism. But God says in Rev. 20.14 that there is a lake of fire. Jesus warned us of hell. Hades in Greek and Gehenna in Hebrew mean “lake of fire.” What can we do but believe the Word?
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We can truly say that Pentecost has come, for all the signs are following. God is pouring out His Spirit upon His sons and daughters and giving dreams and visions, speaking in tongues. A woman who had been an invalid for 18 years is walking and shouting and praising God. The blind have received their sight. Missionaries are going out without purse or scrip. Everything is pointing toward the coming of the Lord.
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The great Shekina glory is still resting upon us as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day, where hundreds and thousands of souls have come and been blest through the mighty power of our blessed Lord. Hungry and thirsty souls are coming from hundreds and thousands of miles to get their personal Pentecost, and receiving and taking the glad tidings back home to hungry and thirsty souls that are waiting their arrival.
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People from thousands of miles have been coming to Los Angeles to get into the rivers of salvation. John saw a river proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb, and on either side of that river was the tree of life. We can get the fruit on either side of the river, but we have to swim to get it. If you want this great blessing, you must launch out by faith into the river. It is a very sweet thing to be where the rivers are flowing.
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It is so blessed to be sanctified, cleansed, crucified, nailed to the cross of Christ. Old things have passed away, the old man is crucified, slain, and Jesus Christ is enthroned ** and crowned within. ***** came from San Jose here last May, I heard of these meetings and came down to see. I had not been in the house an hour before I knew God’s Spirit was here, and I commenced seeking the baptism with the Holy Ghost. And, glory to God, He came and completely deluged my soul and body, until I hardly knew whether I was in the body or out. And as the Holy Ghost came upon me, I saw Jesus sitting upon a cloud looking at me and at the congregation, and He said He was coming soon. My tongue commenced to move, and I spoke in an unknown tongue as the Spirit gave utterance. In prayer I often speak in a foreign tongue and at home or in meeting, I often am moved to speak in tongues. Bless God! Glory!-Mrs. P. Perkins.
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If you are not healed, the fault in either in you or in Jesus Christ. Which is it? Be honest with yourself and get the fault out of the way. Get rid of the cause. There is nothing can stop my healing but myself. God is not a moment behind in doing His work.
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Bro. G.B. Cashwell who came from North Carolina for his Pentecost, has returned on his way rejoicing to carry the good news of the Pentecost to the hungry souls there. He had faith in God that the money would be provided for his fare to return, and the Lord provided it and he trusted the Lord for a suit of clothes and the Lord gave him a suit. So the trip was one of faith and the Lord made it a great blessing.
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A little girl in Whittier lately received her Pentecost while the people in the room were silently praying and she began to sing in an unknown tongue, “Where He leads me, I will follow.” Then she was filled with great joy and said her name was written in heaven and she was sealed unto the day of redemption.
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Sister Lucy Farrow wrote from New York that she had started for Africa. About two hundred souls had been saved in Portsmouth and most of them were speaking in tongues. She sends love to the saints and asks your prayers.
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We are receiving letters from all over the world, requesting prayers that they might receive their Pentecost and also healing. And almost every day we are getting returns that prayer has been heard. Handkerchiefs are sent in letters to be anointed and blest for healing, and we do so and bless God, He hears and answers prayer. One instance comes to our mind now of a little baby about a year old, who was very sick with a high fever. The parents sent a handkerchief to be prayed over. It was blest and sent back, and when it was laid on the child’s face, almost immediately the fever left her, and in a half hour it was playing around and well. Praise our Christ for His matchless power.
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Every child is born with inherited sin in its heart like a little plant. When a sinner comes to Christ and gets saved, the fruits of sin are cut off and the fruits of the Spirit appear. But the stump of the sin plants is still there and will give us trouble. The best thing to do is to get the old stump out. Then we have a pure heart like Adam before he went into sin. Then we can pray for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is a gift from God.
END OF PAGE ONE
The Apostolic Faith
312 Azusa Street
Published by
THE PACIFIC APOSTOLIC FAITH MOVEMENT
Headquarters, Los Angeles
SUBSCRIPTION FREE
PUBLISHED FREE BY FAITH.
The Lord showed us before starting this paper that it was to be free. We were not to tax the people or put ourselves in debt to the people and in bondage, by selling it a year ahead. It was to be a Holy Ghost paper and it was to be free indeed. No subscription price. No begging for money in it or through it. It costs a cent a copy to send it anywhere in the world, and the Lord can afford that. We pay book postage on the rolls, because we cannot enter it as second-class matter in the mails.
We have no advertisements-nothing to advertise but this wonderful salvation that is free to all. The writers and workers in the office live by faith outside of what comes for the paper, and we publish no names of editors. All work for the honor and glory of God. This we believe will be a real protection to the paper to keep it pure, for unless one is filled with the love of God, they do not covet to work without honor or money.
We get out the paper when the means comes in and not before. No debt will be formed. The Lord can stop it at any time He chooses. We will not be getting letters saying, “My paper did not come on time,” because it is the Lord’s paper. He supplies the means.
We are so glad to be able, through offerings sent in, to send this paper to thousands of hungry souls. Many cannot afford to subscribe for a paper, and even 25 cents is a real tax on some poor widow or Christian worker. So we do not make any charge. We preach and publish this Gospel freely. “Freely ye have received, freely give.”
We praise the Lord for enabling us to publish and send out 5,000 of No. 1; 10,000 of NO. 2; 30,000 of No. 3; again of this issue. Some have received their Pentecost through reading the paper, and we send out every one with a prayer.
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SALVATION AND HEALING.
Through Jesus, we are entitled to health and sanctification of soul and body. Bro. Paul said to the church, Thess. 8.23. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord.” That prayer is being prayed by the Holy Ghost for us today. Jesus prayed that the Father would keep us from evil, which means sickness and all the works of the devil. All sickness is the work of Satan, and we have just as much right to look to Jesus for the health of these bodies as for the saving and sanctifying of our souls.
The sacrifice on Calvary was a two fold sacrifice. When we receive the atonement in all its fullness, we have health and salvation to the uttermost. The prophet said, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our * ******* He gave His blood for the salvation of our souls and He gave a perfect body for these imperfect bodies of ours.
It is by the stripes of Jesus that we are healed. There was never a whip lash put on Jesus’ back * Pilate scourged Him before the judgment bar. The marks that were made on that perfect body of our Savior, the blood that ran down in Pilate’s judgment hall from His stripes, reach our infirmities and cleanse us from all sickness and disease and make us every whit whole.
The Passover lamb was a type of Christ. We find that the Lord commanded the children of Israel, when they were about to come out of Egypt to take a lamb without blemish and kill it and sprinkle the blood at the doors of their houses and eat the body of the lamb in their houses. The blood stood for salvation to save them from the destroyer. So the blood of Jesus saves us from sin, for Satan is not able to make his way through the blood. Now they were to eat the body of the lamb in their very own homes that they might have strength and health that night to go out of Egypt. And out of three million that went out of Egypt, there was not one sick. This was a real type of the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ for soul and body.
We find the Jews afterward kept the Passover. They looked back to their deliverance and commemorated it every year by eating the lamb’s body, the type of our Christ. The body of the lamb pointed to Christ’s body broken for us. So we look back to Calvary, to our Savior who hung and died and gave a perfect body for us.
O remember Calvary. He said at the Passover supper, just before He was crucified, “Take, eat, this is my body.” What for? For health. And He gave them the cup and said, “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins.” So every time we partake of the Lord’s supper, we do it in remembrance of this two-fold salvation for body and soul.
Many are sickly and fall asleep because they do not discern the Lord’s body. They will take a doctor before Jesus. They put a doctor between them and the atonement. Yet they will say, “Lord, Lord,” and do not the things that He says: “Is any afflicted, let him pray. Is any sick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick.” Jas. 5. 13, 15. The doctor gives you poison and you die because you dishonor the atonement. You are sickly, you fall asleep. You come to the Lord’s table and yet you do not believe in full salvation for soul and body. You take the cup and eat the bread, and yet deny the body of the Lord for health and salvation. So you are sick because you do not discern the body of the Lord Jesus.
“Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.” Jno. 6. 53. Dear beloved, this means that we must honor the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ in all its fullness, as David said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgiveth all thine intinuities, who healeth all thy diseases.” Let us take the Lamb’s body through faith in our Lord for salvation and healing of these bodies as we honor His blood for saving and sanctifying our soul and spirit. Amen.
BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
(By F.E. Hill.)
Do you long to be full of joy and free,
To be strong in God and his glory see,
Then obey His word and you shall be,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
CHORUS.
“Ye shall be baptized,” Jesus said.
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Tarry then until with the power endued,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Yes I’ll be baptized with His power,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
‘Tis the gift I see, Father’s promise to me,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Will you consecrate to Him now your all,
Let Him have his way while to Him you call,
As in faith you wait the power will fall,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
“This is that” which fell at Pentecost,
To prepare the church to redeem the lost,
We must then be filled at any cost,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
‘Tis the gift of God to the sanctified,
He will comfort, lead and will be our guide,
And will dwell in us, coming to abide,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Will you gladly fall at the Savior’s feet,
Give your doubtings o’er, and be made complete,
There to dwell in peace, and communion sweet,
Baptized with the Holy Ghost.
You can sing God’s praise now, and by and by,
Ye shall speak with tongues, and shall prophesy,
In the power of God ye shall testify,
Baptized by the Holy Ghost.
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THE ENDUEMENT OF POWER.
The first thing in order to receive this precious and wonderful baptism is to have a clear knowledge of justification by faith, according to Rom. 5.1., “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that all our sins guilt and pollution are washed away. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. We have eternal life in our souls and the Spirit witnesses with our Spirit that we are the children of God.
