“Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”—Jude 3
Volume I. No. 12 Los Angeles, Cal., January, 1908 Subscription Free
Indianapolis, Ind. —Many souls have been baptized in Indianapolis, saved and sanctified.
Norwood, Ohio. —Our people are growing, fourteen baptized and interest increasing. —W.H. Cossum, 3952 Hazel Avenue.
Colly, N.C. —The fire is still burning here in our midst and souls are being converted and sanctified and baptized with the Holy Ghost. —A.J. Bordeau.
Atlanta, Ga. —The meetings in the hall here have been blessed seasons of refreshing. For six months, every afternoon and night and all day on Sundays, the meetings have continued. Before this "latter rain" such revivals were unheard of. Souls are being saved, sanctified, and healed, and filled with the Holy Ghost. All glory to Jesus' name! Let us follow on to know Him better. This is the beginning of great things. — "The Bridegroom's Messenger," 53 1/2 Auburn Avenue.
Hill River, Minn. —I am thankful to God for what He has done for a small group of Christians here in the town of Hill River, where I live. Quite a few have received their Pentecost and others seeking it, and we are continuing to pray to God for His blessing in a greater degree. —Andrew Hausan, Fosston, Minn.
Utica, N.Y. —Blessed be the name of the Lord. Truly these days of the "latter rain" are days of Heaven upon the earth. We are a little band here but full of faith and pressing on. One by one, God is bringing our number into their Pentecost, and is opening other places where there are a few hungry believers longing for their inheritance. —Birdsell & Mason, 61 State Street.
Concord Junction, Mass. —God is working in this place. Five of us have the baptism, speaking in tongues and others getting hungry. He came in to abide with me on Oct. 16th and spoke for Himself. —Everett E. Munroe, 397 Main Street.
Strole, Va. —Pentecost has come here. Eight of us are speaking in tongues. Gamblers and drunkards have been saved. Praise the dear Lord. We are looking for dear Jesus every day and can hardly wait to see Him. —WS. Woodworth, Canaan Faith Home and Full Gospel Mission.
Portsmouth and Richmond, Va. —Brother Seymour wrote from these places while he was visiting the missions in the East: "God is working in Portsmouth. Souls were baptized in Richmond and God is working in mighty power. The saints are just as sweet as can be. Glory to God for this Gospel. The saints are so simple here, that is the reason they receive the Pentecost so quickly. They are ready for the power."
Philadelphia, Pa. —I have been helping in the Pentecostal work in one little meeting here. There were a number at the altar last Sunday and a number were slain under the mighty power of God. I had a letter from a sister in Danville, Va., a few days ago, and she says that God is blessing them there and that souls are being saved, sanctified, and baptized with the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! —WM. Scott, 906 Filbert street, Dec. 4.
Swanton, Ohio. —Praise the Lord. A few have been baptized near home here and a few have been wonderfully healed and a great many more are hungry for more of God. We have had a few wonderful conventions here in Ohio the past summer. One of the most wonderful meetings was at the Annual Christian Alliance Convention at Cleveland. Some evenings there were perhaps from three to four hundred down at the altar, some remaining all night; and a great many received their Baptism and many were saved. Praise the Lord. Jesus is certainly soon coming! —Gideon Ziegler.
Baltimore, Ohio. —There is a little mission here where
the leader and about ten people had been seeking for their baptism for seven
months, but none of them came through until last night, when the leader came
through gloriously and others have been under the power and some sanctified.
Praise God! —Mary A. Yaegge, 1022 N. Eutaw street.
(This sister is on her way to Switzerland, where the Lord is calling her to
preach the Gospel.)
Denver, Colo. —Our meetings are being blessed of God. Souls are being saved, sanctified, baptized with the Holy Ghost and healed, and the interest is still increasing. All glory be to God for His wonderful works that He is bestowing upon His children, as He is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh in these latter days; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. The Lord has held us here and He has opened up an Apostolic Faith Mission on the corner of Lawrence and Twenty-fourth streets. The altar is filled with seekers. —E.S. Lee, 2305 Lawrence street.
