2011 Historic Pentecostal Revival Tour in Bulgaria

Celebrating 90 years since the first Pentecostal revival in Bulgaria

Exactly 400 years ago, the first King James Bible was printed in June, 1611. The first Bulgarian Bible was printed 140 years ago in June, 1871. The first Pentecostal Revival in Bulgaria took place between Easter and Pentecost of 1921. And finally, exactly 20 years the Pravetz youth group, where I had the privilege to begin my ministry, experienced a spiritual revival in which hundreds of young people were reached and saved.

To commemorate this great heritage, we undertook a historic revival tour during the month of June in Bulgaria. We started at the Black Sea with the momentous ordination of presbyters in the church of Aheloy – one of the few Church of God congregations with the original doctrine and practice. The special ordination service on Saturday night went on with prayer and praise, communion and foot washing until 2am.

Then on Sunday we gathered at 6:30am for prayer and followed with the morning service. We continued with services in Pravetz, where our youth group celebrated its 20-year anniversary, then at the church in Verdical near Sofia with a special foot washing and communion service, and finally in Sofia with a prophetic word to the Church of God in the Obelya suburb.

The Exodus of the Youth from Church: In Search of Answers to a Dark Dilemma

by Kathryn N. Donev

I recently sat in a lecture “Why Are Youth Leaving the Church?” I listened to the most recent statistics, compared one opinion to the next, looked at the latest church involvement research and even explored some emerging themes of why people in general leave the faith. All the information was very interesting and contained an impressive collaboration of ideas. The research does not lie and opinions are to be valued. However, honestly what good does this enlightenment do us when we sit back and do nothing to correct the problem? We are so used to youth leaving our church that we have become complacent with pews filled with “ancient dinosaurs” in the words of a young lady just last week. We have become so overwhelmed with data that we forget to look at the real picture of why our next generation of leaders are leaving. Or perhaps we do nothing because we simply don’t understand young people’s true motivation for leaving the church. The answers may be uncomfortable for some but they deserve deeper exploration.

Youth are leaving the church but this does not necessarily mean they all are leaving the faith. Many young people of today have much more faith than some of the pew fillers whom have their assigned seats with their pillows and blankets left to save their spots. So if this is the case that they still have a genuine relationship with Christ but simply don’t want to be within the four walls of religion, so to speak, should we not explore the million dollar question differently? We should not excuse away their leaving to agnosticism, postmodernism or neopaganism regardless of how cleverly it takes the focus off of the real concerns and sins of the “church.” It is not a very popular idea to confess the sins of the church which is ironic when we proclaim to be a house of confession. Perhaps confession is only good for the soul as long as the sins are not our own. Behind the irony rests a darker problem, one that is responsible for many young people leaving the church.

For years the church has been a place of hypocrisy and today’s young generation is one that is fed up with the dishonesty and is willing to take a stand. They are so disgusted they can no longer keep silent. They are not willing to “tweak the numbers” of the church financial records or work their way up the hierarchical ladder. They see through the masks and are not willing to compromise. Young people are tired of religious politics, bickering, back stabbing and lying. If we, the church, do not open our eyes to this now, if not yesterday, it will be too late.

This young generation is wandering looking for a place of refuge and they no longer find a safe place in the church house. The church regrettably is no longer safe. You cannot genuinely express your feelings, concerns or doubts without them being the topic of the message on the following Sunday morning. There is no longer trust within the church. The place of worship has turned into a place of gossip. A spiritual encounter has been replaced with a social gathering. The leadership of the Holy Spirit is no longer considered because we are too busy worrying about the opinions of others. So if by now you are still puzzled as to why the today’s youth are leaving the church then my heart is deeply saddened.

Nevertheless, we need to make a self-less effort and remember that the church does not exist for our personal entertainment. Realize it is not a prize to possess but is a treasure to be given away to the next generation. We must do whatever it takes to restore the tabernacle to its original purpose; to call its people back to holiness. We must be willing to give up our seat to the next generation before it is too late and there is no body left willing to fill the void.

Postscript: This article was written based on the following word the Lord gave me June, 2011: “The Church is not a prize to possess, but is a treasure to give away”.

Bulgaria in the Archives of the British and Foreign Bible Society in Cambridge

For the past 15 years, which we have dedicated to the study and translation of the Bulgarian Bible, it has been a personal dream of ours to visit and work with the Cambridge Library and more specifically with the historical documents which are related to the translation and publication of the Bulgarian Bible through the 18-19 centuries.

The closest we had come to examining the archives was back in 2005-2007 while searching for the lost copy of Theodocy Bistritzky’s 1820 translation of the Gospel of Mathew. We then found the only two copies left of that translation, one located in St. Petersburg (with a reproduction at the U.S. Library of Congress) and the other at the Cambridge Library.

Therefore, it was a great pleasure to receive an invitation to visit the Cambridge Library in connection with the 400-year anniversary of the King James Bible (1611) and use the opportunity to examine the available documents related to Bulgaria. The main difficulty with this task comes from the fact that during the 19th century Bulgaria was under Ottoman occupancy and documents related to the Bulgarian Bible are cataloged under various locations: European Turkey, Near East Mission, New Bulgarian Kingdom, Western Turkey, Bulgarian Kingdom or the Balkans. For this reason, many documents are yet not cataloged and remain the library’s stacks, which makes their discovery both difficult and exciting. Successfully completing our initial survey of the archives, we were able to take over 1,000 pages in pictures with the library’s permission. This first look at archives that have remain hidden for more than a century reveled three groups of documents containing the following items:

Catalog series BSA/E3/1/4 contains some 30 volumes with whole or partial copies of letters and documents. For the lack of copy machines back then, the items in the archive were written by hand. Eighteen of these volumes listed bellow, contain information about Bulgaria.

BSA/E3/1/3 (p. 23, 54, 69, 70, 107, 185, 190, 211-12, 229) – letters from 1859 to and from Rev. Dr. Chauffer, Benjamin Barker, Dr. Van Dayk, Dr. Riggs, etc., predominantly referring to the revision of the Bulgarian New Testament.

BSA/E3/1/4/2 (p. 60, 75, 96-99, 107-109, 160-166, 272, 305) – letters from 1862-63 of Rev. Баркър, Thomson, etc., about the translation of the Pentateuch including an important index of the corrections in revision of the Bulgarian New Testament (p. 162).

BSA/E3/1/4/3 (p. 48, 64, 102, 111, 114, 149, 160-1, 172, 185, 222, 227) – letters from 1861-62, 1865 на Benjamin Barker, Dr. Riggs, J.W. Muller, Thomson and others. This correspondence set discusses the importance of changing the Bulgarian translation to the Eastern (Tarnovo) dialect.

BSA/E3/1/4/4 (p. 3) – letter by Dr. Thomson about Dr. Riggs work on the Bulgarian Bible.

BSA/E3/1/4/5 (p. 302, 311) – letters from 1867 about Dr. Long’s work on the Bulgarian Bible.

BSA/E3/1/4/6 (p. 150) – letter from Dr. Riggs to Dr. Thomson from October 3-29 1868, about the measurements in the Bulgarian translation.

BSA/E3/1/4/7 (p. 127, 136, 156) – letters from 1870.

BSA/E3/1/4/8 (p. 21, 24-25, 78, 102, 124-25, 129, 238) – letters from 1870-71 by Riggs, Thomson and others. Contains a fully revised table of the measurements in the Bulgarian Bible translation.

BSA/E3/1/4/9 (p. 275-76) – letter by Dr. Thomson about Dr. Riggs’s work on the translation of the Bulgarian Bible.

BSA/E3/1/4/10 (p. 150) – letter from 1874.

BSA/E3/1/4/11 (p. 66, 129, 199, 213, 237) – letters from 1874.

BSA/E3/1/4/12 (p. 40, 185, 248, 253, 260-61, 265) – 1876 letters to and from Dr. Thomson with a request to receive 200-300 copies of the Bulgarian edition of the Psalms. The collection ends with a parallel of several translations in a printed edition for the revising committee. (p. 265ff).

BSA/E3/1/4/13 (p. 13, 63, 73, 90, 304-05) – 1877-78 letters to Dr. Thomson.

BSA/E3/1/4/14 (p. 113) – letter to Dr. Thomson.

BSA/E3/1/4/16 (p. 181, 279) – letters by Dr. Thomson.

BSA/E3/1/4/20 (p. 232-35) – letter to Dr. Thomson from August 29 recommending a 3,000 copy publication of the Four Gospels with the Book of Acts in one volume in parallel with the Slavic text.

BSA/E3/1/4/25 (p. 196, 333) – letters from 1887-90.

BSA/E3/1/4/30 (p. 16-17, 51, 350) – letters from 1892.

Two additional folders marked with “Bulgarian” and catalog series BSA/83/3/67/1-2 has the complete BFBS correspondence from the first half of the 20th century. It refeers predominantly to the new revision of the text prepared for the 1924 Royal Publishing House edition of the Bulgarian Bible. Various other items are included as well, many of which related to the Evangelical School in Samokov (near the capital Sofia) and its full operational publishing house, along with many more documents important for the Bulgarian protestant history. A third and final item of interest is catalog series BSA/E3/2/19-20, BSA/E3/2/23 and BSA/E3/2/24-26.