Now since we are justified by faith, we have access, through the precious blood, to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice for sanctification, which is the second work of grace that cleanses us from inbred sin, inbred disobedience and rebellion. The old man is crucified, the body of sin destroyed. Rom. 6.6., “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. We are made holy by the blood of Jesus, for we have a witness by the Holy Ghost, Heb. 10. 14, 15, “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us.”
But yet this is not the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Many people have taken the promise of the Father to be sanctification, but if we carefully read our Bibles and our references in our Bibles, we will find that sanctification and the baptism with the Holy Spirit are altogether different. We are sanctified through the precious blood of our ******* Jesus died for us-not the Holy Ghost. Praise our God. They were not to tarry in Jerusalem till He should pour out His blood upon them, but tarry for the promise of the Father. John truly baptized with water, but the Lord Jesus was coming to baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire. Jesus said, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence,” and “ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
The baptism with the Holy Ghost is not a work of grace but a gift of power. Sanctification is the second and last work of grace, but the baptism with the Holy Ghost is a gift of power. It is a free gift without repentance. NO consecration to be made in receiving the Holy Spirit. Consecration is all made in sanctification. The Lord Jesus is dwelling within, and you have an unction from the Holy One which teaches you all things. The baptism with the Holy Ghost makes you a witness unto the uttermost parts of the earth. It gives you power to speak in the languages of the nations. So everyone that is really sanctified with a clean heart, and seeks the baptism with the Holy Ghost according to the 2nd chapter of Acts, receives the witness of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. You may not receive the gift of tongues when you receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost, but you receive the witness of tongues, that is to say-you will speak in tongues when you are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
In seeking the baptism with the Holy Spirit do not ask the Lord for tongues. Just pray the Lord to give you the baptism with the Holy Ghost as He gave his disciples, according to the second chapter of Acts, and wait before Him till the Lord verifies His promise in your precious soul.
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It is one thing to be filled with the Holy Ghost, and it is another thing to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. It is one thing to fill a glass with water, and another thing to baptize it with water, that is to hide it out of sight, John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb but not baptized. The Holy Ghost had been in the world all the time. “Holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” He was with Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Enoch and many other men of God, but He was not poured out upon all flesh till the day of Pentecost.
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“Wherefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore, unto Him without the gate bearing His reproach. Dear loved ones, in order to get sanctification, we have to go without the gate. We must leave the beautiful city, the precious temples, fame, honor, position, and go out of the gate. There we will find Jesus, the despised one, hanging between two thieves. It is so sweet to live this sanctified life. Very few people have sanctification in its fullness, which means crucification to self according to Gal. 5. 24:25. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affection’s and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Hallelujah.
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A Pentecostal revival has commenced in the Altamont Bible Institute of South Carolina and one girl received the gift of tongues.
REPENTANCE.
You cannot get this salvation unless you repent and confess your sins. There are so many that cannot get this salvation because they will not make restitution, and God cannot enter into any heart that will hide its sins. “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” You must have Godly sorrow for sins if you want Jesus Christ to come into your heart. You cannot get the blood of Jesus Christ applied to a heart without repentance. God commands men everywhere to repent. Men have robbed, cheated and stolen and yet they do not want to make restitution. They come from time to time to get salvation and God will not hear them. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” God will never hear a man until he repents.
God heard the man that came and said, “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and he went away justified. God pardoned because he repented. When you come to God, you must have the foundation of repentance. Confess your sins and He is faithful and just to forgive you. But He will not accept anybody that will cloak their sin. Be honest with your own heart today and get the devil exposed and accept Christ.
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THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST FORESHADOWED.
We read in Ex. 25, 8, 9, that God spoke to Moses and said, “Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them, according to all that show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”
Dear loved ones, the Lord Jesus is the true tabernacle that God pitched and not man. The tabernacle in the wilderness was made after the pattern of the heavenly tabernacle which God showed Moses in the holy mount. We now have the true pattern which is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.
We first come to the court of the tabernacle where we find the brazen altar, where whole burn offerings are made. When we first came, we were dead in trespasses and sins and could make no offering for we had no life in our souls. But we found Jesus as a sacrifice upon that altar. He pardons us of our sins and plants the new birth in our souls. We are justified and saved and our names written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Then we go on to the Holy Place to consecrate ourselves. There we find the believer’s altar which is the golden altar. We sanctify ourselves and consecrate ourselves to God as a living sacrifice, and we find the precious blood in the Holy Place that sanctifies and cleanses us from all sin, crucifies the old man, the body of sin and carnality, and makes us holy. We had to have eternal life in our souls in order to consecrate ourselves. Here we feed upon Christ, for the breed in the Holy Palace typifies the bread of life. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Here also is the golden candlestick that sheds its light continually day and night, supplied by the holy oil. We are now the sons and daughters of God and entitled to the earnest of our inheritance, which is the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Then we enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus. There is the ark of the covenant overshadowed by the wings of the cherubim, and over the ark the great * glory, a ** by night and *** baptism with the Holy Spirit. There is no altar in the Holy of Holies for our consecration is all made in the Holy Place when we are sanctified. But we find the ark of the covenant covered with pure gold and within Aaron’s * that budded, which stands for justification in Christ Jesus, also the pot of hidden manna which Moses took and hid in the ark, which represents sanctification; and the tables of stone on which God wrote Himself in the mount, which stands for the baptism with the Holy Ghost, for when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit we are sealed in the forehead until His coming.
Here the great Shekina glory rests upon us day and night, and we are filled and thrilled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The incense is going up continually from our souls. In the Holy Place, the oil was renewed from day to day, but when we get the baptism with the Holy Ghost it oils us up continually, from the throne of God. In the Holy Place we had the streams of salvation but in the Holy of Holies, we have the rivers, for Jesus said, “Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers of living water, and this spoke He of the Spirit for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
There are two works of grace plainly shown in the tabernacle by the two altars-the brazen altar and the golden altar, the Holy of Holies, is the gift of power upon the sanctified, cleansed life. Glory to our God. The ark of the covenant represents our Lord Jesus Christ and in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In the Lord Jesus, we receive all of these gifts and graces. We must build according to the divine plan.
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SANCTIFIED BEFORE PENTECOST.
By reading the Bible carefully, you can see that the disciples were saved and sanctified men and had received the unction of the Holy Spirit, before the day of Pentecost.
Jesus said in John 15,3, before He was crucified, “Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” And in John 17. 15-17, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Ranctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth.” Jesus is the world and the truth, so they were sanctified through the truth that very night that He prayed for them.
He told Peter that Satan desired to sift him as wheat, but He had prayed the Father for him that his faith fall not. So Satan could not go beyond the Lord’s prayer. “And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” This did not mean that Peter was not converted, but Jesus knew the great temptation that Peter was to be confronted with, and He meant when he should have been delivered, to strengthen the brethren.
Peter did deny the Lord Jesus, but as soon as he denied him, he went out and wept bitterly, and God pardoned him. So when our Lord Jesus rose. He told the angel to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee, “and Peter.” When Peter heard that he was very happy to know that the Lord had taken him back.
We find in John 20. 21,22, Jesus said to the disciples, “Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted, and whosesoever sins ye retain, the are retained.” This was the power the Lord Jesus gave the disciples before they received their personal Pentecost.
We find by a careful study of the Word, that they had all eight of the nine gifts of the Spirit before Pentecost, except the gift of tongues. They had the gifts of healing, discernment, wisdom, prophesy, etc. The gift of tongues was reserved for the day of Pentecost to be a sign and evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost.
The disciples were filled with the unction of the Holy Spirit, the anointing, before the day of Pentecost when Jesus breathed on them. This sustained them till they were endued with power from on high.
So in the first chapter of Acts, Jesus taught His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father. This was not to wait for sanctification. His blood had been split on Calvary’s cross. He was not going to send His blood to cleanse them from carnality but His Spirit to endue them with power. They went up to Jerusalem praising and blessing God with great joy. They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. They had perfect faith and perfect obedience to Jesus’ command and no divisions among them. They were not on their knees but sitting when the Holy Ghost fell upon them, simply waiting for the gift of power.
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.”
Then Peter arose and said to the multitude that came running together. “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” He did not say God would cleanse their hearts by His blood from carnality, but pour out His Spirit. Amen. That is what He is doing in Los Angeles, pouring out His Spirit upon sanctified souls and the same signs are following.
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COUNTERFEITS.
God has told us in His precious word that we should know a tree by its fruit. Wherever we find the real, we find the counterfeit also. But praise God for the real. We find in the time of Peter, when men and women were receiving the power of the Holy Ghost, the counterfeit appeared in Annanias and Saphira. But God’s power was mightier than all the forces of hell, so their sin found them out. Be careful, dear loved ones for your sin will surely find you out. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
In our meetings, we have had people to come and claim that they had received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, but when they were put to the test by the Holy Spirit, they were found wanting. So they got down and got saved and sanctified and baptized with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues by the Holy Spirit. And again people have imitated the gift of tongues, but how quickly the Holy Spirit would reveal to every one of the true children that had the Pentecostal baptism,***** til the counterfeits were silenced and condemned. God’s promises are true and sure.
People are trying to imitate the work of the Holy Ghost these days, just as they did when the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh in Ex. 7,8, and gave him a miracle or sign to show before Pharaoh, that when Aaron should cast his rod before Pharaoh, it should become a serpent. So when Pharaoh saw that Aaron’s rod had become a serpent, he called for his wise men and the counterfeit sorcerers and magicians of Egypt. They also did in like manner with their enchantments, for they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents, but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. So the power of the Holy Ghost in God’s people today condemns and swallows up the counterfeit. It digs up and exposes all the power of Satan-Christian Science, Theosophy, and Spiritualism-all are uncovered before the Son of God. Glory to God.
Spiritualists have come to our meetings and had the demons cast out of them and have been saved and sanctified. Christian Scientists have come to the meetings and had the Christian Science demons cast out of them and have accepted the blood. Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.