Lynn, Mass. —We are now holding meetings in the mission at 260 Maple street. We commenced this work in a hall last February. One of our number, a girl born blind and blind for twenty-two years, healed and sanctified about eight years ago, received her personal Pentecost last March. She speaks, sings and preaches in different languages, has visions and prophecy. The Lord showed her this mission about two months before we had it. The Lord gave us the name of the mission, Apostolic Faith Mission. A number have been saved and sanctified, speak in new tongues and a number have been healed. —A.J. Rawson, Oct. 26th.
Dallas, Ore. —In the campmeeting here last summer about thirty were baptized with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. Many were saved and sanctified. Brother Earnest G. Hansen writes on Jan. 6th: "Since I last wrote, about eight backsliders have got back to the Lord, some have been sanctified, two have been baptized with the Holy Ghost. Meetings are grand." They have a precious little paper there, clean and straight in doctrines, called "The Apostolic Witness."
Portland, Ore. —At 224 Madison street, they have a blessed Apostolic Faith Mission. The saints are filled and overflowing with the Spirit and with love for souls, talking and singing in tongues. The hall is not nearly large enough. Altars are filled with seekers. We shall never forget the precious visit we had there. One secret of the power here is the prayer room where the workers drop in for silent prayer before the services—not to talk or visit. Souls were being saved, sanctified, and baptized. A bartender got wonderfully saved of God, and when he rose and tried to tell it, he broke down and fell on his knees and began to thank Jesus, and it filled everyone with joy. We have lately received some precious letters from Portland telling of God's work there.
New York and other points --- We stopped with the dear saints in New York. God is working there. Many are coming through. In one church, —a Baptist colored church of two thousand members, —God used us to give out these "latter rain" truths. The pastor who invited us became very hungry. He said he could not preach again till he was filled. Seven from his church received the promise of the Father, Acts 2:4. Hallelujah to Jesus! Went down to Norfolk, Va., and found quite a few baptized souls. God sent us up here to Baltimore and we found a little assembly here of baptized souls. We are out for God and wherever the Lamb goeth, we intend to follow. —Brother and Sister E.W. Vinton, 12 Leyden street, Medford, Mass.
Chicago, Ill. —God is wonderfully working here. Both the interest and power are increasing. We have stood by the simple Gospel from the very first, preaching only Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And as we have done this, the Holy Ghost has fallen on them that heard the Word, so that tongue can never tell what we have experienced. Praise the Lord! —Wm. H. Durham, 943 W. North Avenue.
Sister Jennie E. Moore, who with two other precious sisters from Azusa Mission, Los Angeles, have been working in Chicago and other places, writes: "Truly, beloved, the mission at 943 W. North avenue is a blessed place—many Spirit-filled men and women and children. They have more children than at Azusa and they are filled. Beloved, I would you could see them."
Winnipeg, Canada. —There was a great Pentecostal Convention in Winnipeg beginning November 15th. Preachers and workers from all parts of Canada were present. A band of workers who were in Portland at the time received a call from God to go to Winnipeg, and they were present at the convention: Sister Crawford and Mildred, Sister Neal, Brother Conlee and Brother Trotter. About twenty were baptized with the Holy Ghost and many were healed. The people brought handkerchiefs and aprons to be blessed as in Acts 19:12, and the Lord did wonderful signs through the simple faith of the dear ones that brought them. The Lord healed one young man of the tobacco habit, taking all the desire for the stuff away from him, through an anointed handkerchief, and he was saved in his own room. Demons were cast out of those bound by them. Our last published report from Winnipeg should have been signed, "The Apostolic Faith Mission, 501 Alexander Ave."