The Land of Pentecostals

A brief Interaction with Walter Brueggemann
by Dr. Dony K. Donev

Since I began studying Pentecostal history sometime ago, I have pondered the question of space and how we, Pentecostals, associate with it. Perhaps, on a larger scale, all Christian associate with space and location, but for Pentecostals it somehow becomes part of the identity of a given event, process or even person. This association is so strong that we simply cannot tell our history without it. And how is one even expected to tell Pentecostal history without places like the Bethel School of Healing, 214 Bonnie Brie Street and the Azusa Street Mission? Or how are we supposed to tell our story, to give our testimony of events significant and central for our spiritual life without a place and a location, which in most cases defines them all? For example, our salvation is connected the place where we were saved and sanctified; baptism with water or with fire from above; healing on the spot at a given prayer meeting, miracle service or church revival. And even eschatology, always undividable from the meeting in the clouds and the Heavenly city.

For Pentecostals, the Full Gospel teaching is a covenant theology because it ultimately subscribes to the quest for the Promised Land. But, I’ve never been able to pin point the reasoning behind this until reviewing anew Brueggemann’s study of “The Land” and comparing his ideas with Pentecostal history and praxis through the following quotes that will exchange perspectives with the questions stated above and hopefully stir further thinking.

p.5 “Space” means an arena of freedom without coercion or accountability, free of pressure and void of authority. …. But “place” is a very different matter. Place is space which has historical meanings, where some things have happened which are now remembered and which provide continuity across generations. Place is space in which important words have been exchanged, which have established identity, defined vocation, and envisioned destiny. Place is space in which vows have been exchanged, promises have been made, and demands have been issued. Place is indeed a protest against unpromising pursuit of space. It is a declaration that our humanness cannot be found in escape, detachment, absence of commitment, and undefined freedom.
Whereas pursuit of space may be a flight from history, a yearning for a place is a decision to enter history with an identifiable people in an identifiable pilgrimage.”

p. 11 “The very land that promised to create space for human joy and freedom became the very source of dehumanizing exploitation and oppression. Land was indeed a problem for Israel. Time after time, Israel saw the land of promise become the land of problem.”

p. 15 “….land theology in the Bible: presuming upon the land and being expelled from it; trusting toward a land not yet possessed, but empowered by anticipation of it.”

p. 27 “The action is in the land promised, not in the land possessed … So Jacob, bearer of the promise, is buried in Canaan under promise.”

p. 42 “Presence is for pursuit of the promise …. The new people, contrasted with the old, are promise-trusters, rooted in Moses, linked to the faith of Caleb, and identified as the vulnerable ones. His presence is evident in his intervention not to keep things going, but to bring life out of death, to call to himself promise-trusters in the midst of promise-doubters.”

p. 47 “Israel knew that in his speaking and Israel’s hearing was its life. That is why the first word in Israel’s life is “listen” (Deut. 6:4)! Israel lived by a people-creating word spoken by this people-creator (Deut. 8:3).”

p. 51 “Both rain and manna come from heaven, from outside the history of coercion and demand.”

p. 53 “Israel does not have many resources with which to resist the temptation. The chief one is memory. At the boundary [of Gilgal] Israel is urged to remember …. Remembering is an historic activity. To practice it is to affirm one’s historicity.”

p. 54 “Land can be a place for historical remembering, for action that affirms the abrasive historicity of our existence. But land can also be, as Deuteronomy saw so clearly, the enemy of memory, the destroyer of historical precariousness. The central temptation of the land for Israel is that Israel will cease to remember and settle for how it is and imagine not only that it was always so but it will always be so. Guaranteed security dulls the memory …. Israel’s central temptation is to forget and so cease to be a historical people, open either to the Lord of history or to his blessings yet to be given. Settled into an eternally guaranteed situation, one securely knows that one is indeed addressed by the voice of history who gives gifts and makes claims. And if one is not addressed, then one does not need to answer. And if one does not answer, then one is free not to care, not decide, not to hope and not to celebrate.”

p. 56 “The land will be avenged preciously because land is not given over to any human agent, but is a sign and function in covenant. Thus arrayed against the monarchy are both the traditionalism of Naboth and the purpose of Yahweh.”

p. 57 “Israel finds itself in history as one who had no right to exist. Slaves become an historical community. Sojourners become secured in land …. Non of it achieved, all of it given …. And the way to sustain gifted existence is to stay singularly with the gift-giver.”

And the following conclusions: as Pentecostals, we associate with places and location, we ultimately associate with land as part of our covenant theology, because:

1. In the land we place our own historical meaning, our part and role in history, as well as the spiritual heritage we have received and we give to a next generation; thus, place itself becomes not only where our history happens, but a defining part of our historical identity as a people.

2. Enduring the promise of a land not yet seen, but already received by faith, has indeed been the formative factor in any and all Pentecostal movements around the globe, as well as the initiative to restore the social order for peoples whose land has been taken away unfairly. We have even learned, that when the Promised Land becomes a land of problem, we must return to the promise in order to remain a movement after the move of the Holy Ghost and not merely a nominal denomination.

3. As humans, we localize the omnipresence of God to the place of our experience with God – the place where God has become personal for us. And this is the place, where we dare say, we have received the promise of God. Although His promise may not yet be visible in reality, having come from our experience with God, it creates a reality which is much more real than the present reality. In that sense, the very act of receiving the promise that comes from outside of history and through hearing the voice of God, recreates our reality and future.

4. Main, among other temptations for us, is the temptation to forget the land, the place of promise and meeting with God – where we come from, where we have been and where we are going. Just as Israel, this act of forgetting denotes our ceasing from being a historical people.

5. And just like Israel did, Pentecostals find themselves without the right to exist. Yet, the association with the land, and not merely any land but the Land of Promise, gives us not only a right of existence, but also an identity which no one, not even us, can change or redefine, except the Giver of the Promise. And this is the function of the covenant and the association of our personal experience with God to a place, a location, a spot in history where our lives were once and for all changed for eternity.

LONDON 2011: I Shall Never Leave You nor Forsake You

European Conference of Bulgarian Church and Ministries – London, 2011

LONDON 2011

Recently, we were privileged and blessed to take part in the first Conference for Bulgarian Churches and Ministries in Western Europe. This has been a project of ours for over three years now and fits within our ongoing post-doctoral research on the planting and growth of Pentecostal churches for Bulgarian immigrants. As part of this project, we have continuously aided the network of Bulgarian churches in the United States and Canada, explored the ministry and planed events for Bulgarian churches in Ireland, Spain, Germany and France and trained leadership teams for the Bulgarian Church of God in Cyprus. Therefore, the LONDON 2011 conference was a fulfillment of a long-awaited dream and prophetic realization of the global goals of our humble ministry.

The conference took place in the Chelsea area of London over the period of one week. We met with the six Bulgarian congregations throughout the week contributing to various stages of their team building and church growth. Then on Saturday, all gathered in Chelsea, along with representatives of the Bulgarian churches in France and Germany. The introduction of each ministry over the afternoon was followed by a healing miracle service in the evening led by on of our own Bulgarian Church of God regional overseers. We brought the message at the Sunday celebration service from Hebrews 13:5 “I Shall Never Leave You nor Forsake You,” which was received well by the Bulgarian immigrant community. Sunday afternoon was given for testimonies about the start of each of the groups present and personal miracles that had occurred at the services through the week. Then, on Sunday evening we led a church growth training event with key aspects on the foundational and building of Bulgarian ethnic congregations in Western Europe.

The Apostolic Faith (September, 1907)

This is a time as never before when the baptized saints are scattering abroad everywhere preaching the Word. They have gone out from Los Angeles far and near, carrying the sweet message that the Comforter has come. Some have gone to Canada, some east, some south, and some are on the way to foreign fields.

Many of the camp meeting saints are gathering back to the old “manger home” at Azusa. The pillar of fire still rests there. Meetings went on here all summer souls seeking and finding the Lord.

The Lord taught His people at the Campground and gave them some practical experiences that will stand them in good stead on the field. The enemy came in as an angel of light, and we had a battle with the powers of darkness; but it was turned into victory after all. The Spirit was poured out and many souls baptized. God only knows the number. They were slain about the altars and in the “upper room tent,” and came through speaking and singing in tongues and rejoicing in God.

Many were saved and sanctified. Over 100 were baptized in the stream near by. The baptismal services were sweet and heavenly. Numbers of children followed Jesus in baptism, and came out of the water praising God. Many testified to healing. The Lord performed some real miracles. Praise God!

There were over 200 living tents in the camp, besides a number of large tents; the big tabernacle where God met with us graciously; the “upper room tent” where many sought and obtained the Pentecost; the children’s tabernacle where they were taught the Word and many of them found the Lord, and we shall never forget that spot for it was so sweet to hear the children praying and praising the Lord; then there was the dining tent, where hundreds sat down to the tables and no charge made except as the Lord laid it on them to put into the box. We enjoyed some blessed times in the Spirit there, and also in the workers’ dining tent, before we got the big tabernacle on the “all things common” line. One morning while at prayer after breakfast, the power of God so came on us that ten of the workers were slain and we did not get away till noon. We had a foretaste of heaven.