People have come to this place full of demons and God has cast them out, and they have gone out crying with loud voices. Then when all the demons were cast out, they got saved, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost, clothed in their right minds and filled with glory and power.
Dear loved ones, it is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, saith the Lord. “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” These were Jesus departing words. May you tarry until you receive your personal Pentecost. Amen.
-W.J. Seymour.
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“SIGNS SHALL FOLLOW.”
Jesus said in Mark 16, 17, 18, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” He told them to, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” What did this mean? It meant to preach healing, preach casting out of devils, preach that these signs shall follow them that believe, preach all the doctrine of Jesus. If they had preached only a part of the Gospel, would the signs have followed? These signs shall follow them that believe-not them that doubt or believe a part but those that are simple enough and honest enough to believe every word of Jesus. We must believe it all, for if only a part is true, or if anything is changed in His commission of the Gospel to the world. It would not be a perfect Gospel. So a return to the full Gospel brings a return of the signs following them that believe.
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Mother Wheaton, who has visited and worked for souls in the prisons of the United States and Europe, has been with us in Los Angeles tarrying for her Pentecost, also Bro. A.S. Worrell, editor of the Gospel Witness, and translator of the New Testament.
THE TRUE PENTECOST.
In Acts 2.4, we have the Bible standard and sample of what Pentecost is. It was the first Pentecost that ever came to the world. “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” So this is the Bible standard till Jesus comes.
Then we have another example of Pentecost when Peter preached the first sermon to a Gentile congregation at the house of Cornelius. It was like the first Pentecost. “While Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” Acts. 10. 44-46.
Again we have the account of Pentecost being poured out at Ephesus and again I, was like the first Pentecost. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” Acts. 19.6.
In all three cases of the outpouring of Pentecost above mentioned the same evidence was manifest, the speaking in tongues. The Holy Ghost gave us these three incidents, of companies that received the Holy Ghost all at once, and besides this we know that the Apostle Paul had the gift and that others in the Corinthian the gift and that others in the Corinthian church had the gift.
Now the question is asked why did not all in the Corinthian church speak with tongues?
Paul in the 12th of First Corinthians, was setting the church in order, that there should be no schism in the body of Christ. Here is a brother who is justified and there is a brother who is sanctified. Now neither of them speak in tongues. In our body here, we have some justified who have just been saved. The next thing we do is to teach him he needs a clean heart, to be sanctified in the precious blood of Jesus Christ. He goes on and gets that. Then we show him he needs his Pentecostal baptism and speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. When he receives his Pentecost, he will speak in tongues.
So concerning prophesying, Paul says, “Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues.” We can have all the nine gifts as well as the nine fruits of the Spirit, for in Christ Jesus, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Paul is simply teaching the church to be in unity and not to be confused because all have not the same gifts. We are not confused because one has his Pentecost and another has not been sanctified. We do not say that we do not need the justified or the sanctified brother simply because he does not speak with tongues or does not prophesy; but we realize that it takes the justified, the sanctified and the Pentecost brother all to make up the body of Christ. You may have the gift of wisdom, healing, prophesy, etc. But when you get the Pentecost, the Lord God will speak through you in tongues.
“He that prophesieth is greater than he that speaks with tongues, except he interpret.” So the brother that prophesies is no greater than the brother that speaks in tongues, if the brother interprets as he speaks. We have a good many here that interpret as they speak and it is edifying ***** the gift in you will only ask the Lord for them.
In the 14th of I. Corinthians, Paul is setting us in order that have the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues, that we should not get puffed up and think because one is justified or sanctified and does not speak with tongues he has not as much religion as we have. People in getting into deep spiritual things, and into the hidden mysteries of God, have to keep very humble at the feet of the Lord Jesus, for these precious gifts can easily puff us up, if we do not keep under the blood.
Paul is speaking to people that had been carried away with dumb idols, but now the Holy Spirit was being poured out upon them, and it was so sweet to their souls that they almost commenced worshiping the gift instead of the Giver. Instead of magnifying the blood, they were all after the gifts. The Lord wants us to seek the Giver and the Blesser instead of the gift and the blessing.
So we can truly say that we believe that everyone that receives their Pentecost has a witness in speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives them utterance, as the 120 received on the day of Pentecost. That was a lesson to the church and a sample to the church what the baptism with the Holy Spirit means to prepare us to be witnesses unto all the world. Glory to our God. Amen.
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When we receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, we may sing in tongues, because the Lord drops down sweet anthems from the paradise of God, electrifying every heart. Many times we do not need these song books of earth, but the Lord simply touches us by His mighty Spirit and we have no need of organs or pianos, for the Holy Ghost plays the piano in all our hearts, and then gives the interpretation of the song and sings it in the English language. It is so sweet. It is heaven below.
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HE BORE OUR SICKNESS.
Can a man have salvation and yet his body be afflicted, which is the work of demons? Yes, we may have salvation and yet disease of the body for, “though our outward man perisheth, the inward man is renewed day by day.” Job said when Satan had afflicted his body, “I know that my Redeemer liveth. * * * And though after my skin worms shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job. 19.26, 27. So though demons were in his flesh, he had Christ within his soul. The demons had afflicted his body with sickness, but yet his soul was free from sin. But did he send for a doctor? No, his trust was in his God, and God delivered him and gave him twice as much as he had before. God has always been the healer of His people, for He says, “I am the Lord, thy God that healeth thee.”
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. What would Christ’s body look like if a mass of cancers and sickness? On the cross, He carried our griefs and bore our sickness. We have healing for our bodies as well as salvation for our souls in the atonement of Jesus. So when we receive this light, it is our duty to seek for healing of our bodies.
OTHER PENTECOSTAL SAINTS.
A message was sent us from a people in New England states who received the Pentecost before we did. As Bro. A.J. Rawson an evangelist of 15 Eliott St, Swampscott, Mass., received one of the Apostolic Faith papers and was reading it to his wife who is also an evangelist and has the gift of tongues, she broke out in tongues and interpreted. Her husband wrote the interpretation in English, and sent it to us, and we feel it is of God for His people. The message is as follows:
“This work is of God that you are reading of. Let no one put their hand on it. Let all press in and have their part. God has many richer blessings for His faithful children. Seek Him earnestly and pray for His gifts which are a witness of the Spirit.”
They also write, “We are with you in the Spirit in this last work of God. We are rejoiced to hear of those having the gifts of the Spirit according to 1 Cor. 12. There have been a few of God’s children in New England, in Pennsylvania and Virginia who have believed for years that all these gifts were for the church, and they have been nicknamed the “Gift People.” They have had all the gifts including tongues, but it seems but a few drops preceding the rain and now the work seems to fulfill the “latter rain.” There are a godly number of people here in the east ready to fellowship this work. We believe it is a token of the soon coming of the Lord. Amen.”
The Lord also has some Pentecostal saints in Minnesota whom we have just heard of and we rejoice to hear from these witnesses.
Audobon, Minn.
Grace and peace unto you be multiplied. A copy of the Apostolic Faith has been sent to us, and we were much blest when we read and saw that God baptized His children with the Holy Ghost exactly the same way as He has done here. It is two years ago since God began to baptize His children in this place and some are talking with tongues, some have the gift of prophecy, etc. Others fall under the power of God and He shows them wonderful things that all seem to come unto these words, ‘Get ready, I am coming soon.’ Glory to God. But it is few that believe it is from God. The world’s people and church members and preachers say it is of the devil, so we are well separated from the world, and soon we will be separated forever and be together with Jesus and His holy people.”
Snowflake, Manitoba.
“I am in sympathy with your work, am baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, and have received the gift of some as yet unknown tongue or tongues. It first came two years ago, and is proving more distinct and real. Believe God is preparing me for some special work in some part of His vineyard.”-John Loney.
God has been working thus in different parts of the world pouring out His Spirit upon others with signs following even as on us in Los Angeles. We realize that we are in the time of the “latter rain” preceding His coming.
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ALASKA BROTHER PROVES ACTS 1.8.
I was born at Louisville, Ky., on May 17, 1850. My parents were Irish Catholics so of course I was brought up in that faith. I followed the occupation of a drummer for 17 years, representing different houses during that time. ***** found me on the dock ** Ohio, friendless, homeless, Godless, a confirmed drunkard without hope. I went into the Floating Bethel and there heard that Jesus Christ came into the world to save the lost. I was the black sheep of a family of ten children. I was lost in the mountains of sin, but, thank God, that day I heard the Shepherd’s voice calling for me. I dropped on my knees, an ungodly drummer, and arose to my feet a new creature in Christ Jesus, and immediately began telling the story of God’s grace; and I have been at it ever since and expect to stick to it until Jesus comes.
The 30th day of October 1897, I was wholly sanctified through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. And yet there was at times a great hungering in my soul for something, I scarcely knew what. I would plead the promise of Jesus in Acts 1, 8, “Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Yet I stuck to the teaching that when we were sanctified, we were baptized with the Holy Ghost. Still that hunger and feeling of lack of power was always with me.
About three years ago, God began to talk to me and show me there was more for me. I would fast and pray and examine myself by the word of God to see if I was wholly sanctified. The Holy Spirit would witness that my heart was clean. Hallelujah. And yet that longing in my soul. While in Alaska last summer, I would arise at two o’clock in the morning, go away alone in the mountains and spend hours in prayer for the power of God to come on me in greater measure. I would get wonderfully blest, but would be back at it again the next morning, praying for God to give me the dynamite from heaven.