Arcadia, Fla., and through the South. —Brother G.B. Cashwell and I are in the midst of a gracious revival in this town. The power is falling and saints are shouting. Bless God! Some have been saved, sanctified, and quite a number have received the Holy Ghost and speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance as in Acts 2:4. The altar is filled with seekers. God has kept me in Florida most all this year. Many saints have received the Holy Ghost in Florida with Bible evidence and many saved. A number of them have been baptized in water, buried in baptism, that is the Bible way. —F.M. Britton, Dec. 11.
Brother Cashwell writes from the South: "This truth in the South is spreading as never before and will keep spreading. Praise our God! Pray much and be true to Jesus. Many of us are now suffering much persecution, but our God is fighting our battles. Praise His dear name! Brother McIntosh writes me that seventy have received the Holy Ghost in thirty days after he arrived in Macao, China. O praise God for Pentecost. Salute all the saints for me in the love of Jesus!" —GB. Cashwell, 53 1/2 Auburn avenue, Atlanta, Ga.
Stockton, Cal. —Five or six have been baptized with the Holy Ghost and several saved and several cases of healing.
Shenandoah, Iowa. —"Salvation has come. Hallelujah! God has come our way at last. Amen. Last Friday afternoon at Francis Jones’ a few of us were gathered pleading for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and He gave us the desire of our hearts at last. Glory, O glory. Two of us received our baptism, Sister Leyden and I. The rest are hard after Him. They were here at our house until after three this morning. There is quite a company of us. Sister Leyden lay under the power for several hours and talked and sang in the Spirit and the Lord let me join in the song and sing too. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Blessed be the name of Jesus. The song was "Worthy is the Lamb," and nearly the whole chapter. She interpreted it afterwards." —Sister JS. Jellison.
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. —Wonderful outpouring of the Spirit here and at St. Paul. In five nights just passed in St. Paul alone, nine have received old time baptisms of the Holy Ghost and fire, speaking in many dialects and receiving wonderful visions from the Lord. Amen! Nine have been blessedly sanctified, some being for hours under the power. Six have been soundly saved and scores healed. One woman dying with cancer—given up to die by three specialists, next morning after being prayed for arose and did her work, and has been doing it ever since—healed. I was in St. Paul last week and Brother Trotter was here, and in both places, the power was wonderful—yesterday especially, many being instantly healed and many saved. People were prostrated under the power of God at 11:30 last night. Many were heavily anointed for their baptism, and we expect a shower in the next few days. Glory is abiding in our hearts. —Florence Crawford, 1315 East 19th street, Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 6.
A later report written Jan. 13th, says: "I wish to report victory in both St. Paul and Minneapolis. Yesterday was a great day. We had the ordinances of the Lord's Supper and Foot-Washing Saturday night, and saints from St. Paul all came over and participated with us. Some fell under the power and lay for several hours. We had a blessed time. We then invited St. Paul saints to worship with us on Sunday afternoon. Sister Crawford gave the message in the afternoon. I gave it in the morning; and Brother Trotter in the evening. People fell under the power all day. And when I left the hall at 5 p.m., they were lying all over the hall under the power. The hall was an altar from the stand to the door. So many are getting saved, and many that have been claiming to be sanctified are finding that they were just saved, and are now getting really sanctified. Greetings to the church at Azusa street." —JR. Conlee, 1003 25th avenue, NE., Minneapolis.
Many souls have been saved, sanctified, baptized with the Holy Ghost and sick bodies healed all over the land and in many lands since our last paper. Souls have been sanctified, baptized and saved at the old mission home at 312 Azusa street, Los Angeles.
When Christ was born, it was in a barn at Bethlehem; and when He began sending the "latter rain" about two years ago, the outpouring of the Spirit, it was in a barn in Los Angeles; for the old Mission is like a barn in its humility and plainness. Its old beams and whitewashed walls have been ringing with the praises and songs of the children of God ever since. Many from here have gone out into the foreign fields and the home fields, and they write back that they remember the blessed old times; and the Lord has been pouring out the same Spirit wherever He has sent them. The Spirit falls on humble hearts and in humble missions and churches.