The hills around would sometimes ring with prayer and praise. Some sought and found the Lord on the hills, and came down with faces shining.

The early morning meetings before breakfast when the saints met will never be forgotten. The Lord met with us. There were three other services in the big tabernacle during the day, which often ran into the night, if not till morning. The altar workers were very faithful. They would stay and pray with seekers all night.

People came from hundreds and thousands of miles seeking Pentecost, and went back with the rivers of salvation. The songs from the camp could be heard distinctly up in Hermon. One sister who had been told it was all the power of the devil was up in Hermon listening, and she said to herself, “So that is the devil; well, the devil has some sweet singers.” She came down and the result was she went to the altar and received the baptism with the Holy Ghost.

From Hermon, one sister saw fire issuing out of the tabernacle, as it were a tongue of fire. Her daughter also saw it. And a little boy who was in the power of the Spirit in the tabernacle, saw a ball of fire in the top of the tabernacle which broke and filled the whole place with light. God surely did send the fire. Many were the heavenly anthems the Spirit sang through His people. And He gave many beautiful messages in unknown tongues, speaking of His soon coming, invitations to come to the Lord, and exhortations from the Word.

We had some precious saints’ meetings feasting on the Word. One blessed thing was the unity of the ministers and workers in the doctrines of the Bible, so plainly taught by our Lord. The Lord put His seal upon it. Those who were not present will find the doctrines in this paper as they were taught there. Our power in this Gospel is in standing in the Word. O how precious it is when we are in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship. Some, it is sad to say, will not pay the price.

In Washington, D.C.

In the capital city, the Pentecost has fallen in a colored Holiness Mission. Bro. and Sister S.S. Crawford were preaching the Pentecost at another mission, and they sent for them, as Cornelius sent for Peter to preach this Gospel. Twenty-two came to the altar the first service and four received Pentecost with the Bible evidence. The meeting went on for five weeks with 16 receiving the Pentecost, four of them preachers.

Minnesota Campmeetings

He is pouring out His Spirit on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. Our annual campmeeting at Fairmont Minn., June 14-24 was a season of precious waiting before the Lord. Heretofore it has been a tarrying place where the full Gospel was preached. But this year in the added light of Pentecostal blessings and power which a number present had received during the past few months, it swung out into a Pentecostal meeting. God was pleased to work graciously in our midst saving, sanctifying, and healing persons and several were baptized with the Holy Ghost, while the blessings flowed out upon others as the Holy Spirit fell upon the people.

At the Maxwell Campmeeting, on Thursday, July 5th, the Lord poured out His Spirit in power; and while numbers were prostrate under the power, He was pleased to use two young women under the power of the Spirit, in speaking through them so that the hearts of the people were melted like wax in His presence, and realized they were in the very presence of God. The afternoon meeting merged into the evening meeting with no time to prepare supper. O it was most blessed indeed.-H.L. Blake Ruthton, Minn.

In North Carolina

The Holy Ghost is being poured out in Rowan Free Will Baptist Church and many are speaking and singing in new tongues, and some interpreting and receiving other manifestations of the Spirit. On the 17th of May Bro. Harrell received his Pentecost, and from that time to this the Holy Ghost has been sought by others and about 28 have received their Pentecost while several have been converted and some sanctified. In nearly every service someone gets their Pentecost. People are coming from other sections of the country to see for themselves the wonderful works of God in our midst.

The fire is falling at the F.W. Baptist Church at Frenchers Creek, and also at the F.W. Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C. and several have received their Pentecost at each of these places. At Wilmington three little girls from 10 to 12 years old have received their Pentecost and are gloriously happy.”-A.J. Bordeau, Colly N.C.

At High Point, N.C., the Pentecost mission is growing, souls are getting saved and the sick healed. At Durham, there is a happy band of baptized believers. At Winston-Salem, some are being baptized with the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues.

In New Orleans, La.

As soon as we received those Apostolic Faith papers, we began praying, and fasted and prayed, and Glory to His name, He made Himself known in our midst, and came and baptized four with the Holy Ghost and fire. O what a grand time we did have, and the Lord has been continuing to baptize different ones. The fire is falling down here, and the Lord is bringing His saints together as Jesus prayed in the 17th of John. He is giving the gift of speaking with tongues and other gifts.

-Alice Taylor, 2323 Washington Avenue.

Other Points

In Oakland just as the paper goes to press, word comes from Sister Crawford who is on her way east that the power of God is falling. In San Francisco the work is going forward with two young brothers from the campmeeting in charge.

In Atlanta, Ga., reports come of many baptized with the Holy Ghost. Signs and wonders have been given by the Lord.

At Dayton, Ohio, the Holy Ghost first fell in February on those that were earnestly seeking the fullness. Thirty-six souls were reported to have received the Pentecost and the altar full of seekers. Bro. W.W. Bailey, a baptized preacher there opened up a Pentecost Gospel Union Mission at 767 S. Brown St.

At Chambersburg, Pa., about 25 got baptized and some spoke in tongues, some saved, sanctified and healed.

At Youngstown, Ohio, a number have received the baptism. One night they were in prayer all the evening praising God and the Lord gave the heavenly song which sounded to them like angelic strains. One sister saw into glory and saw the heavenly city. Such a sight to behold! It seemed the celestial city was so near, the veil was almost worn through.

At Memphis, Tenn., many hungry souls have been baptized.

At Durant, Fla., there has been a gracious meeting in which about 50 have received the Holy Ghost. Some have been healed, unclean spirits crying with loud voices have come out of some that were possessed with them, souls are saved and sanctified.

Pentecost has fallen at Council Bluffs Ia., at Caldwell, Kans., at Mankato, Minn. at New Castle, Pa., at Watertown, N.Y., and the work has been increasing at many other points.

Truly this is a refreshing time, according to Acts 3. 18-21. “Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ.” We can see the refreshing times are now flowing.

In Portland, Oregon, there has been a Holy Ghost campmeeting going on all summer. Hundreds have been baptized with the Holy Ghost, many saved, sanctified and healed. They have such love and harmony among the saints that they have all things on Pentecostal lines. The saints there are mostly poor, yet making many rich. Tents and eating tabernacle free and no collections. God abundantly supplied. Portland has become an example of this Pentecostal faith. Glory to God for what He had done.

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This great movement is like a little mustard seed planted in Los Angeles. It took root in a humble place which proved to be good soil and, watered with rivers from heaven, it soon put forth its branches to nearby towns as Long Beach and out to Oakland. Soon the limbs spread north and far over the eastern states, and then clear over into Sweden and India. Now it is spreading all over the world, and how beautiful and green it is, and how the birds are coming to lodge in its branches.

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Christ is making up His jewels quickly. O how the “latter rain” is falling. We hear from Canada, from the east and south the sound of abundance of rain. Praise God. It is falling in Sweden, in Norway and refreshing showers in India. Also we hear of gracious drops falling in other distant lands. We hear the rumbling of the chariots of heaven. Some are trying to stop it but you might as well try to stop a cloud burst in the mountains. This thing is in God’s hands.

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Men and women have prayed for years to see this precious light, prayed to see Los Angeles revived. Now we can see the fruits of Pentecost here, God healing people, saving, sanctifying, baptizing with the Holy Ghost, speaking through the power of the Spirit and singing in unknown tongues, giving sweet anthems from heaven. God has graciously answered the prayers of His people, though many are blinded and cannot see it; but praise God, our eyes have seen this great salvation and we ought to be encouraged to go forward as never before.

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In Minneapolis there is a precious Holy Ghost mission band of about 200 Holy Ghost people who are united in love and harmony, filled with the glory of God. Though they have been persecuted and * by the secular papers, yet God has only used it as a free advertisement to draw honest souls. One woman heard of it 250 miles away and came all the way to receive her Pentecost, and in a short time she received a mighty baptism with the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues and interpreting, and went back with the precious oil of the Holy Ghost.

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Hungry souls rejoice to hear of the Pentecost. Sister Mary Yaegge of Baltimore was one who rejoiced to hear of the Pentecost at Los Angeles. She prized the little paper for it seemed to be just what her soul longed for. She had been raised a Catholic and had received the Gospel gladly and was sanctified and hungering for the Holy Ghost. She came to the Campmeeting. Received her Pentecost on the way, while at Oakland and is truly anointed with power and divine love. She is on her way back to Switzerland, her native home, to give this Gospel to her people.

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Missionaries in China have been seeking the baptism with the Holy Ghost ever since they received the first Apostolic Faith papers from Los Angeles. One dear missionary, Brother B. Berntsen from South Chih-li, Tai-Ming-Fu, North China came all the way to Los Angeles to receive his Pentecost. And, bless God, he went to the altar at Azusa Mission, and soon fell under the power, and arose drunk on the new wine of the kingdom, magnifying God in a new tongue. As soon as he could speak English, he said, “This means much for China.” Then he told how he had felt the need of the fullness of the Pentecost in China, and we fell on our knees and prayed that the dear missionaries might be anointed and China might receive the Gospel.

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The manager of the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles, Bro. Will Trotter, received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and as a result he lost his position under men, but God has marvelously anointed him and is using him in the evangelistic work.