Thank God, I have received Him. Two months ago, a paper was given me, telling of the wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Los Angeles. Just as soon as I could, I packed my grip and left Alaska for Los Angeles, arriving there Oct. 5th. The night following found me at the altar seeking the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire. (Matt. 2.11.) Praise God, before I left the altar I received my Pentecost and the gift of tongues, and am speaking in many different languages. I am soon expecting to start around the world preaching full salvation as I go, trusting my heavenly Father to supply all my needs. I am saved, sanctified, healed, and baptized with the Holy Ghost. Glory to God.
-H.M. Turney, San Jose, Cal., Gen. Del.
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CAME 3,000 MILES FOR HIS PENTECOST.
About two months ago, I began to read in the Way of Faith the reports of the meetings in Azusa Mission, Los Angeles. I had been preaching holiness for nine years, but my soul began to hunger and thirst for the fullness of God. The Spirit led me more and more to seek my Pentecost. After praying and weeping before God for many days. He put it into my heart to go to Los Angeles to seek the baptism with the Holy Ghost. My wife prayed and wept with me till we both got the witness that it was the will of God for me to go. The devil fought me and laid the hand of affliction on my wife, and I felt it almost impossible for me to come. The night I left home, wife and I prayed and wept before the Lord and God gave the victory, and we both consented on our knees that if we died we would be in the order of the Lord and that God would take us home. I immediately rose and took my valise in hand, went to the depot, and started for Los Angeles. Glory to God. I was six days on the road, was fasting and praying to the Lord continually. As soon as I reached Azusa Mission, a new crucifiction began in my life and I had to die to many things, but God gave me the victory.
The first altar call I went forward in earnest for my Pentecost. I struggled from Sunday till Thursday. While seeking in an upstairs room in the Mission, the Lord opened up the windows of heaven and the light of God began to flow over me in such power as never before. I then went into the room where the service was held, and while Sister Lum was reading of how the Holy Ghost was falling in other places, before I knew it, I began to speak in tongues and praise God. A brother interpreted some of the words to be, “I love God with all my soul.” He filled me with His Spirit and love, and I am now feasting and drinking at the fountain continually and speak as the Spirit gives utterance, both in my own language and in the unknown language. I find that all has to be surrendered to God, our own language and all, and He speaks through us English, German, Greek or any other tongue in His own will and way.
The Lord also healed my body. I had been afflicted with rheumatism for years, and at a healing service held here, I was anointed and prayed for and was immediately healed of rheumatism and catarrh, and have a sound body and clothed in my right mind.
-G.B. Cashwell, Dunn, N.C.
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BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
When I first attended these Apostolic Faith meetings, I was very much puzzled because I tried to understand it with my head only, and was in doubt as to its being of God. But at the same time, the desire in my heart which had been there for years for something beyond sanctification, became more intense and gave me no rest till I inquired further into the teaching. The Spirit opened my eyes and understanding and helped me to see that this was the very thing for which I had been hungering. So when my own understanding and my notions got out of the way, God in His mercy baptized me with the Holy Ghost on the 15th of last September. No one had their hands on me at the time. I was meeting God alone and the Holy Ghost fell on me like balls of fire, and went through me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. The Spirit flooded my whole being and enlarged my heart till I was afraid the vessel might not hold the glory and power that seemed to rush into me like water poured out. Before I realized it, the Spirit got hold of my tongue and used it for the glory of God in speaking in an unknown tongue.
In regard to the languages given here, I can testify that they are real languages, because I have interpreted not less than five messages given by different persons, spoken in languages of British, India, which languages I know personally, having lived in India.
GEO. E. BERG, 1350 Channing St., Los Angeles.
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BAPTIZED IN NEW YORK.
Bro. T.B. Barratt, 150 Fifth avenue, N. Y. City, who is an M.E. minister in charge of mission work in Norway and Sweden and came to this country to prepare to establish a line of missions in his country, and who is **** Norwegian paper ** the outpouring of Pentecost, ** obtained his personal Pentecost. He writes as follows:
“Dear Friends in Los Angeles:-Glory to God! Tongues of fire have descended and His wondrous power has been displayed. The fire fell on the 7th of October. Since then I have been seeking the full Bible evidence,-the gift of tongues. Have prayed up to twelve hours a day. It’s over a month since the fire fell the first time, and often since then the Lord has been filling, filling, filling the vessel. O Glory! I have felt the strange workings at my jaws and tongue several times, and at last I was able to claim that these signs were God’s answer to me, that the gift was for me and that I had it already, and that it would soon work by the power of God.
“The Lord was going to make this a public testimony of His power. I was not therefore to have it in my little room but among friends. It was at a meeting in a little hall. The power was very great. We could not close and I determined to stay, God helping, till the victory was won. What a scene we had. Some were seeking sanctification and others the baptism with fire, and I the gift of tongues or any other the Lord saw fit to send me.
“Sister Maud Williams who got the blessing in Ontario, Canada and has the gift of tongues, laid her hands on my head and after that I had no more strength in me, although I am physically very strong now. I lay on the floor by the platform in a reclining position. At about half past twelve I asked a brother there and Sister Leatherman to lay their hands on my head again. And just then she says she saw a crown of fire and cloven tongues over my head. The brother saw a supernatural light.
“Immediately I was filled with light and such a power that I began to shout as loud as I could in a foreign language. Between that and four o’clock in the morning. I must have spoken seven or eight languages, to judge from the various sounds and forms of speech used. I stood erect at times preaching in one foreign tongue after another, and I know from the strength of my voice that 10,000 might easily have heard all I said. Nine persons remained till three o’clock and are witnesses of the whole scene. The most wonderful moment though was when I burst into a beautiful baritone solo, using one of the most pure and delightful languages I have ever heard. The tune and words were entirely new to me, and the rhythm and cadence of the verses and chorus seemed to be perfect. I sang several times later on. Some of the languages spoken produced a nasal sound and some a Jeep guttural sound. Oh it was wonderful. Glory! Hallelujah!
“That night will never be forgotten by any who were there. Now and then after a slight pause, the words would rush forth like a cataract. At times I had seasons of prayer in the Spirit when all New York, the United States, Norway, all Scandinavia and Europe, my loved ones and friends lay like an intense burden on my soul. Oh what power was given in prayer. My whole being was at times as if it were on fire inside, and then I would quiet down into sweet songs in a foreign language. Oh what praises to God arose from my soul for His mercy. I felt strong as a lion and know now where David and Sampson got their strength from. Today I have been speaking and singing in tongues wherever I have been. Glory to God. Go on praying.”
MIRACLES IN SALEM.
Our hearts are full of joy and the Holy Ghost. Wife is very happy and sings and prays and talks to God all the day long, sometimes in tongues for hours while about her work. God is doing wonders here. Father and Mother Slipley have received their Pentecost. While at service yesterday, father sang, prayed and preached for over an hour in tongues. The power was on him mightily and hunger and wonder on the people. Some of those who have received their Pentecost are now receiving other new tongues, myself including. Remarkable singing came upon me one Sunday night in far greater power than when I was in Los Angeles.
Sister Margie Downing has been healed of a cancer which had eaten her femur bone entirely in two and four physicians pronounced her incurable and that she might die at any time. They said her entire abdominal parts were a mass of cancer. The hole eaten by the cancer was deep enough to hold a quart of water. This hole, eaten by the cancer, is nearly filled up with new flesh and healed over. God is confounding the people.
People from a distance are here seeking the Pentecost. Prominent officials and state officers attend regularly, also many university students and professors. The country about here is stirred. People in Portland and preachers are beginning to pray that this movement may not come to Portland. I predict that it will strike there with terrific force. O pray, pray for us mightily. The great battle is now on. I send you clippings to let you know how the devil is advertising the meetings. The country is ripe for the harvest.
All the Lord’s, M.L. Ryan, Salem, Ore.
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ARRESTED FOR JESUS’ SAKE.
I came from Frisco to Los Angeles five days after the earthquake and heard about these Pentecostal people. I visited their meetings and looked on rather critically. At first I opposed and openly fought them and said it was the devil. The result was I backslid altogether and had to go back and ask forgiveness and do my first works over again, even down to having the devils cast out of me. Afterward I received pardon and the cleansing blood again through fasting and prayer and much study of the word. Eight weeks ago, I received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and spoke with new tongues.
Four days after I received the baptism, while in secret prayer at my bedside, I was let of the Spirit to pray in an unknown language for nearly all the world. When I got through the Spirit led me to go down and see a sister and her husband, Bro. and Sister Turner, a blessedly sanctified man and wife. I obeyed and found them both sitting out in their back yard, and as I came in they all commenced to praise the Lord with weeping and crying, as I was speaking in an unknown tongue. The Lord then led me to lay hands on them both and on a young sister that was there visiting them (Acts. 19.6) and all three of them spoke in new tongues and glorified God.
I then got on the car to attend our Bible school up at Azusa St. Mission. I got off close to our mission and saw two colored police officers with whom I was slightly acquainted, and felt led to speak to them of what the Lord had done for my soul. I commenced speaking in an unknown language and they said I was crazy and carried me to the station. While waiting for the patrol wagon at the corner, I was enabled to preach to quite a crowd of people. I also preached up at the police headquarters in both English and in unknown language. They put me in among the prisoners. I continued to preach and they quickly took me out of there and carried me into the emergency hospital and kept me in there all night. I preached a good part of the night to them and they listened very attentively. Before morning, they were all my friends. One of the attendants interpreted one of the languages that I spoke as the Kru language, a tribe in Africa that he was acquainted with.
Of course a charge of insanity was filed against me by the officers the day before, and I had to be taken before the superior court judge for commitment until the board of insanity sat for the following day upon my case. So my trial was set for the following day. I was then taken to the County Hospital over night and had a blessed time with the Lord in my cell there. The superintendent came in and had quite a talk with me and assured me that he saw nothing crazy about me and that I need not have any fears about being released. At my trial the next morning, the Lord permitted me to speak in the Italian language and one of the judges understood it, and I was discharged without having to call a single witness, though there were a number in the court that wanted to testify in my behalf.