Azusa Mission is still giving forth the same truth, and the Lord is pouring out His Spirit upon His sons and daughters, and they are witnessing in burning testimonies that Jesus' Blood does cleanse from all sin and He does sanctify and baptize with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues.
The holidays are special feast days at the Mission. The saints all gather—not to hear a program, for the Holy Ghost makes the program and the Father spreads the table with "the fatted calf" which represents Jesus, and we feed on Christ. Hallelujah! The Spirit sings the songs, some new and some old. Christmas was a blessed day at the Mission, also Watch Night and New Year's Day. The meetings have been going on every day since the work started and God's word and the Holy Spirit are just as fresh and new as ever. The Lord provides for all the expenses. He has supplied all the needs of the workers, and when they come back they report that they have lacked nothing.
The devil is doing all he can to keep the saints from entering into the greater fullness of Christ; but we know God is raising up armies that will stand for the living God. Some went away from Azusa Mission because they thought the teaching on divorce was too straight; but God will not let us lower the standard. He wants a clean people and pure doctrine as a channel for this Pentecostal power. People everywhere are looking after this wonderful salvation that today is turning the world upside down, as it did in Paul's time.
We look for a great outpouring of God's Spirit in saving and healing power and power that fills with the Holy Ghost and fire in this year 1908. May all Christ's people be stirred up over this salvation and sink down in deeper humility at the feet of Jesus.
"If we walk in the light as He is in the light, the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7.) Bless His name forever and ever! It is the Blood that cleanseth, the precious Blood of Jesus. May we honor the Blood and keep under the Blood, and God will do mighty things for us. If the devil can get us on something outside of God, He will break our power. May we be watchful and keep under the Blood. The Lord wants the Blood preached as never before, and people will not have to wait so long to get the baptism. The Spirit follows the Blood. It is the Blood that saves us. We overcome by the Blood. Amen!
It was noised one day, that some of the girls in the praying band were praying in different tongues. I had heard of the gift of tongues having been given to God's children in other parts of the country, so was not surprised to hear our girls praying in new tongues. I did not go very near these girls, lest I should stumble them by taking too much notice of them, but quietly sat down and praised God.
One Sunday, as I was coming out of the church, after the morning service, I saw some girls standing near the door of a workers' room. They seemed greatly excited and wondering, I soon found out the cause. A girl was praying aloud, and praising God in the English language. She did not know the language. Some of us gathered around her in the room, and joined her mentally in prayer. She was unconscious of what was going on, and was speaking to the Lord Jesus fluently in English. Before, I had heard her and some other girls uttering only a few syllables. Some repeated certain words over and over again. Some spoke one or more sentences, and some were simply groaning as if under a great agony of heart and mind, and carrying a great burden for souls.
"For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people.”
The gift of prophecy was also given to many of the praying girls, so that they could give God's message in very clear language, taught by the Holy Spirit. The believers and unbelievers were moved alike by these messages, and a deep spiritual work began in our midst.
They who have received the gift of tongues are not using them for delivering messages from the Scriptures, except those who have received the gift of interpretation. They pray and praise God, and sometimes sing hymns in unknown tongues. —Mukti Prayer Bell.
Multitudes in India and China are starving on account of the failure of crops. Any who want to help the famine sufferers can do so by sending money to the "Apostolic Faith", and it will be sent direct to the missionaries in those countries to feed and care for the starving people, especially the orphans.
This paper is free. We accept all donations toward it as free will offerings—not as subscription price.
Notify us of any change in your address, so the papers will not be lost.
Some have inquired how they could send money, as no name was given at the
head of the paper. Money orders can be made payable to "The Apostolic
Faith, 312 Azusa street, Los Angeles, Cal."