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In Chicago there are a number of Pentecostal meetings. Many are magnifying God for the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The Lord is using Bro. Durham as a river that overflows its banks and waters the thirsty ground. Many hungry ones are seeking and obtaining their baptism. Some of the Moody Institute people have received their Pentecost, but the theologians are not accepting it.

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The Scandinavian Apostolic Faith Mission at 775 Wall street, Los Angeles, is one of the sweetest places you ever were in. The people there are filled with the Spirit praising God. They seem so sincere and full of divine love. There are a number of precious young men and women there that God has cleansed and filled with the Spirit. It is blessed to see them.

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THE LOVE OF JESUS

“Surely He hath borne out griefs and carried our sorrows.” The Son of God went into the garden when He was bearing this world of sin. The blood gushed out from His skin and fell in great drops to the ground. He prayed, “Father, if it be thy will remove this cup from Me, never theless not my will but Thine be done.” He suffered until His heart swelled in His body and forced the blood through the flesh. His soul burned in Him with the weight of sin of this old world on our conquering King. Then He did not stop but went through Pilate’s judgment hall and was whipped and the blood ran down in that judgment hall, and was shed all the way to Calvary. O those stripes reach our sicknesses and our infirmities and heal us. He bled and died and went down into the grave and rose again. O beloved, He atoned for you, He hung and bled for you, and if you will accept Him today He will fill your heart.

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At the annual Christian and Missionary Alliance Convention in Nyack, New York some were present who had received their Pentecost, and a great interest was awakened. In a tarrying meeting one young lady who was called to Africa fell under the power, received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in an African tongue, which was recognized by missionaries from Africa as being the very language of the part of Africa to which the sister was expecting to go. Others sought and obtained the baptism.

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A minister who had been opposing this work went to one of the Pentecostal meetings and got under conviction. He confessed to all that he was in the wrong and stated to his congregation that he must have this Pentecostal power, that he would not preach until he had it; he would work on the rock pile first. Then he called all his people to the altar that wanted it and they came in crowds. O the hungry souls. If the ministers would only go in themselves and let their hungry flocks go in what a wave of salvation there would be. This minister we hear has been mightily baptized and many of his people.

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In Santa Barbara in a Pentecostal meeting, as they were kneeling about the altar, some whiskey bottles were thrown which came from a saloon nearby. Two of the saints were struck with them. Sister Crawford was cut on the temple by one of these ugly weapons, but the saints prayed for her and the meeting went on. She writes that she is rejoicing to be counted worthy to bear about in her body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

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In Zion City, Ill., a little girl of about six years came to her mother and said she was going to get saved. She went upstairs and commenced to pray, and the Lord heard her. She called down to her mother “Mamma, if something in me says I am sanctified, is that Jesus speaking?” Her mother said, “Yes.” Then she said “Mamma, I am sanctified.” She got down and prayed again and was baptized with the Holy Ghost, and the Lord had had her preaching, and gave her a message to one of Dowie’s elders that had fought this work. So God spoke through this little child unable to read. He could preach through the ass of Balaam and He can take a little child and preach through it.

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We must keep where God can use us, and the secret is humility, the Word and the Blood.

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This Gospel, the full Gospel of Jesus must be preached in all the earth for a witness then shall the end come.

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Jesus Christ tasted death for every man but He did not taste death for the devil or fallen angels. We do not believe the devil or fallen angels are going to be saved. The Lord Jesus did not die for the devil or demons. Everyone that will repent of their sins can find rest in the Blood of Calvary.

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When Christ is in you, He is married to you in spirit. He calls you, “My love and My dove.” Everyone that has Christ is married to Him in spirit. “Ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another even to Him who is raised from the dead.” Rom. 7. 4. We are under the law of the Spirit of Christ. O how sweet it is You would not depart from this husband of your soul for anything.

THE APOSTOLIC FAITH

312 Azusa Street

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THE APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION

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THE APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION

Stands for the restoration of the faith once delivered unto the saints-the old time religion, of camp meetings, revivals, missions, street and prison work and Christian Unity everywhere.

Teaching on Repentance-Mark 1:14, 15.

Godly Sorrow for Sin, Example-Matt, 9:13, 2 Cor. 7, 9, 11. Acts 3:19, Acts 17: 30, 31.

Of Confession of Sins-Luke 15:21 and Luke 18:13.

Forsaking Sinful Ways-Isa. 55:7. Jonah 3:8. Prov. 28:13.

Restitution-Ezek. 33:15. Luke 19:8.

And faith in Jesus Christ.

First work.-Justification is that act of God’s free grace by which we receive remission of sins. Acts 10:42, 43. Rom. 3:25.

Second work.-Sanctification is the second work of grace and the last work of grace. Sanctification is that act of God’s free grace by which He makes us holy. John 17:15, 17.-“Sanctify them through Thy Truth; Thy work is truth.” I Thess. 4:3; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12; Heb. 2:11; Heb. 12:14.

Sanctification is cleansing to make holy. The disciples were sanctified before the Day of Pentecost. By a careful study of Scripture you will find it is so now. “Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3; 13:10); and Jesus had breathed on them the Holy Ghost (John 20:21, 22). You know that they could not receive the Spirit if they were not clean. Jesus cleansed and got all doubt out of His Church before He went back to glory.

The Baptism with the Holy Ghost is a gift of power upon the sanctified life; so when we get it we have the same evidence as the Disciples received on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:3, 4), in speaking in new tongues. See also Acts 10:45, 46; Acts 19:6; I Cor. 14:21. “For I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe though it be told you.”-Heb. 1:5.

Seeking Healing-We must believe that God is able to heal.-Ex. 15:26: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” James 5:14; Psa. 103:3; 2 Kings 20:5; Matt. 8:16, 17; Mark 16; 16, 17, 18. “Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there any thing too hard for Me?”-Jer. 32:27.

Too many have confused the grace of Sanctification with the enduement of Power, or the Baptism with the Holy Ghost; others have taken “the anointing that abideth” for the Baptism, and failed to reach the glory and power of a true Pentecost.

The Blood of Jesus will never blot out any sin between man and man they can make right; but if we can’t make wrongs right the Blood graciously covers. (Matt. 5:23, 24.)

We are not fighting men or churches, but seeking to displace dead forms and creeds and wild fanaticisms with living, practical Christianity. “Love, Faith, Unity” are our watchwords, and “Victory through the Anointing Blood” our battle cry. God’s promises are true. He said: “Be thou faithful over a few things, and I will make thee ruler over many.” From the little handful of Christians who stood by the cross when the testings and discouragements came, God has raised a might host.

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HEALING

Sickness and disease are destroyed through the precious atonement of Jesus. O how we ought to honor the stripes of Jesus, for “with his stripes we are healed.” How we ought to honor that precious body which the Father sanctified and sent into the world, not simply set apart, but really sanctified, soul, body and spirit, free from sickness, disease and everything of the devil. A body that knew no sin and disease was given for these imperfect bodies of ours. Not only is the atonement for the sanctification of our souls, but for the sanctification of our bodies from inherited disease. It matters not what has been in the blood. Every drop of blood we received from our mother is impure. Sickness is born in a child just as original sin is born in the child. He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Every sickness is of the devil.

Man in the garden of Eden was pure and happy and knew no sickness till that up holy visitor came into the garden, then his whole system was poisoned and it has been flowing in the blood of all the human family down the ages, till God spoke to his people and said, “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” The children of Israel practiced divine healing. David, after being healed of rheumatism. (perhaps contracted in the caves where he hid himself form his pursuers,) testified saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” David knew what it was to be healed. Healing continued with God’s people till Solomon’s heart was turned away by strange wives, and he brought in the black arts and mediums, and they went whoring after familiar spirits. God had been their healer, but after they lost the Spirit, they turned to the arm of flesh to find something to heal their diseases.

Thank God we have a living Christ among us to heal our diseases. He will heal every case. The prophet had said, “With his stripes we are healed,” and it was fulfilled when Jesus came. Also “He hath borne our griefs,” (which means sickness, as translators tell us.) Now if Jesus bore our sicknesses, why should we bear them? So we get full salvation through the atonement of Jesus.

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THE ORDINANCES TAUGHT BY OUR LORD

We believe in three ordinances in the church, foot washing, the Lord’s supper and water baptism.

Foot Washing-(John 13.)

Dear loved ones, it is so sweet to think of that wonderful love that our Christ has for His dear people. O beloved, just think of our Almighty Christ becoming a servant, washing the disciples’ feet. This is the first place in the scriptures where we see Jesus using water, a very type of regeneration, washing the disciples’ feet. Regeneration is spoken of as the washing of water by the Word. So this ordinance is a type of regeneration. Jesus is the Word. “Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. John 15:3.

Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, and exhorted them to humility and charity. Bless His holy Name. We read in the Word of God, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. (Bless God! Praise His holy name!) And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper and laid aside His garments; and took a towel and girded Himself. After that he poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.” John 13:1-4.

We read where Jesus cometh to Simon Peter and Peter said unto Him, “Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said unto him, “What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.” We can see that this was something new to Peter. He was not used to the Master’s washing his feet. But the Lord Jesus told him he should know hereafter. What Jesus means was that when the blessed Holy Spirit should be poured out after the resurrection and ascension unto heaven, that this blessed Holy Spirit would lead Peter into all the doctrines of Jesus, and they would be practiced just as Jesus said in the 16th chapter of John and 12th verse, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now, howbeit when He the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear that shall He spoke, and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine and shall show it unto you.”