A few days after my trial I felt the Lord wanted me to go down to Whittier, one of the little suburban towns near Los Angeles where some of our people had already started a meeting with considerable persecution. The band had just been arrested for praying in their own home charged with making an unusual noise and disturbing the peace of the neighborhood. One of our brothers was given thirty days in jail for this offense. I and five other brothers have continued the meeting ever since, in the face of many threats.
A couple of weeks ago, they arrested us for disturbing the peace while holding a street meeting. We praised the Lord and the marshal and his deputies put their hands over our mouths and choked us quite severely without avail. One brother was handcuffed. We had trial by jury and took no counsel but the Lord. We plead the case and the Lord was with us. The court was full of people. During the trial, we all broke out in the unknown language and made quite a commotion in the court. We were then threatened by the court at the suggestion of the city attorney, to fine or imprisonment for contempt of court, if we attempted it again. The trial went on, and the attorney made his plea, and we made answer in the name of the Lord. The court and jury were moved to tears. The city attorney then got up and spoke evil of us, saying that we had those tongues all fixed up to suit ourselves and that we all know just when to break out, calling the attention of the court to the fact of how quiet we had all kept since we were threatened by the court for contempt, as evidence that we were afraid to do it again. He had scarcely got the words out of his mouth before the Lord gave him a heavy rebuke in unknown tongues. He was so confounded and confused that he could say no more and sat down. The jury went out and stayed from 3 p.m. to 11:30 and disagreed and were discharged. Another trial was set for November 23rd, by the city attorney. Since that time, he has lost his position. Another judge has been elected. The case was dropped.
We are continuing to hold meetings and the Lord is blessing, saving, sanctifying and baptizing with the Holy Ghost giving new tongues.-A Worker.
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Some people drove 500 miles by wagon to Los Angeles to seek the Pentecost.
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Letters to workers and foreign missionaries will be forwarded on to them from the Apostolic Faith office, also we will send on any offerings for workers or missionaries.
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Dear loved ones, if you are seeking your personal Pentecost, do not get discouraged, but pray until you are filled to the uttermost. For the Lord Jesus says, “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Do not stop because you do not receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit the first time you pray, but continue until you are filled. The Lord Jesus told His disciples to “tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.” He did not say how long they were to tarry, but He did say, “until ye be endued.” Many are willing to tarry just so long, and then give up and fail to receive their Pentecost that would measure up with the Bible.
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A sister in Pueblo, Colorado who has the gift of tongues was on her way to the mission when she met a man and invited him to the mission. He said, “What is the use of speaking in tongues, when you do not know what you are saying?” Immediately she began speaking in a tongue she had never spoken in before. The man turned white, and seeing a street car coming, he left her and caught the car, endangering himself by so doing. They learned afterward that the Holy Ghost was telling him in a language which he understood, the wicked life he was living and crimes he had committed. So he found out one use of the gift of tongues. Several incidents of this kind have come to our knowledge.
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If we ask our Father for bread, He will not give us a stone; if we ask Him for a fish, He will not give us a serpent; if we ask for an egg, He will not give us a scorpion. We would not treat our children that way, and how much more will our Father in heaven give good things to them that ask Him. Never let the hosts of hell make you believe that while you live under the blood, honoring the blood, and pleading through the blood for blessings from the throne, that God will let Satan get through the blood and put a serpent into you. There is no way for Satan to make his way through the blood. “And they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” The devil cannot act through you and talk through you, if you are God’s child and baptized with the Holy Ghost.
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Many endorse Jesus, they fancy Him, but they cannot believe His doctrine. To them Jesus says, “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?” He has gone to prepare a place for us and He is coming again to receive us unto Himself, that where He is there we may be also. But the only way to meet Him and be with Him is to believe His doctrine. We that are not sanctified, if we hear the truth and reject it, will not be able to be with Him and reign with Him.
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Sister Hutchins wrote from New York on the way to Monrovia, Liberia, Africa. The Lord used us to His glory in Chattanooga. He set that town on fire. Praise His name. The dear ones did not want to see us leave, but the will of God must be down. The last meeting we had with the people was beside the train that brought us away. Under the shed there was where the Lord used me last in that city. He sang and preached through me and some confessed their sins and asked, what shall I do to be saved? Some promised to live a better life. O glory to Jesus. While on the train, we preached the Word and some received it with joy. We hope to set sail for Africa soon. Pray that God may use us on the boat to the salvation of souls. Love to all the dear saints.”
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A passage of scripture that has been spoken in many unknown tongues and interpreted is that beautiful text, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Also the following tests were interpreted messages, “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these sings shall follow thee that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”
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Sister Ida Ritchie of 1147 Sheridan Road, Chicago, has received her Pentecost. She writes, “I shall never forget that night. I was about two hours receiving words in different languages and songs in the Spirit. O what a great joy it is to me to know that I can go with the language and songs and the love of God to the dying, famishing heathen. How I treasure the privileges and gifts. O how precious to be born in this age.”
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Bro. G.W. Batman writes from New York City, “We have been having great meetings in the little mission here. Many souls have received the baptism and talk in tongues. To my surprise, Stephen Merritt requested me to speak last Sunday forenoon in his large tabernacle, and the Lord helped me in a wonderful way, and some souls were seeking the baptism. Praise God. I am stronger in the Lord since we came here than in Los Angeles. We expect a few more wonderful days before we sail for Monrovia, Liberia, Africa Dec. 8. That will be our future address.”
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A late report from Bro. Junk of Seattle, Wash., says, “We have been greatly blest here. About 24 or 26 souls have been baptized, among them are about eight children from seven to fourteen years of age. The devil is raging terribly.”
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We are so glad to hear that dear Sister Shiply, Bro. Ryan’s mother in Salem Ore., has received the Pentecost. Last Sunday she received many languages, one of them being that of the Kalamath Indians, and sang in some of the Indian chanting songs. She also gave prophesies and messages to the people and interpreted. People are stirred and amazed at the miracles God is doing. A preacher who has been on the investigation order, heard a sister from Washington speak in Hindustani, which he was enough acquainted with to understand some of the words and it convinced him of the genuineness of the work.
Bro. F.M. Cook writes that he had a call to Africa three years ago, so in obedience to the Lord he went to New York and there unexpectedly he found some of the Los Angeles saints and Sister Farrow and Bro. Batman laid their hands upon him and he received his Pentecost and spoke in an African dialect. So now he is one of the Apostolic Faith band for the West coast of Africa.
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Bro. O. Adams of Monrovia, Cal., reports from 782 Queen street, Toronto, Canada, that a number there are seeking the Pentecostal baptism, and one sister has been baptized with the Holy Ghost and to her great surprise began speaking in tongues.
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Friends that appreciate this paper and want it sent regularly, may send in their address to the Apostolic Faith, 312 Azusa street, Los Angeles, Cal., and the paper will be sent free as long as the Lord permits. Please write names and addresses very plainly. Notify us of change of address. We will send a roll of samples to those who are interested in distributing them to hungry souls.
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Let us praise God for this wonderful day of grace. Jesus said to Sathanael, “Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.” We are going to see greater things. O let us trust Him and yield to Him. Let us wait very earnestly upon Him. Take time to wait on God and pray. If we all keep low down at the feet of Jesus and give Him all the honor and glory, all the power and signs of Pentecost will be restored.
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It is a blessed place at the feet of Jesus, looking up into the Master’s face. Mary found her place at His feet. She did not seek to touch His head or His shoulders, but was content with a place at His feet looking up into His face. And it pleased Jesus, and He said, “Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.” Our highest place is low at His feet.
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Sister M.E. Judy writes from Columbus, Ohio, that they have a tarrying meeting there and others in different towns are tarrying with them in Spirit. She says, “Last Sunday a burden of prayer came upon the people in our humble little church in such power that our minister had no opportunity to preach, just said a few words on, “This is that” and closed.
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Bro. A.H. Post, who has charge of the work in Pasadena is being much used of God. The Lord has been working with them in great power there. Bro. Post comes into the meetings in Los Angeles and encourages us with his messages from the throne and with the unction and divine love with which God fills Him. This is a little message that the Spirit spoke through him and interpreted, “Our blessed Lord is in our midst. Hallelujah! He is anointing His dear ones to go forth to the ends of the earth with the old time Gospel to set men free and give them power to do His holy will. Our Christ is just at the very gates ready to pour forth His grace and power. Go ye forth into all the world and preach this Gospel.”
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Sister Mary Perkins, who works in the Apostolic Faith * says, “When I first * from ** here last May, I heard of these meetings and came down to see. I had not been in the house an hour before I knew God’s Spirit was here, and I commenced seeking the baptism with the Holy Ghost. And, glory to God, He came and completely deluged my soul and body, until I hardly knew whether I was in the body or out. And as the Holy Ghost came upon me, I saw Jesus sitting upon a cloud looking at me and at the congregation, and He said He was coming soon. My tongue commenced to move, and I spoke in an unknown tongue as the Spirit gave utterance. In prayer I often speak in a foreign tongue and at home or in meeting, I often am moved to speak in tongues. Bless God! Glory!-Mrs. Mary P. Perkins.
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If you are not healed, the fault in either in you or in Jesus Christ. Which is it? Be honest with yourself and get the fault out of the way. Get rid of the cause. There is nothing can stop my healing by myself. God is not a moment behind in doing His work.
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Bro. G.B. Cashwell who came from North Carolina for his Pentecost, has returned on his way rejoicing to carry the good news of the Pentecost to the hungry souls there. He had faith in God that the money would be provided for his fare to return, and the Lord provided it and he trusted the Lord for a suit of clothes and the Lord gave him a suit. So the trip was one of faith and the Lord made it a great blessing.
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A little girl in Whittier lately received her Pentecost while the people in the room were silently praying and she began to sing in an unknown tongue, “Where He leads me, I will follow.” Then she was filled with great joy and said her name was written in heaven and she was sealed unto the day of redemption.