We are praising God for a free Gospel published free. All the work on the
paper at the Mission is done freely and gladly by those who are baptized with
the Holy Ghost, and who long to spread the glad tidings.
We started this paper when we had not a dime in sight, and the means has always been freely donated. If not, we would not publish it. We expect the paper to stand just as it started.
Many would like to get the paper oftener. Pray for the spread of the Gospel. If the saints unite in prayer, we believe God will greatly bless the publication of the Gospel this year. We hear of souls who have been baptized and saved through reading the paper.
The cost of publishing and mailing this paper is much less when we print two papers at once, because they can be run off on the press and sent out for the same price as one paper. It cost about 1/2 cent for two papers, that is, when we print 40,000 at an issue. The postage is outside of that. So you can see that even a small offering will send quite a roll of papers, which may be read by many people, for they are often passed around and sometimes nearly worn out.
The reason we put no name of editor at the head of this paper is because we want Christ exalted, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.
Some have asked for the addresses of workers and missionaries. If you address them at 312 Azusa street, Los Angeles, we will forward letters directly to them.
May the saints overlook each other’s faults and not speak evil of any. If anyone sees a fault in another, let him take that saint to himself and admonish him in love and in the meekness of our blessed Christ, and he shall gain him. May you not grieve the Spirit in your souls.
Indiana Missionary Convention. —There will be a missionary convention at 32 S. Senate street, from Jan. 24th to Feb. 2. A band of workers from Indianapolis and vicinity expect to start for South Africa soon after the convention. For further information, address, "The Apostolic Faith Mission, 32 S. Senate street, Indianapolis, Ind." May there be a mighty outpouring of the Spirit at the convention. Workers from all over the country are expected. The large Missionary Hall has a seating capacity for a thousand people.
Correction. —We want to correct some errors that were in the last published report from Portland. The Christian Alliance did not come into the work or discontinue their meetings, as might have been understood. It was stated that one hundred were baptized at the campmeeting. The saints believe there were not so many. No record was kept. The insane persons that were brought for healing were not fully healed, or else through lack in our faith and through weakness lost their healing. The saints’ want the simple truth stated about the work. Amen! May no one from any place send in a report that is overstated but rather let it be understated.
The outward Court contains a throng
Of worshipers, who tarry long, Instead of pressing on.
Knowing their Lord was crucified,
And that it was for them He died; They praise His name in song.Beyond, there lies the Holy Place,
Which all may enter by His Grace, And there be sanctified.
The Bread of Heaven each need supplies,
In God's clear light, the old life dies, With Jesus crucified.The Holiest now we enter in,
Life out of death has banished sin, His glory is revealed.
Cleansed with the water of the Word,
Baptized with fire by Christ the Lord, By God the Father sealed.
This is God's purpose, this God's plan,
To send forth such to sinful man: To witness of His Grace,
To let the Light and Glory shine,
To manifest His life divine, His love to all our race.
MJD.
Stands for the restoration of the faith once delivered unto the saints – the old time religion, 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 13:21 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 word is truth." 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 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; 1 Cor. 14:21. “For I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe though it be told you."-Hab. 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.
"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads." —Rev. 14:1.
These 144,000 are the highest overcomers. Everyone that will reach the highest consecration in Jesus Christ can be a full overcomer and can go with Christ to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The rapture or catching away of the bride of Christ is liable to take place at any time; but we know that His revelation, or the coming of Jesus Christ when every eye shall see Him, cannot take place till the man of sin be revealed, that is the antichrist. II Thess. 2:3.
The 12th of Revelations show where the overcomers are caught up to the throne of God. They are represented as the "man child" which was caught up unto God and to His throne. This child came from the church which is represented as a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. We read that "Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it unto Himself a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."—Eph. 5:25, 27. Right out of this holy church is born the "man child."