Peter said unto Him, “Thou shalt never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me.”

Dear beloved, none of us should reject the command of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, or these different ordinances that He has instituted. What right have we to dictate to our blessed Master? He said so tenderly, “If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me. And this was a rebuke also to any man or any woman that thinks they are independent of the teachings of Jesus. So when Peter heard this rebuke, he said to the Lord, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head.” How these disciples loved Jesus after that. Jesus said to Him, “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit, and ye are clean but not all.”

So after He had washed their feet and had taken His garments and was set down again, He said unto them, “Know ye what I have done unto you?’ Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye ought also to wash one another’s feet.” Why? Well we only have to read the next verse for ourselves, “For I have given you example.”

Dear beloved, we can see this is humility towards each other in real love. While it does mean that, suppose we all practice it literally, for Jesus is our example. He said, “I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you.” Some may say that the manner and customs have changed from that day, as we not longer wear sandals, but, dear ones, are our manners and customs going to change the Word of God? “Verily, Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than He that sent Him. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. Now this is to His true believers, because they are worthy. Verse 18 explains just who should not do it. He says, “I speak not of you all, for I know whom I have chosen.” Dear beloved, if the Lord has chosen us, He has chosen us to walk in the light, as He is in the light, that we might have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Amen.

Jesus Himself instituted foot washing in the New Testament, not as in the Old Testament when the priest would wash his own feet at the lever in the temple, which represented regeneration, but Jesus Himself washed the disciples’ feet and wiped them with the towel. So, dear loved ones we believe that foot washing is one of the ordinances of the church of God. We find that it is a service much blest of God to our souls. It is for the disciples, not for sinners. In this service the sisters will assemble by themselves apart and wash each other’s feet and the brothers will wash the brother’s feet. This is also a service of testimony, song and praise. After that comes the Lord’s supper.

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples, which was Moses’ law. It was not finished forever, as He shoved that table aside, and after washing the disciples’ feet, instituted the Lord’s supper, the Christian Passover, the bread and the wine. The Passover was the very type of Jesus. It had a three-fold meaning; the sprinkled blood for redemption; the body of the lamb eaten for health and healing; and the passing over the Red Sea, which was a type of the Blood of Jesus Christ that gives us victory over all the powers of the enemy.

“The Lord Jesus in the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it and said, Take, eat, this is My body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying This is the new testament in My Blood; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come.” I Cor. II 23-26. Praise His holy name. So we see that this ordinance points us to the coming of the Lord, our great deliverance, as the Passover was the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt.

The Passover supper always reminded the Jews of God’s great love for them in delivering them out of Egyptian bondage. But it was by blood which pointed them to the Lamb of Calvary. So the Lord’s supper is to us a memorial of the death of our Lord and also points us to His coming to catch us away in the glorious liberty of the children of God.

They ate the Passover, the body of the lamb, which gave them strength and healing, so the body of the lamb stood for healing and health, just as Christ’s body is health to us, “for with His stripes ye are healed.” We find as we partake of this ordinance, it brings healing to our bodies if we discern the Lord’s body by faith (I Cor. 29-30) It also teaches us salvation and sanctification through the Blood. Our souls are built up, for we eat His flesh and drink His Blood. The Lord Jesus promised, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. May Christ’s children everywhere live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Water Baptism

We believe in water baptism, because Jesus commanded it after His resurrection. Mark 16. 16. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” We believe in water by immersion, single. Matt. 3. 16. “And Jesus when He was baptized, went up straighway out of the water.” Acts 8 38-39. “And He commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.”

It sets forth the believer with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. Rom. 6 3-5. “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. First if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.” Gal. 3. 27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Baptism is not a saving ordinance, but it is essential because it is a command of our Lord. Mark 16. 16, and Acts 2. 28 “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.” It is “Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscious toward God.” I Pet. 3.21. It is obedience to the command of Jesus, following saving faith. We believe every true believer will practice it.

It should be administered by a disciple who is baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Matt. 28, 19-20, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” But we find that they were first to tarry for the promise of the Father which would qualify them. Acts I. 4, “And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father.”

We believe that we should teach God’s people to observe all things whatsoever He has commanded us, practicing every command and living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. This is a full Gospel.

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Bible salvation will take you into heaven but if you have not got Bible salvation you will have a great deal of trouble around the gate. Your name will not be found.

We are not called by this country to preach the Gospel, but we are called from heaven-and heaven is not bankrupt, neither is God gone out of business. He does not send us out to preach this Gospel and pay our bills. Do business for Christ and He will take care of you.

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God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” O today if you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart, you have everlasting life. This salvation is real, it is not an influence.

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Out of His side flowed Blood and water. The Blood represents cleansing and the water the baptism with the Holy Ghost. The rivers of living water which Jesus promised flowed out of His side. We get all of this by living in Christ.

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The Lord has provided the Word as a looking glass for us to see ourselves whether there are any spots on us. And the Word is a washer. “Ye are clean through the Word which I (Christ) have spoken unto you.”

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When you are sanctified, the old Ishmael of your soul is put out of your house. You are free from the old man. Old Ishmael will not pinch little Isaac any more to make him cry. Jesus Christ is enthroned to that house.

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O it is so precious to have the Lord Jesus crowned in your heart. How wonderfully and sweetly the Spirit unfolds the scriptures to you. You receive the Holy Ghost and He unravels everything from Genesis and Revelation. He starts and unfolds and all you do is to follow on.

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The Jews were the very fig tree that the Lord planted. He planted it that the scepter might not depart from Judah. Herod was the first foreign king that swayed the scepter over God’s people. And right at that time Christ was born and the government was upon His shoulder. This fulfilled Gen. 49. 10.

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Freeloveism and everything of that kind is from the pit of hell. It is a dragon to devour those who get out of the Word, but praise God, He has given to His children to know these spirits. Such spirits will not be allowed, any more than magicians, soothsayers, and sorcerers were allowed to be among God’s children in the early days.

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If you have carnality in your heart and do not get it out, you do not know where it will lead you. As soon as you get the light of sanctification, you must seek at once the cleansing Blood or you will lose all your salvation.

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We believe in a real salvation that gives you the witness by the Spirit. Calvin taught a salvation that if you said you had it, you did not have it; and if you had it you did not know it; and if you lost it, you could not get it again. Wesley taught that if you had it you would know it, and if you lost it, you could get it again. Jesus said, “He that believeth on the Son hath the witness in himself.” We teach that if a man is ensnared by the devil, and has not trampled the Blood of Jesus Christ under his feet and counted the Blood wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, he can get back to Jesus Christ by restitution and faith and doing his first works over.

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If your heart is open to the Blood of Christ He will save you. All He wants is a repentant heart that has Godly sorrow for sin, and He will wash you. Though your sins be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. O the promises of God are sure and stedfast, and though the heaven and earth pass away, the promises of Jesus will never pass away. As long as there is breath and life in your body, you can look up to Jesus and He will save you, but if there is no repentance in your heart you would have no desire to be saved. But, beloved, if there is one particle of desire in your heart to look to God, you have not sinned away your day of grace. They that have sinned away their day of grace, cannot be stirred any more than a chair. No appeal will move them. Christ has a desire to save every man and woman on the face of the earth.

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We do not read anything in the Word about writing in unknown languages, so we do not encourage that in our meetings. Let us measure everything by the Word, that all fanaticism may be kept out of the work. We have found it questionable whether any real good has come out of such writing.

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A sister who was baptized in the stream at the camp ground says that when she came to change her clothing, she attempted to put on her jewelry again but the Spirit would not let her, so she left it off. While one sister was under the power, her hands went up and took the fancy pins out of her hat and threw them away and she never put them on again. So the Spirit has been working in harmony with the Word, teaching His people how to dress according to the Bible, Gold watches, rings, etc., have disappeared, and gone into sending the Gospel.

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From missionaries in Macao, China, we received word that some of the Chinese Christians have received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and are speaking in new tongues.

THE MARRIAGE TIE

Marriage is a divine institution which God Himself has instituted. Gen. 2:18, 24. “And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh.” I Cor. 11:9. “Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.”

God commended it. Gen. 2:18 and Prov. 18:22. “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineith favor of the Lord.”

God is in it. Matt. 19. 4, 6. “And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female. Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder.”

It is honorable in all. Heb. 13:4. “Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

Christ attended a wedding in Canaan. He went to adorn it, to beautify it with His presence. John 2:1,2. “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Gallilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called and His disciples to the marriage.”

The forbidding to marry is the doctrine of devils. I Tim. 4: 1, 3. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; *** forbidding to marry.”

Marriage Binding for Life

God has approved of but one wife and one husband. Gen. 2:24. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh.” Matt. 19: 3-6. “The Pharisees also came unto Him tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, 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. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

The husband and wife are bound together for life. Rom. 7:2. “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband is dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.” I. 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.”

No court of man should sever the marriage tie. Matt. 19:6. “Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder.” Death alone severs the marriage tie. Heb. 13:4.