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Sister Lucy Farrow wrote from New York that she had started for Africa. About two hundred souls had been saved in Portsmouth and most of them were speaking in tongues. She sends love to the saints and asks your prayers.
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We are receiving letters from all over the world, requesting prayers that they might receive their Pentecost and also healing. And almost every day we are getting returns that prayer has been heard. Handkerchiefs are sent in letters to be anointed and blest for healing, and we do so, and bless God, He hears and answers prayer. One instance comes to our mind now of a little baby about a year old, who was very sick with a high fever. The parents sent a handkerchief to be prayed over. It was blest and sent back, and when it was laid on the child’s face, almost immediately the fever left her, and in a half hour it was playing around and well. Praise our Christ for His matchless power.
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Every child is born with inherited sin in its heart like a little plant. When a sinner comes to Christ and gets saved, the fruits of sin are cut off and the fruits of the Spirit appear. But the stump of the sin plant is still there and will give us trouble. The best thing to do is to get the old stump out. Then we have a pure heart like Adam before he went into sin. Then we can pray for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is a gift from God.
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FROM LOS ANGELES TO HOME AND FOREIGN FIELDS.
Workers are constantly going out trusting God alone for their support. A Band of six missionaries left for Africa. They are Bro. and Sister S.J. Mead, Bro. and Sister Robert Shideler, and Bro. and Sister G.W. Batman. Address them at Longs Temperance Hotel, Liverpool, England, Lime St. They are going to two points in Africa. God bless them and make them a great blessing. We must keep them on our hearts in prayer for they are our brothers and sisters.
Some who have left for home fields are H.M. Turney for San Jose; J.G. Wilkin, for points north; Bro. G. Zigler, Swanton, Ohio; F.E. Hill, J.C. Mackey, Bro. and Sister Lopez for San Diego; Ivy Campbell, T.W. Sargent, and Bro. and Sister W.H. Miller for points in Ohio; and Bro. and Sister Eric Hollingsworth en route to Sweden. The Lord is sending revivals everywhere that workers have gone that are baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. Many more are being fitted up and called for the field, for the fields are white ready for the harvest.
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EN ROUTE TO AFRICA.
Bro. and Sister G.W. Batman who last wrote from New York on their way to Monrovia, Liberia, Africa, are tried and true workers and have the enduement of power from on high and the fitness of the gift of tongues. Their faith was severely tested as to their fare. A brother who paid the most of their fare was praying the night before they left that the Lord would give him some revelation. So that night the Lord showed him a lamb that was tied and told him to loose it and as he did so, a great Shekina glory shone in the room. The Lord showed him later that it meant the missionaries he was to be the means of sending on their way. They started with faith in God though they were taking their three little children and their destination is called the “white man’s graveyard.” They did not have more than their fare to New York. They have the gift of healing and we believe God will wonderfully use them among those darkened souls.
Bro. G.W. Batman’s Testimony.
I was converted nine years ago, and got a know-so salvation-no guess work about it. I repented of my sins and forsook them, accepting the Lord as my Savior. Praise God. A few years later, I fasted and prayed for about three days and during that time I put off the old man Adam in the form of labred sin and God came in and destroyed the devil’s workshop by casting his tools on the outside. Praise God I got a real evidence that I was sanctified and the Blood applied. After that, I received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire and now I feel the presence of the Holy Ghost, not only in my heart but in my lungs, my hands, my arms and all through my body and at times I am shaken like a locomotive steamed up and prepared for a long journey. O it is blessed to let the Lord have His way with you. I also speak in six foreign tongues given me at God’s command. God has called me to Africa as a missionary, and told me to go to Monrovia, Liberia. He showed me the town which is on the west coast. I described the town and country to Bro. Mead, a missionary that had been there and he said it was a perfect description. Saints, pray much. Fast and pray.
Mrs. Daisy Batman’s Testimony.
At the age of fourteen, the Lord saved me from my sins. Last April He sanctified my soul, took all inbred sin out and gave me a clean heart fit for the Lord’s use. Hallelujah! But still I hungered for more, so when the Pentecost came to Los Angeles, I found that was just what I wanted. But I was working every day and could not be at the meeting much. One day the Lord told me to stop everything and go to the meeting. I said, Lord, I have three small children and no way to support them. He said, I will supply your needs. Glory to God, He has supplied all our needs. We have never needed for anything and have never asked anybody but the blessed Lord for a penny. Three years ago last April, the Lord gave us the call to Africa. At first I thought I would stay and let my husband go, but He said, “No, you must go too.” I thought He wanted us to go right away, but when He saw I was willing to spend my life in Africa for precious souls, He revealed to us that He would tell us when to go. And three months after we received our baptism, He said, “Now go to Africa.” O glory to God, I am so glad I got to the place where the blessed Lord’s will is my will.”
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BAPTIZED IN MINNEAPOLIS.
Bro. Otto Braulin of 2112 Fourth Ave., Minneapolis, Minn., writes that he has received his Pentecost through reading the paper and personal correspondence. He speaks in two unknown tongues. He says, “I laid the paper to one side, went aside into a room and asked God if I was really and truly cleansed by the Word, and I got the mighty answer of God through my whole being that I was. Am I cleansed by the blood? I got the same mighty powerful witness. Then I said to my Father, I have not the baptism with the Holy Ghost because I have not the gift of tongues, the evidence of Pentecost, and the power began to work on peculiarly and forcibly as never before. That very night I got the evidence, as the Holy Ghost gave utterance in two unknown tongues. I could distinguish the difference between the two. Since then the power becomes stronger and the Spirit speaks plainer and more mightily. The power of God streams through my whole body, (I suppose the healing power.) I have fallen on the floor through the mighty power coming upon me. I was in a mission last Sunday and in the afternoon the Spirit came on me and the Spirit fell on the clean souls. They said showers of power came upon them and they were set free. In the evening the leaders set themselves against the speaking in tongues because I cannot interpret, but the power was so mighty upon me they could see it was not man’s but God’s.”
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JAPENESE HEAR IN THEIR OWN TONGUE.
Pueblo, Colorado is a city of many nationalities. In the steel works alone that employs 500 men, seventeen languages are spoken. There are Greeks, Chinese, Japanese and many others. This is a wonderful field. The Lord had opened up a mission there when the Pentecostal Gospel came. The woman in charge of the mission went right to seeking and received the baptism and before she got off her knees, was speaking in Chinese. One day when she was speaking, the Spirit began to speak another language through her. Nobody understood till they saw some uneasiness manifested in the back of the room where some Japenese were sitting. They began to wring their hands and cry and bury their face in their hands. Someone went to them and they said, “Talk my tongue. Tell me all about my God how He died for the Japenese.” They had never heard anything like that before.
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REVIVAL IN INDIA.
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Wonderful Pouring Out of God’s Spirit Among the Natives of the Khassia Hills.
The great revival still continues, and wonderful manifestations of the power of God are surely among these nations. An article in the Herald of Light says: It was a grand and inspiring sight to see these people marching in parties to the Assembly, and along the way would halt and have prayer and praise meetings, and their conversations were continually about the wonderful works of God. The assembly is held in a small village called Mairang, and many thousands of people have come up to this assembly, and God has shown himself in power and blessings. Many other portions of India are being awakened by true spirit. The glorious and awful scenes portrayed are only the fulfillment of prophecy, and doubtless the outgrowth of years of toil and prayers.
In another station in India, in a service in a mission, about two hundred were under conviction for sin, and crying for mercy, and the meeting continued for six hours. A report from another locality says that men, women and children were heard at daybreak singing hymns which the missionaries had been trying for months to teach them. The Holy Ghost was working mightily, and soon there was an outburst of prayer and praise of new-born souls. Men, women and children called on the Lord day and night, and there was no cessation of the meetings.”
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Those who receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues and backslide from this state may retain the speaking in tongues for a while after divine love is gone, but gradually this gift also will melt away. A very little harshness or a critical suspicious statement about a brother will grieve the tender, sensitive Spirit. A careful and constant guard must be made, lest the flesh arise and destroy the fragrance and sweetness of this Spirit walk. Preachers often go too far and try to emphasis in fleshly vehemence a good point made by the Spirit. All such conduct will receive a gentle rebuke of the Spirit, and if heartily repented of, will soon be overcome, and result in greater confirmation of God’s power in the life.
-Apostolic Light.
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QUESTION OF MEATS.
We are asked if the Pentecostal people here eat pork?
We are a free people. We are not under the law. We are just as free as the air we breathe for salvation is not in meat and drink and clothing, but it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. It is the blood of Jesus that cleanses from all sin. It is not meat, drink, and dress, it is living under the blood.
Jesus has given us authority to eat and drink anything that we desire, without hurting us. Before Jesus came, there were certain meats we could not eat such at catfish, rabbits, pork, and other meats. If we study the Old Testament, we will see many things that we were not allowed to eat. But since the Lord Jesus came, He has let down the sheet of four corners, and we see the four-footed beasts and creeping things of the earth, and a voice comes to us, “Rise, slay and eat.” But we said, clean have we ever put into our mouth.” But He says, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”
Now this means not only that we should not call any man common or unclean, but we find that through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are permitted to eat swine’s flesh if we like it and it is good for us, but anything that will hurt these bodies or make us sick, we ought not to eat. For we should be temperate in all things, in eating, drinking and wearing clothes. These bodies are the Lord’s and we do not want to destroy them by meat and drink. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy.”
In 1 Tim. 4-6, Paul was instructing the people about meats and drinks. He says, “For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine.”
“Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat.” If eating pork brings condemnation upon you for eating it, do not eat it, for the Lord is the one that puts it upon you. But if the Lord does not condemn him, because he eats in faith, and the meat is not able to destroy him if he eats in faith.