To have part in the rapture we must be sanctified and holy and live the life of a full overcomer. He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as Christ is pure. This is the blessed hope of the church, the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be like unto His glorious body. This is the first resurrection. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." We all have the privilege to be full overcomers. We can be numbered in to take part with this great company on Mount Zion.
"These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and the Lamb."—Rev. 14:4. "They are virgins," this means sanctified souls, cleansed from spiritual fornication and physical fornication. "They follow the Lamb." Let us go forth with Him. Let us get every thing we can in the word. In order to go with the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be filled with the blessed Holy Spirit.
"And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God."—Rev. 14:5. The Lord can get a people without fault in these days because He is able to save and keep us from falling and present us faultless before the throne. His prayer is still being heard in heaven today, "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth." He is praying for His church to be kept from evil. May God help us to claim every promise in His word.
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."—Rev. 14:6. It seems that after the rapture, or catching away of the bride, that the Gospel will still be preached on the earth to the people that will be left and were not ready to go in to the marriage supper. The angel proclaimed that, "The hour of His judgment is come." We believe this is the great tribulation. The antichrist during this awful tribulation is going to compel men to serve him and bow down and call him god. But those who really know Jesus as the Christ and have the Blood in their hearts, are not going to bow down and accept the mark of the beast, but are going to prove faithful. Many of them are going to be martyrs and will be raised at the beginning of the millennium, but they will not be present at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
We read in Rev. 12:6 that the people that are left after the catching away of the "man child" will have a place prepared for them in the wilderness for them to flee to. The Lord will feed the church and protect her from the face of the serpent. "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days." The Lord is faithful.
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever.”—Rev. 14:9,11. The Lord Jesus teaches hell fire very strongly in Revelations. Those that worship antichrist are going to be tormented day and night.
"Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." They did not forfeit their faith, their hope in Christ. They kept the faith in spite of tribulations, and they were faithful unto death. And the next verse says, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, "Write, Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." There will be many during the tribulation that will die rather than give up their faith.
May we be numbered with the 144,000 on Mount Zion who were full overcomers and were ready for the rapture. He is soon coming, and none will be ready but those that are washed in the Blood, made holy and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ready when the trumpet sounds. Cor.15:51,52 and I Thess. 4:16. He does not come to the earth. He appears in the skies and we rise to meet Him. We shall be caught up together in the clouds "to meet the Lord in the air." We shall be shut in with our God during the awful tribulation till the indignation be past. Isa. 26:20. Praise God. As the Lord shut Noah into the ark so He will shut us in. As the ark was borne up on the waters, so we will be lifted up with Him. And just as the ark came back and rested on the mount, so we come back with Him when His feet touch Mount Olivet.
The Lord Jesus is coming back with His bride on white horses from the marriage supper of the Lamb, to avenge His Blood on the antichrist and the false prophet. —Rev. 19:11, 14 and Jude 14:15. The awful battle of Armageddon then takes place. Zechariah tells of this battle in the 14th chapter. Also we read in the last verse of this 14th chapter of Revelations, "And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses' bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." Just think of 200 miles of blood up to the horses' bridles.
Then the great millennium is ushered in when Jesus shall sit on His throne and reign from shore to shore. This is when, "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord—Isa. 65:25 and Isa. 11:6-9.
Then after we have reigned with Christ a thousand years, we shall sit on the judgment seat of Christ and judge men and angels. Then the justified and unrighteous will be raised to stand at the white throne judgment. The justified dead and those who lived during the millennium will be given everlasting life. That is the second resurrection.
Every full overcomer is going to be caught up when Jesus comes. O may God help His people that they all may meet Him in the skies. If you keep living this salvation moment by moment, you are going to be ready for the rapture, which is the coming of our Lord as a thief in the night to catch away His bride. Everyone that is not ready, like the foolish virgins, will be left to go through the awful tribulation that is coming on the earth.
It is the privilege of all the members of the bride of Christ to prophesy, which means testify or preach. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy." Acts 2:17, 18, and Acts 21:9.