Moses’ Law of Divorce

Under Moses’ law, he suffered men to divorce their wives and marry again, because of the hardness of their hearts Matt. 19: 7,8. “They say unto Him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.” Under Moses’ law they had been accustomed , for any uncleanness, adultery, fornication or some cause not as much as that, to put away the wife by giving her a bill of divorcement, and she could go and be another man’s wife. But under the New Testament law, the law of Christ, she is bound by the law to her husband till death.

The Edenic Standard of Matrimony

Jesus did away with the divorce law, and restored matrimony back to the Edenic standard. Under Moses’ law the sacredness of matrimony was lost through the hardness of hearts. But under the law of grace, it is restored back as in the beginning of grace. Praise God. God’s promises are true and sure. Hallelujah! Amen.

Under the New Testament law, the law of Christ, there is but one cause for which a man may put away his wife, but no right to marry again. This cause is fornication or adultery. Matt. 5:31,32. “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement; but I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” Matt. 19:9. “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” These two scriptures are just the same in meaning. Matt. 5: 31, 32 is the key to the whole subject. It settles the question.

Forbidden to Marry Again

After a man has lawfully put away his wife, or a wife has lawfully put away her husband, they are positively forbidden to marry again, under the New Testament law, until the former companion is dead. Mark 10: 11, 12. “And He saith unto them Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.” Luke 16: 18. “Whosoever putteth away his wife and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.” Rom. 7: 2, 3. “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress though she be married to another man.”

Adultery and Fornication

The act of adultery is between a married person and another who is not the lawful companion. Both parties may be married or only one. When only one is married, the act is called fornication. Matt. 19. 9 and 5, 32. Jesus said, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication causeth her to commit adultery.” These sins are just the same, only one is committed while living with a husband and the other is when one has separated and married again.

No man can enter the kingdom of heaven without confessing and forsaking adultery and fornication. Gal. 5, 19, 21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, evyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Isa. 55, 7, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God for He will abundantly pardon.”

The Innocent Party

If Jesus had intended that the innocent party should marry, He would have said so, and would not have said, Moses suffered it because of the hardness of your hearts. Jesus makes it very plain. If the innocent party marries, they are living in adultery. Jesus is showing the sacredness of matrimony. Dear beloved, let us obey God in spite of everything. There is one Scripture where many people are tied up, it is Matt. 19, 9, where Jesus said, “But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, and shall marry another committeth adultery, and whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery.” Now dear loved ones, let us stop and pray over this. “Except it be for fornication and marrieth another.” Some think that this party would be entitled to marry again, but let us stop and see what Jesus is teaching here. If he puts away his wife except for the cause of fornication, he committeth a sin, because he will cause her to commit adultery. Therefore he is bound by the law as long as she lives, bound right to the Edenic standard. Amen.

Dear loved ones, if Jesus had instituted that the innocent party could get another wife, He would be instituting the same thing that was permitted by Moses, and would have the church filled with that today.

Now the reason Jesus gave him permission to put away his wife for the cause of fornication was that she is already adulterous, so her adultery gave him a lawful right to separate. While it gives him that right, yet it does not give him the right to get another wife while she lives.

Paul in I Tim. 3-2 says, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife. He also says, I Tim. 5, 9, “Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man.” This shows plainly that they recognized in the church that a man was to have one wife and a woman one husband.

After Light Has Come

Rom. 7. 2, 3 and I Cor. 7, 39 give us very clear light. O may God help us to accept Bible salvation, instead of having our opinion and losing our souls. Dear beloved, you that have two wives or two husbands, before you had light on it, you lived that way and had no condemnation. God did not condemn you until you received the light upon His Word on this subject; but now God hold you responsible for the light. If you continue in the old life after light has come upon you, then you will be in the sight of God an adulterer or an adulteress, and you are bound to lose your experience or substitute something in the place of what God hath wrought. “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.” Let us obey God’s Word if it takes our right eye or right hand.

So we find under the New Testament there is no putting away the first wife and getting another. Death is the only thing that severs the marriage tie. Rom. 7. 2 and I Cor. 7. 39-W.J. Seymour.

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It took John the Baptist only six months to prepare for the coming of Jesus; how long do you think it is going to take a lot of baptized people to prepare for His second coming? A little over year ago in Azusa Mission, a few people were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, and today there are thousands and thousands of people saved from sin, living pure lives in the name of Jesus, and baptized with the Holy Ghost.

SALVATION ACCORDING TO THE TRUE TABERNACLE

Moses made the tabernacle after the pattern shown him in the mount. This tabernacle was the pattern of the unseen King that was to come. The Lord wants us to have salvation according to the true tabernacle, which is Christ. Our tabernacle must be built according to the pattern in the Word. Now all things under the law were a shadow of what we are to receive in grace.

The Brazen Altar, Justification

First we come to the court of the tabernacle. This is where the sinner does his first works. Here we find the brazen altar which stands for justification. We receive pardon and regeneration right at the brazen altar. On the altar is the sin offering, on the horns of the altar, blood. Here is pardon and regeneration combined. As soon as a soul is pardoned, he is washed and the work of regeneration is wrought in his soul. Here we find also the lever, which stands for the washing from guilt and pollution. The priest always washed himself before he entered the Holy Place. Here the sinner, even though his sins be red like crimson, is justified. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is court work.

The Golden Altar, Sanctification

There are two altars, the brazen altar and the golden altar. We see this represents two works of grace, two altars. Now the believer comes to the golden altar. Since the new birth is implanted in his soul, he has access to present himself a living offering. When he came as a sinner, he was dead in trespasses and sins, and had nothing to consecrate. Now he can consecrate himself to be sanctified. Here he finds on the altar the Blood of Jesus, which represents Christ the sanctifier of His people. He receives Christ to rule and reign supreme in his soul, and every enemy of doubt and carnality is cast out and destroyed by the Blood. Then he is one with Christ. “For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one.”

This is the Holy Place. All that enter wear holy garments, the white linen of the saints. Here we find the shew bread, which represents feeding upon Christ. When we get a holy heart, it calls for the Word of God. Now you have a holy feast continually. You have the Word, Christ Jesus planted in your heart, and you have faith. You believe every word of God.

Here in the Holy Place, you find the golden candlestick whose light is always burning. This is the light of holiness shining forth. There is always a fire in your soul. Why? Because you are on the altar and the altar sanctifies the gift, and the gift keeps pure and preserved. The only way men and women can be preserved is by living on the altar. And the holy incense of praise and prayer is always ascending from your heart to God. Then you are prepared for the baptism with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy of Holies, the Holy Ghost

We can see that the baptism with the Holy Ghost is not a work of grace for there is no altar in the Holy of Holies. This is another step, the gift of the Holy Ghost. Instead of an altar, there is an ark of gold, which represents the Lord Jesus Christ perfected in you, for in Christ you have the experience of justification, sanctification and the baptism with the Holy Ghost. There is always prayer and praise to God here, as you see those cherubim over the altar praying and praising God.

In the ark, you find Aaron’s rod that budded, which represents justification; the hidden pot of manna, which stands for sanctification and the tables of stone on which God wrote Himself, representing the baptism with the Holy Ghost. Right above the ark, is the great Shekina glory. The Holy of Holies did not have any light from the sun, neither did it have any candle, but the light of the Holy Ghost lit it up. Over it rested the pillar of cloud by night and the pillar of fire by day, the very presence of God. When a man or woman gets the baptism with the Holy Ghost, they are filled with continual light. It is a greater light than when you were sanctified. It is the full blessing of Christ. Justification and sanctification come from God through His death on the cross, and He also purchased on the cross the baptism with the Holy Ghost for every believer.

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PENTECOSTAL NOTES

The baptism with the Holy Ghost is more of God. It is God glorified in our hearts.

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In sanctification the unction of the Holy Ghost comes on you in speaking, but the baptism is power through your whole body day and night. “Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” Everyone that get the baptism get power. It is a continuous power. It comes down from heaven. The Lord sings and speaks through you in another tongue. He never did that in sanctification.

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Jesus said, “Tarry ye.” For what? For a work of grace? No, for He had said before He went down into the grave, “Ye are clean.” He got all the fears and doubts out of His church before He went back to bright glory. So after he had ascended to the Father, all they had to do was to praise God till the Comforter came. They did not have to mourn and weep for the Lord to give them a clean heart, for the vessel was already clean.

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O it is so precious to have a pot of oil which is the type of the Holy Spirit. Bless the Lord! The Lord will fill every sanctified vessel with oil. We read in Kings that the prophet told the widow to send out and get empty vessels to be filled with oil. Empty of self, cleansed through the Blood. Then they are prepared to hold the precious oil of the Spirit. People have to confess, make restitution, empty out, and be crucified before they can get this blessed oil.

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There have been those who have sought for the baptism and could not get it, because they did not come humbly as a little babe. They did not give up their doctrines and opinions; they did not empty out so they could get the filling. This is not revealed to our great theologians. Jesus said, “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes.” Some came like men and women with plenty of knowledge and did not empty out; but some of us were foolish enough to fall in and say, Here, Lord, if you have any more for me, I want it.