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THE SPOTLESS LAMB OF GOD.
We had a perfect Savior. Never was any guile in His mouth. Never was carnality in Him. You know under the Old Testament, the lamb for a sin offering was to be without spot and blemish. This was a real type of our blessed Jesus that was to come. Praise God, He has come and there was no carnality at all in Him. He was a Lamb without blemish, holy, harmless, undefied, the great sacrifice that God gave to take away the sin of the world.
Many people today are teaching that Christ had self and carnality in Him. No, the character of the Lamb of God, our Redeemer, was sinless. Because if His precious blood had not flowed from a Lamb without blemish and without spot, but had carnality and corruption from self, from the manger to the cross, then it is only the blood of a martyr, and its atoning merits are void. If there is any point in the Gospel which is fundamentally absolute, it is the purity of the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. He has power to take away our sins and save us to the uttermost, for our blessed Lord said, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1. 21.
It cost our Savior His life on Calvary to cleanse us from sin. Thank God. He is risen again. He never would have risen if there had been any carnality in Him. He would have been no Savior. Praise God, He is a Savior to the uttermost. The angelic host sang on Bethlehem’s plain, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
SAN FRANCISCO AND OAKLAND.
I have been holding cottage meetings in San Francisco. God has been working in a wonderful way in the little house, so few could get in. Last Saturday we had a blessed time. Two advent preachers were there and fought the work bitterly. The meeting went on in mighty power and the Lord gave me a message from heaven, and they were convinced the work was of God. Praise God for it. There is a great field there, but I feel I must go on th Salem.
I know now what it is to travel in soul for this Gospel. God has called every baptized believer to a noble high calling and given us a trust. If we are unfaithful, we shall surely die. O God, keep us true.
Mildred composed a piece of music and sat down to play it yesterday. It took my soul almost out of this land, while she played it, and the power came on Sister Reece and she began to sing words, O so sweet and in such harmony with the music. How God flooded our souls as she sang. She could not remember them, but yesterday afternoon the power came on her again and she wrote them down. O you could hardly stay here, when they sing and play that piece. It’s from the Paradise of God. If nothing else had happened but this, it ought to convince people.
A brother who has been seeking his Pentecost asked prayers for his healing. He was threatened with pneumonia. I laid hands on him and he was healed and received his Pentecost at the same time, and his children are coming to the Lord. His daughter was very sick and he prayed and she was healed. The power came on him in his office to pray for her. The people, he said, looked at him so strangely. O glory to our God.
People are begging for workers to carry this Gospel to them. The calls are many. Pray for me, my dear loved ones in Los Angeles.
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LATER-Dec. 6th.
I was in San Francisco last night, and such a meeting we had. I never saw such sweet unity of the Spirit-testimony, healing, singing in the Holy Ghost, praying for the sick, and some receiving their Pentecost at the same time, and no confusion. O it was glorious and surely the Holy Ghost led the meeting. As I read the text or lesson about bridling the tongue, a dear brother that has been a power in mission work, healing the sick and preaching, said, “Pray for me now that my tongue may be bridled.” The power came for prayer, I laid hands on him and he was baptized and spoke in such a clear language. Another preacher was baptized soon after. O God is working mightily!
A man was completely healed of rupture of nine years’ standing, last night. O how can we praise Him enough. A sister the first time in the meeting was healed and anointed, went home and got her Pentecost the same night. God is working where He has a chance. O for closer walk with Him. I don’t know when I shall get home, but where Jesus is ’tis heaven. O how my full heart does praise Him.
-Florence Crawford.
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Sister Florence Crawford is now in Oakland expecting soon to go on to Salem. The Lord called her back to Los Angeles for a short time and all the saints were refreshed to see her. The Lord gave her a very sweet object lesson on the fruits of the Spirit. She says, “One night as I was weary in body, I asked the Lord to give me sleep, and He gave me a vision. He took me over some beautiful hills and down by a river running clear as crystal, and there was a tree standing by that river with the loveliest fruit on it I ever saw-great red apples. There were many apples hanging on the tree and all bore names that were so plain I could read them. They were love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meakness, etc. These are the fruits of the Spirit. If we have the Spirit of Christ, these applies are hanging on our tree. We are known by our fruits and it is the Father’s will that we should bring forth much fruit, and that our fruit should remain. Dear ones, let us cease professing so much and examine ourselves to see if this fruit is on our tree.”
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The message spoken in tongues in Azusa Mission, as far as have been interpreted, have always been spiritual and according to the Word, Scripture passages, praises to God, exaltation of Christ, warning, etc. Never anything of a foolish or irreverent character and often of a highly exalted and intensely practical import and tremendous meaning, especially for the individual for whom the message was intended.
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While Bro. S.J. Mead was with us in Los Angeles who is now on his way to Africa where he has labored for 20 years and where he is able to speak native languages, he was a witness to the gift of tongues being spoken in African dialects of which the persons had no knowledge. A colored lady spoke at length in tongues as the Spirit was pleased to use her. And immediately after she had spoken, Bro. Mead arose and interpreted the message given by the girl, giving the name of the tribe in Africa to which the language belonged and then repeated the same message in the same tongue.
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WONDERS IN HEAVEN ABOVE.
“And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. Acts. 2, 19.
E. Taylor is a conductor on the sleeping cars on the Southern Pacific Railway in California. He is a member of the Household of God in Oakland, Cal., having been born of the Spirit and sanctified. His wife and daughter have been baptized with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues.
He says, “While on the train between Mojave and Barstow, on the night of Oct. 4th, about 11 p.m., the moon shining very brightly and no cloud in sight, and no wind, I was sitting by the car window looking out, when my eye fell on the moon which was as clear as I ever saw it. Right across the face of the moon was a large cross, as plain as my hand before me. I rubbed my eyes and looked again, and saw it as before. I then raised both windows, put my head out and saw not only the cross but a man on the cross with arms extended, and the lower part of the cross dripping with fresh blood, very red. I then called for the porter, a colored man and an unbeliever, and asked him to look at the moon and tell me what he saw. He replied, describing the cross with a man on it and the blood dripping from it and asked, “What are them things flying about with wings?”
Bro. Taylor looked out again, and the air between him and the moon was filled with moving objects in the distance, like a multitude of butterflies. The porter inquired, “What does this mean?” and opened a window for a lady from Chicago, who gazed in astonishment and described the same objects. Then they heard singing surpassing anything they had ever heard on earth, which could be distinctly heard above the rumbling of the train.
This scene lasted for nearly an hour, these three persons watching and describing what they saw and heard. Bro. Taylor says he broke out in a profuse perspiration, until his clothing was wet. He became so filled with joy that he wanted to shout aloud, but refrained as the car was filled with sleeping passengers.
In the course of nearly an hour, the scene gradually faded away. The lower part of the cross was the last of the scene, but the singing continued for some time longer.
This same brother, who had never seen a vision before, was retiring for the night in a hotel. After having prayed, he was sitting on his bed when he saw the floor open at his feet, revealing a lake like molten lead, with living creatures plunging and moving in it, and men continually falling in. Above his head, seemingly up in the air, there seemed to be something like a very large bird cage, full of people, and as he gazed he saw occasionally a person ascending from the earth and joining the company.-The Household of God.
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A LITTLE GIRL’S VISION.
Edna Slingerland, a child of eleven years living in Portland, Oregon has been in communion with Jesus for three years, and her parents write that she has had many visions given her. Saturday evening, Nov. 24th after an hour spent in reading the Bible and talking to Jesus, the Lord gave her this vision. She saw a great dark ball, black as could be, and as it rolled slowly, a large gray surface came in sight, and the words came to her, “Pacific Ocean.” As it rolled on, she saw a large bright spot, bright as an electric light, and the words “Los Angeles” came. Then in the brightness of it, Jesus’ face showed and a throng of angels dancing and rejoicing. Then scattered over the black ball, she saw here and there, a very small bright spot and in each of them, the face of Jesus showed only partly. The parents who live at 178 E. 48th St., are in harmony with the Pentecostal work and believe God was showing through their little girl that He is in the work in Los Angeles.
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THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST.
The sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven. For the Lord Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto men and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme; but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation because they said He hath an unclean spirit. Mark 3. 28-30.
People that have a real knowledge of the Holy Ghost in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, and then go and say this work is of the devil, and people are speaking in tongues by the devil, after they have the knowledge of the truth, such people are in danger of sinning against the Holy Ghost.
“Whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it ***** forgiven.” Luke 12.10.
When men sin *** Father, they are forgiven, when *** against the Son, they are forgiven, but * they sin against God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, they have sinned against them all, so there is no more forgiveness. There is no fourth person to do any interceding for them. People can harden their hearts till God will leave them as He did Ephraim of old.
The devil may tell people that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost when they have not sinned willfully. They have not sinned against the Holy Ghost unless they have willfully denied the blood of Jesus Christ and trampled it under their feet, “for if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,” Heb 10.26. Some have been ensnared by the enemy and have lost the Pentecost and lost sanctification and lost justification, and it has brought sadness, and they can repent because they did not do it willfully. They were overpowered by the enemy, and not understanding, they yielded to it. They may be tempted to despair because the devil may tell them that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost, but the Bible says, “If we sin willfully.” So we have not committed the unpardonable sin, if we have not sinned willfully. We still have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
But it is a very dangerous thing for us to go back after we have received light. Paul warned the Hebrew church, those that had come to Christ and had a real knowledge of the Spirit and then were turning back to the old sacrifices and fought against the Spirit of God. He says, “It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame.” Heb. 6. 4-6.
After we have been made a gazing stock for Christ and took part in the reproaches and afflictions of Christ, and after we have tasted of the heavenly gift and are made partakers of the Holy Ghost, we cannot afford to go back. But if we really deny the power of God and turn back into the world, there is no possible way for us to get back. “He that despised Moses’ law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Heb. 10. 28, 29.