Before Pentecost, the woman could only go into the "court of the women" and not into the inner court. The anointing oil was never poured on a woman’s head but only on the heads of kings, prophets and priests. But when our Lord poured out Pentecost, He brought all those faithful women with the other disciples into the upper room, and God baptized them all in the same room and made no difference. All the women received the anointed oil of the Holy Ghost and were able to preach the same as the men.
The woman is the weaker vessel and represents the tenderness of Christ, while the man represents the firmness of Christ. They both were co-workers in Eden and both fell into sin; so they both have to come together and work in the Gospel. (I Cor.11:8,9) No woman that has the Spirit of Jesus wants to usurp authority over the man. The more God uses you in the Spirit, the more humbled and meek and tender you are and the more filled with the blessed Holy Spirit.
It is contrary to the Scriptures that woman should not have her part in the salvation work to which God has called her. We have no right to lay a straw in her way, but to be men of holiness, purity and virtue, to hold up the standard and encourage the woman in her work, and God will honor and bless us as never before. It is the same Holy Spirit in the woman as in the man.
It was blood that saved the people from the awful destruction in Egypt, and it takes the Blood to save us today from sin. "And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." It takes the Blood of the immaculate, incarnate Son of God to save from sin and hell. He is our High Priest in Heaven, and when the Father looks upon those pierced hands and the wounded side of His Son, He has compassion upon the sinner. The blood of goats, calves, and lambs could not take away sin, it was only the answer of a good conscience. But O praise God, it is the precious Blood of Jesus Christ that saves from sin.
We are justified through the Blood of Jesus. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:1. The second verse shows that through His Blood, we get standing grace in sanctification, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Bless His holy name. It is the Blood of Jesus that saves and keeps from sin, and as long as we trust the cross of Christ and not ourselves or anything else, we can live this life free from sin. Glory to Jesus.
We expect God to do great things this year. There were 60 cities in Canaan to be taken after they crossed over Jordan. Those that get the baptism with the Holy Ghost need to settle down in the Word, keep clean, and live the highest consecration before God. O beloved, we want to get all the stones and trash out of the way. We do not want to live on theological chips, shavings, husks, and wind, but upon the treasures of this blessed Holy Spirit in the Word.
Jesus Christ was the spotless Lamb of God nailed to the altar, and God accepted the offering to save and sanctify every soul that will receive Him. If he had not been spotless, His death would have profited nothing, but being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation, unto all them that obey Him. —Heb. 5:9.
Let us in this 1908 never read our Bible carelessly but prayerfully. Let us sing under the anointing of the Spirit and not for fancy, and when we speak, speak in the Spirit, and God is going to pour out His Spirit as never before.
It is so sweet to have the Blood of Jesus in our hearts. It gives us victory over sin and over every power of the enemy. Everyone that gets the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is entitled to the great power of the Holy Ghost.
A sister in Minneapolis while getting her baptism sang in the Spirit and interpreted the song in English:
"I am coming soon;
Be faithful, children
A little longer;
I am coming soon."
In these days, so many deceptive spirits are in the world, that we have felt impressed by the blessed Holy Spirit to write a letter on the seventh chapter of First Corinthians, that blessed letter which Paul has sent to the church.
The Corinthian church was one of Paul's most gifted churches, and just as it is today, where a church is very gifted, the only safeguard from deceptive spirits is by rightly dividing the Word of God, to keep out fanaticism. We may let down on some lines and rise on others, but God wants everything to be balanced by the Word of God. Paul writing to Timothy (II Tim. 1:13, 14) says, "Hold fast the form of sound words which thou has heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." And again he says (II Tim. 3:14): "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." So the Lord God wants us to search and compare scriptures with scriptures.
This Corinthian church had run into freeloveism, and a good many isms. Great division had arisen in it; it had split into several parts, and Paul had to settle them down into the Word of God. He writes this letter to them, for they had got into awful trouble.