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When you were converted, you got rid of sin; when you were sanctified, you were cleansed of carnality; but the baptism is the third Person of the Trinity upon your soul, that reveals Christ and takes the things of the Father and shows them unto you.

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Jesus filled the upper room where they were sitting, with rivers of salvation. He made a baptismal pool of that little room, and they were all immersed in the Holy Spirit. The prophets, priests, and kings were anointed. Tongues of fire sat upon each of them, which represents burning witnesses.

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Before Jesus ascended to heaven, holy anointing oil had never been poured on a woman’s head; but before He organized His church. He called them all into the upper room, both men and women, and anointed them with the oil of the Holy Ghost, thus qualifying them all to minister in this Gospel. On the day of Pentecost they all preached through the power of the Holy Ghost. In Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, all are one.

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The Pentecost means power. Peter did not have power before Pentecost to stand up and say to that wicked and adulterous generation. “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” No, he cowed before a little maid. But when the power came into his life, he was able to preach boldly in the temple and on the streets “Christ whom ye crucified.” Hallelujah! They put him in jail, but the saints gathered and prayed and the angel led him out.

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Everyone that gets this baptism get the real refining fire. You do not have to pray for fire when you are baptized for when we have the baptism with the Holy Ghost, we have the fire also. The Holy Ghost brings the fire with Him. We are on fire for God, as the bush which burned with fire but was not consumed. John’s prophecy, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire” was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. “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.”

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O beloved, there is power in the Gospel. It is the sweetest thing this side of heaven because it gives you overcoming power. It gives you power in time of need and affliction, in times when all the powers of hell seem settled down upon your soul; there is something in your innermost being that moves away the powers of hell the instant you call for the Blood. It gives you power that when a soul comes to you to be lead into salvation, you can cast off the powers of darkness by the precious Blood, and see that soul begin to swell and burst out with hallelujahs. He will give you power to preach the Gospel behind prison bars and see results.

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The abiding anointing, which is the Spirit of Christ, is holy; but it is not the third Person of the Trinity. You have the Father, Son and Holy Ghost in sanctification, but you have not the enduement of power until you are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then you receive the baptism that Christ received on the banks of Jordan. He had the fullness of the Godhead, but He had to be baptized for His great work Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power and went about doing good. If we put sanctification for the Holy Ghost then we would have Jesus with carnality in Him up to His baptism. He did indeed sanctify Himself-not that He had any sin in Him-He set Himself apart for the salvation of the world; He did not compromise with His people or with any flesh that we might be sanctified through the truth.

“HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU.”

Matt. 3:11.

Chicago, Illinois, 3554 Vernon Avenue.

I am urged, both by friends and by the Lord, to write the story of my experience in seeking the fullness of God, and I trust it will prove some blessing to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

When my attention was first drawn to the teaching of “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit,” with its outward evidence of “speaking in Tongues,” it did not appeal to me; not because I did not need the Holy Spirit in greater fullness but because I was not sufficiently hungry for the good things of God.

But after some little study and investigation of the remarkable movement which is beginning to sweep the earth in God’s mighty power, I began to seek God in real earnestness. I wanted the peace and joy that I saw in those who had received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Services for the teaching of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit were begun in “The Stone Church,” Thirty-seventh Street and Indiana Avenue, Chicago, June 30, 1907 conducted by the Rev. F.A. Graves, Misses Marie Burgess and Jeanie Campbell, and my husband.

The above workers met in our home to pray God to bless the work.

While in prayer I became occupied with God for myself. I asked God to cleanse me from all sin and to give me whatever other blessing He had for me. While thus engaged in prayer I had a mental picture of the cross, and I was down at the foot of it. It seemed as though I were being pushed down until I saw myself about a foot high. It was very vivid. I felt that God was showing me myself as He saw me. I said, “Yes, Lord, I know I am small in your sight.” The next day I had great joy and when I began to pray again for a clean heart, God showed me that I had received it the day before at the foot of the cross.

Soon after this experience I was talking with these same workers and suddenly my heart seemed about to burst. I did not know why, for I felt no condemnation for sin. I was troubled and began to ask God to show me what it meant. I had had nothing in the way of manifestations showing me that God had cleansed my heart. I began to weep and continued until my heart seemed entirely empty, after which a great peace came over me.

I was now very hungry for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. I began again to seek and again I began to weep. This time it did not seem as though I were weeping but rather that Christ was weeping through me. God was thus showing me the suffering and agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. I passed through the Garden experience with Christ, God letting me suffer all I could stand. I felt any more grief would kill me.

The next night I wept with Christ all night over lost souls.

I did not myself invite or create these experiences. I had not at this time thought of Christ’s sufferings. I believe these experiences contain a lesson which I shall some day understand better than I do now.

Saturday night, July 20th, I felt impressed again to pray for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. I had the assurance that I would be baptized. I went to my bedroom, knelt and asked God to take full possession of my spirit, soul, and body. I was alone for two and one-half hours. Then I called Miss Burgens into my room. We prayed together and God wonderfully blessed us. My heart was filled with praise. I am not demonstrative and the only way my feelings were expressed were “Glory to God” “Praise His Name!”

While Miss Burgess was kneeling beside me I felt a great glow and a burning heat over my head. I heard Miss Burgess cry out, “Oh look at the beautiful lily.” I could not raise my head for the power of God was so great. In a few minutes he said, “Oh the beautiful Dove just above your head.” Again the Lily appeared and then the Dove. This time the Dove’s wings were outstretched over my head. I felt the power go through my body and knew that the Holy Spirit had taken possession of me. The power of God was so great that Miss Burgess drew away from me, weeping as though her heart would bread, saying, “I can’t stay near you.” I could not say a word at this time. I was awed into silence by the presence of God. Miss Burgess came back to me and again I felt the power of God. She said, “There’s a beautiful robe over you, which must be the robe of righteousness.” At this time I asked God to let me see something. In an instant the light broke above me, a beautiful dove appeared for a moment and vanished.

How unworthy I am to have the emblems both of Christ and the Holy Spirit appear to me! Immediately after this my chin began to quiver and I probably spoke a word or two in a foreign tongue.

The power of the Holy Spirit was with me in a marked way all day Sunday and Monday. The Holy Spirit continued to manipulate my facial muscles and vocal organs. Monday night I sang and talked a little in a foreign language. Praise His Holy Name!

When the language was forming and I was making peculiar sounds, the suggestion came to me that I was doing it myself. The temptation was so great that when the manifestations ceased, I attempted to repeat the sounds myself and found it impossible to repeat them.

The next morning Satan again tempted me and I felt depressed. I cried earnestly to God. My attention was called to the 4th of Matthew; when I read, “Then the Devil leaveth Him and behold angels came and ministered unto Him,” a great joy came upon me and has remained. Praise His Name! I have been a Christian a number of years but often regretted that the Blood of Jesus and the Cross of Christ were not more real. All my experiences the past week have clustered around the Cross. What a wonderful, wonderful Savior! “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

See Him all ye people in all His fullness.

The above story is told only for the glory of God. It is sent forth with the prayer that the Christ Who baptized me in the Holy Spirit may baptize others also.-Mrs. W.H. Piper.

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PENTECOST IN MUKTI, INDIA

(Taken from a Pentecostal publication in India, “A Cloud of Witnesses.”)

“Mukti,” which means Salvation, is a community comprising a high school and schools of lower grades, Bible institute, an industrial school, in whose various departments useful trades are taught, a printing office employing 30 men, and a hospital. About 1,400 girl students are enrolled (inclusive of 300 rescued women in the Krupa Sadan) and there is a separate institution for boys. The great majority of the girls have been admitted to “Mukti” in times of famine during the past ten years, and when they entered they were simply raw heathen. Those from the Central Provinces spoke Hindi as little children, and those from Gujerat spoke Gujerati before they came to Kedgaon; but the acquired language of all the people of this community is Marathi. Considerably more than 800 of the girls are Christians in the saving sense of that word.

Both Pandita Ramabai and Miss Abrams were deeply impressed by the truth contained in the reports which came from Los Angeles concerning Pentecost, and believing that God was willing to send like Pentecostal blessings to Mukti which up to that time had not been received, after the manner described in Acts 2, they exhorted all the Christian boys and girls to begin to tarry for the promised baptism of the Holy Ghost. In taking this step, Pandita Ramabai fully acknowledged all that God had bestowed through His Spirit in the past; but she discerned there was the deeper fullness of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost accompanied with the gift of tongues which had not yet been received. Before Christmas 1906, the seekers assembled in the Church daily at 6 o’clock in the morning for a time of waiting on God.

About this time a band of 20 girls were sent to the station of K—- attended by two English Missionaries, and before much preaching had been done, J—-, a native girl, began to speak in a new tongue and magnify God. Within a few days every member of the party, including the two lady missionaries, received the Pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost and all were speaking in new tongues. The immediate result was more power in preaching Christ crucified. The attention of the people was arrested in a new way as the Lord took hold of rough men, and held the people spell bound.

The joyful news of Pentecost a K—- stirred the seekers at Mukti with fresh zeal. A worker from Mukti visited the band at K—- and in a few days she herself returned full of joy and the Holy Ghost. As might be expected, the presence of a living witness to the power of Pentecost put desperation of purpose into the hearts of the seekers, some of whom spent whole nights in prayer.