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HEALED AND BAPTIZED.
I am praising God for His healing power and the gift of the Holy Ghost. I wrote you a few weeks ago requesting your prayers for the healing of my body from two large abscesses in the hips and back. God immediately answered and I began to recover, and am at present here at Bro. Ryan’s having received the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues and chanting. Hallelujah. E.S. Hanson, Salem, Ore.
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We do not have to try to convince the people that this work is of God. Just preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified and God will take care of convincing the people.
A MESSAGE CONCERNING CHRIST’S COMING.
Jesus is coming, coming soon,
Coming to earth again,
And all who have their hearts prepared,
Will gladly meet Him then.
Behold the Lord now soon will come,
The hour ye do not know,
And you, if found then unprepared,
With Jesus will not go.
He knows each heart, and seeks each heart
For His coming to prepare,
For some day it will be too late,
To seek those joys to share.
All those that seek me I will bless,
From heaven cries the Lord,
All those that seek with all their hearts,
And hearken to this word.
For there is no respect with God,
Of person or estate,
The mercy, grace and love of God,
For all men is so great.
“Awake,” He cries, “Get ready now,”
For me makes urgent quest;
“Come unto me; come unto me,
And I will give you rest.”
And with the Holy Ghost and fire,
I will baptize you all,
And all who seek with diligence,
That on my name shall call.
All must their hearts make ready now,
With Him to have a home,
The Savior sweet, so wonderful,
For He so soon will come.
“O watch, be ready if I come,
At midnight, morn, or noon,
O be ye ready when I come,”
O He will come so soon.
The above poem written by David Kilbeun 53 Howard St., Akron Ohio was composed from reading the interpretation of a message given by sister Lillian Keyes of Los Angeles. It was spoken and sung in an African dialect which was understood and corroborated by our dear Sister Mead now on her way back to Africa.
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IN THE UPPER ROOM.
Salem, Ore., Nov. 24.
The work here is progressing gloriously, although the opposition is deep and bitter. Two days ago in the preliminary service in the prayer tower, the “upper room,” Sister Ryan received her personal Pentecost. She spoke in tongues for nearly three quarters of an hour without intermission. It was the most astonishing case we have had yet in this city. Everyone that saw it was amazed and strengthened in their faith. She spoke in at least seven languages. Glory to Jesus.
The whole city and country round about are being shaken. There are those here from Portland, The Dailes, and from near Astoria seeking their Pentecost. Sister Glassco among the rest. Myself and wife have received our Pentecost and speak in *****.
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PENTECOST IN NEW YORK.
A band of missionaries from Los Angeles expected to sail for Africa on Dec. 8th. They write that Pentecost has surely fallen in New York in a mission there. A number have been baptized with the Holy Ghost and are speaking in new tongues. One man that was a backslider and was paralyzed on one side was helped to the altar and was soon down under the power, and in about thirty minutes he was reclaimed, sanctified, baptized with the Holy Ghost, healed, speaking in tongues, and leaping and praising God. So amid the shouting, weeping and singing, the work went on till the morning hours.
Bro. Barratt, the Norwegian brother who received his Pentecost expected to sail for Norway, leaving New York on the same ship with the Africa missionaries. Bro. Mead says of him, “He is like Brother Paul, gifted in arts, books, etc., a leader of the people, and has been a power for good for many years. And now with his full Pentecost, he is so sweet and gentle, I know you would all love him. We must pray for him as he goes to his home in Norway to open up the work there. With all him gentleness, he speaks at times with a voice of thunder the convincing truths of the Master.”
The other sisters are all well and * used of the Lord. Bro. and Sister Batman’s fare was all made up. The people gladly gave their offerings and quickly made up what was needed. Sister Ehideler has received her Pentecost. We all rejoice with her.
The missionaries sail on the “Campania.” Will stop in Liverpool and may have an opportunity to work for the Lord there.
Address S.J. Mead, Longs Tempe * Hotel, Lime St., Liverpool, Eng.
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JESUS IS COMING.
Jesus is coming! yes, coming for me!
Jesus is coming! His glory I’ll see;
The clouds are His chariots,
The angels His guard;
Jesus is coming! how plain in His word.
Jesus is coming! O glory divine!
Jesus is coming! the Lord who is mine;
Yes, coming in triumph
With shout and with song;
Jesus is coming! the time is not long.
Jesus is coming! He’s not far away!
Jesus is coming! we’ll care not to stay;
The clouds as our chariots,
The angels our guard;
Jesus is coming! this truth is His word.
Jesus is coming! the just shall then rise,
Jesus, whose coming we’ll great in the skies
And the world shall then miss us,
With Jesus we’ve gone,
Forever to sing hosanna’s glad song.
Jesus is coming! yes, all shall then know;
Jesus whose coming has conquered our foe,
In victory we’ll meet Him;
In triumph we’ll rise!
Jesus has come! we’ll shout in the skies.
Jesus is coming! O saints, do rejoice!
Jesus is coming! so lift up your voice;
The clouds are His chariots,
The angels His guard;
Sing of His coming and tell of His word.
-T. Hezmalhaich.
END OF PAGE FOUR
Power of Pentecost
MissionSHIFT (Part 2): Free Will Missions
Contextualization of the Gospel for a postmodern generation is imperative. For missions, it is where the rubber meets the road, as the work of God through His Son to save creation, essentially comes to the question if God Himself contextualized his message. But instead of covering all related problems at hand, my desire is to write about one contextualization issue related to our work in Bulgaria. {see my article}. It is a theological issue with a strong practical implication in the ministry as it covers a wide range of issues from free reformed theology to the personal salvific experience focusing on the free will of man. My interest is not to take sides and defend a position in the argument, but rather to review its contextualization as a case study in the Bulgarian missionary context in the past 200 years {see my background}.
Although Bulgaria was first Christianized around 8 AD and officially became a Christian state a century later, Eastern Orthodox faith has become but a nominal, culturally comfortable, national religion a millennium later. When first western missionaries “discovered” the Bulgarians, they were a small ethnic group on the Balkan Peninsula under the rule of the vast and powerful Ottoman Empire. British and American missionaries began with translating the Bible in spoken Bulgarian, establishing schools and missions, publishing and educating the people. Only then did they move toward establishing churches and eventually were instrumental in the restoration of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church as an autonomous autocephaly.
By that time two major mission agencies worked in synchrony in Bulgaria – the American Board, working predominantly in Southern Bulgaria, and the Missionary Society Methodist Episcopal Church, which established churches north from the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. Obviously, the Methodist church was Wesleyan Arminian in view of free will and with very socially proactive renewal theology in mind. The American board, however, was presented by predominantly Congregational and some Presbyterian ministers, who as graduates of leading reformed universities in America at the time, should have been very strong Calvinists and reformed oriented in their theology. But they were not.
Dr. Elias Riggs, one of the translators of the Bulgarian Bible, a missionary for over half a century in the Near East Mission of the American Board was a prime example for that. A superb theologian, author of many revolutionary works and outstanding communicator in the native tongue of several Balkan nations, he never accented on his reformed view for salvation. He certainly believed in predestination as pointed out in an extensive commentary of the Bible he published. And he had the opportunity to strongly defend his position in a number of occasions, while publishing the first Bulgarian newspaper Zornitsa, printed by the missionary press in Constantinople. {see URL of series with English Google translation}
But Riggs chose to regard the theological view of the majority of Bulgarians, who believed in free will as traditionally Eastern Orthodox do, as well as his Methodist colleagues with whom he worked closely for a number of years. Realizing that the Bulgarian nation under Turkish yoke and Greek Orthodox religious oppression needed exactly free will to move toward national identity realization, he published a multitude of articles defended the freedom and will of every man, woman and child. He defended their right to read the Bible in their mother tongue and to have an independent church with services held in the Bulgarian vernacular. And when tens of thousands of Bulgarians were slaughtered by the Turks in the April uprising of 1876, Riggs led the international correspondence involving a number of leading missionaries and journalist who reported to their respective agencies and newspapers the horrible acts of genocide they witnessed in Bulgaria.
Historians have long regarded the fact that this very media action created a process of social transformation which led to the liberation of Bulgaria only two years later and its establishment as an independent state shortly thereafter. But all of this would have been impossible, if Riggs and his fellow colleagues held strong to their theological views, disregarding the understanding of God which the local people, the local existing church, and the theological need one whole nation had.
But the story does not stop here. When Communism took over Bulgaria in 1945, the evangelical church was outlawed and services for the next half century were held underground. But Bulgarian believers never accepted the oppression of individual freedom and religious liberty as God’s will for them. Virtually all evangelical denominations during the Regime, including Baptist and Congregational, were free will believers. It was their only way to survive the persecution of the atheist social dominion and to see Bulgaria transformed at the end, after the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
It was not until the turn of the century, that some missionaries in Bulgaria began speaking of reformed theology in the new Bulgarian postcommunist context. Modern day Hyper Calvinists approached Bulgaria with their “Christian reconstruction,” which created a temporary clash between Bulgarian protestant identity and the newly introduced message. It was a good thing to see and understand new theological trends applied in Bulgaria.
But a decade of trying to apply this theology over the Bulgarian churches proved without any result. Virtually all existing Bulgarian protestant denominations subscribe to the free will theology while claiming historical evangelical roots, identity, theology and praxis; thus continuing the missional contextualization on which Bulgarian Protestantism was built 200 years ago. And it just happens, that today, in the beginning of the 21st century, it is this very foundation, historical roots, church identity, Biblical theology and evangelical praxis based on the doctrine of free will that the people of Bulgaria need for one new social transformation of mindset and society in order to reach their potential as a church and a nation in the new era of Postmodernity. Who says God does not work in mysterious ways anymore?