A girl named Z—- had awful conflicts with the devil. A few friends, believing Z—- to be in some degree under Satan’s power, prayer earnestly for her deliverance. Later that night there was a meeting in the Church, and after the meeting to the glad surprise of those present, Z—- began to pray intelligently in English. One of the sentences uttered was, “Jesus’ Blood make clean.” Prayer had been answered and the devil’s power broken, and a clear witness given to the Pentecostal baptism. Later, God gave this girl the gift of song which has been described as most sweet the notes of which are like the music of the flute. When singing in this new tongue she immediately translates the words into Marathi. A line which has been recalled is: “Jesus is over all; He is on the throne.”

Mukti is the glad scene of a continuous Pentecost, as day after day seekers come into fullness of blessing. A dialect of Kanarese is one of the various languages of Southern India which God has bestowed. Another new tongue is an ancient form of Sanskrit understood by Ramabai, Sanskrit is the sacred language of the Brahmans, the priestly class of India.

Several girls have received the gift of interpretation of tongues. some are for days and even weeks dumb as regarding their own language, except when God gives them a message, and then ability to deliver the message is given. The light minded and frivolous are sternly rebuked by these prophetesses who plead with others to tarry in dead earnest for Pentecost. The substance of a message was as follows:

The second coming of Jesus is near at hand. God is getting His people ready. Seek, and prepare to meet your Lord. If you do not stir yourselves up to seek the Lord now and receive His blessing, you will be left behind when Jesus comes and then you must suffer a great deal.

Some have received the gift of healing. Two little girls are among the number who exercise this gift, and when led by the Spirit, they visit the Hospital and in answer to their prayers the sick are healed. And as in the days of the apostles unbelievers were healed by the laying on of hands, so today a Hindu woman has been healed of sickness.

As in other countries so in Mukti, the girls and women are pressing on to greater things and are believing for the restoration to the Church of all the lost gifts of the Spirit. Those baptized have been filled with a new and burning desire for lost souls and have learned what it is to pray in the Holy Ghost and to travail in birth for souls. Their joy is unbounding and the very faces of some have been so transfigured with Heaven’s own light that it is pleasant to see them.

Address Max Wood Moorhead, Publisher, Colombo, Ceylon.

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NOTES ON THE COMING OF JESUS

Christ is coming again, not as the babe of Bethlehem, to be spit upon and mocked but He is coming in power and great glory.

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O He is coming back. The angels said “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus that is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” He went up, bless God, in a body of flesh. He has flesh and bones. All Hid Blood had been shed on Calvary; but still, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He has a body of flesh and bones. And He is coming back to gather His people. Are we watching and looking for Him?

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Everyone that will be ready to be caught away will have on the white garment. It is not the putting on of gold and adornment; it is the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. O how the bride looks for the coming of the Bridegroom. If a young man should have a maid and she should dress herself in her wedding garments and yet not look for his coming, do you imagine the groom would care for her? “Unto those that look for Him, shall He appear.”

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There will be two appearances of Jesus under one coming. The first appearance is called the Rapture, when He comes as a thief in the night and catches away His bride; the second is called the Revelation when He shall come with ten thousand of His saints and destroy the wicked with the brightness of His coming, and when His feet shall touch the same mount from which He ascended. But we want to be ready for the first appearance, to be caught up. We must be caught up with Him, before we can come back with Him.

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Nothing but holy people will meet the Lord Jesus in the skies, when He comes in the rapture. Those that had no light on the baptism with the Holy Ghost but were sanctified will have part in the first resurrection, for the Word says, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.” So we see the first resurrection is of the holy people. Those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus during the tribulation will be raised at His revelation. Rev. 20. 4 makes this plain.

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All of Christ’s bride are virgins, that is to say, they are sanctified people. They are meditating day and night in the law of their God. This does not include simply the ten commandments, but it means meditating on all the promises and commands of Jesus. “Be ye holy” is the law of our God. “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem” is the law of Jesus, and “I will come again,” is the law of our God. So she is mediating day and night, on the street car, on trains, in the workshop, and in the silent watches of the night. He says they that meditate in His law day and night shall be planted by the rivers of waters, that is by the Holy Ghost which is the river of water flowing out of our souls.

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Jesus is coming to be King over all the earth and reign from sea to sea. We see Him in Revelations with a name written on His thigh, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” We are coming back with Him on white horses and wind up the tribulation. We shall sit with the glorified Christ in His throne as His queen, the Lamb’s wife. We are going to help Him rule this old world in the millennium, when righteousness shall cover the earth as waters cover the sea. Then afterwards at the white throne judgment, we shall sit with Him and judge the world. Then after the new heavens and new earth, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom into the Father’s hands, we shall reign with Him throughout eternity. O beloved, are you ready?

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Jesus said, “Sell that thou hast and give to the poor” and “pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand, if it offend thee.” Where do we find people that are doing that? Instead of that they are getting more right eyes and right hands. The Bible tells of a time when men and women will be living at ease in Zion. They will be buying houses and lands and taking their ease; but, lo, suddenly there comes a little shout in the air. The saints have been taken away; the great tribulation is on the world. They will wonder what has happened. O beloved, when the fig tree putteth forth her leaves, know that summer is nigh. Some may laugh now in the face of God, but O when that day comes, the rich man will howl and call for the rocks to fall upon him. They will try to find some little saint of God to have them offer up a little prayer. But it will be too late. The five wise virgins have entered in and the door is shut.

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THE WEDDING GARMENT

Thirty-seven years ago, when but a school girl, I was converted to God, and my conversion was so deep and pungent, I received more at that time than a good many who profess holiness in these days seem to have.

A few years later, while in my own home, without ever having any teaching on that line, I was deeply convinced for a clean heart, but did not know that I could have it till death; was in such distress I could eat or sleep a little, and longed for death to release me from the “body of this death” that I felt was so hideous in the sight of my precious Lord. My husband thought I was going insane and tried to divert my mind, but conviction was too deep to be diverted.

After a time, a young minister who understood my case was sent of God to my home, who taught me my privileges in this life. And not long after, I received the evidence of heart purity. Such power attended this, that I would speak but a few words to one who was not right with God, and they would break down and weep and many of them get to God. God would give me such testimonies that the church, which was spiritually dead, was quickened into life and a great revival broke out that spread over the community. God would often lay me under the power and give me revelations both of Himself and other things.

Of course I thought this to be the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and when I would read or hear of this movement, I would say, “I received that 25 years ago.” But when I found it was spreading everywhere and many people as well as missionaries were speaking in tongues, I said, “This is a farce.” But God in His great love, showed me the movement was of Him, and I received the light and accepted it.

At the campmeeting at Fairmont, Minn., on June 21st, after confessing to God and man the attitude of the past, I saw myself all covered over with the Blood of Jesus. A few minutes after this, there was such power of God rested upon me that I fell beneath it; and as I was lying there, I felt something I had never had before was coming to me. With the natural eyes closed, I kept looking up into the heaven in expectancy, when I saw a light soft and mellow, unlike any earthly light. As it drew nearer, I saw a robe of such whiteness that no whiteness of earth can ever compare with it. The whiteness of itself seemed to make the soft heavenly light, whose beams reached like a beautiful pathway clear down to me. It seemed Jesus was holding out the garment by the shoulder, so it was all visible to me, and it glistened as though it had been dipped in diamond dust. And as I gazed upon its radiant beauty, Jesus said, “This is yours.” I seemed to be held by its dazzling beauty, until my attention was called by the Holy Ghost to the voice of a brother in another part of the room, repeating a sentence in an unknown tongue, and the Spirit revealed to me that he was saying, “You have the wedding garment,” and that the Spirit was saying this to me through him. Then there seemed to be music coming to me from the light that was still shining above. It seemed to keep coming nearer, until all at once my tongue and lips began to shout two words in an unknown tongue, and Jesus seemed to say, “This is the new name which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” Rev. 2:17.

I cannot describe the experience, but it was something more than I ever had before. It was revealed to me that this “latter rain” was getting people ready for the “Marriage supper of the Lamb,” and this is the time when the wise virgins are getting the oil in their vessels with their lamps. But O how many are going to be unwise.

Since then, I have sang and sometimes prayed in an unknown tongue. Sometimes the interpretation is given. I know Jesus is coming soon. He said, “When the bride begins to put on the wedding garments, it is not long until the wedding takes place.”

I have written this for the benefit of those who, like myself, honestly believe they have this experience in sanctification. I used to wonder what was the benefit of speaking in tongues, but I find that besides being a “sign to those that believe not,” it brings a blessing to the spirit of the person speaking, that nothing else ever did.

Mrs. T.M. Rist, Evangelist.

Windom, Minn.

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O to have that well of water springing up to everlasting life! O beloved, it flows out and waters your whole soul, and keeps the harp of ten thousand strings tuned up in your soul. And in the wee small hours of the morning, O you can hear the Holy Ghost playing on that harp. Bless God. It is so sweet to be lost in Jesus, to have Him a living monument in your life. O how He will give you power over all demons and devils in hell and in man. O it means something to have power with God, not only to tread on serpents and scorpions, to drink any deadly thing and it shall not hurt you, but to cast out demons and lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

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