Paul tells them in the first verse of this chapter to avoid immorality. He says, "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." (He does not mean a married man here, he means a man that is single, as verses 8 and 26 show.) He says in the 7th verse, "Every man hath his proper gift of God." And to those that can receive this gift, Paul writes in verse 8, "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I." That is to say, by living a single life, they would have more power in the Spirit. He writes this to the church, to any who are saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul thought it was best, but he showed that everyone had his proper gift of God. So he did not put any bondage upon the people of Christ, because he had no scripture for it.
He says in the second and third verses, "Nevertheless, to avoid fortification, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband." This of course means conjugal intercourse between man and wife. "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife." That is to say, that the husband has no authority to live separated, without the consent of his wife; and the wife has no authority of herself to live separated without the husband. Then he says in the 5th verse, "Defraud ye not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." That is to say that every wife and husband should abstain from impurity, and give themselves to fasting for a time. It should be by mutual agreement between the two to fast for power and blessing, and many times to avoid impurity. But he advised them to come again, "that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." Paul here does not make this a law, but as one that had the Holy Spirit, he gives them this advice. He adds in the 6th verse, "But I speak this by permission and not of commandment." In Romans 1:26, 27, Paul shows there is a natural use for a wife, which is not lust. Speaking of the ungodly, he says, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature." May God help us to be clear teachers of His Word.
"I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner and another after that." Paul is referring here to Matthew 19:12, where Jesus told the Pharisees that there were some men that were born eunuchs from their mother's womb (that is to say, unable to have wives), some have been made eunuchs of men (for other advantages in life) and there were some eunuchs for the kingdom of Heaven's sake. Men had prayed to God for this gift or blessing, just as Paul who said he wished all men were like him: he became no doubt a eunuch for the kingdom of Heaven's sake. Jesus Himself said (Matt. 19:11), "All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given." So Jesus did not put any bondage on men and women, but a man today that has received the power to become a eunuch for the kingdom of Heaven's sake can live a single life with all holiness and purity. Praise our God!
We must rightly divide the Scriptures and compare scripture with scripture so that there be no confusion and no deceptive spirit or wrong teaching may creep in.
Paul says in verses 29 to 31, "But this I say brethren, the time is short: it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep as though they wept not; and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy as though they possessed not; and they that use the world as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away." Bless the Lord! Now Paul in speaking this did not put any bondage on mothers to fear that they would not be able to meet Jesus in His coming, because they were bringing forth children. Mothers and fathers that are saved and sanctified, to whom the Lord has given this gift of bringing forth children can live a pure and holy life before God and be of the bride of Christ, just as the bishop that teaches this holy Gospel can be the husband of one wife and raise his children in the fear of God.
Married couples who are mutually agreed, having received from the Lord power over both body, soul and spirit, God does not ask them to desire; but may they live as God has called them. Many times God gives this power to the husband before to the wife. Many times the wife has it; but in order to save the husband she has to submit to the husband. For God is not the author of confusion. This brings us back to the third verse of this same chapter. Also in Ephesians 5th chapter and 22nd verse, we read, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands, as unto the Lord." Please read on down to the 33rd verse. God does not make the husband the tyrant or cruel sovereign over the wife, neither does He make the wife to exercise tyranny over the husband, but He makes both one. God knows our hearts and our lives.
Someone may ask what Jesus meant in Matt. 24:19, "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days." Well, beloved, here Jesus' heart was upon the people that would suffer in the awful tribulation that was coming to Jerusalem forty years after His ascension. He says to them, "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day." Jesus was the Son of God but He was a man of prayer. He asked His disciples to pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that in the destruction of Jerusalem, if they prayed to God, the Father would not permit it to come to pass in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. He knew if it was on the Sabbath day, the Jews would be keeping the old Mosaic law (Col. 2:16) "Of new moons and of Sabbath days, which were a shadow of things to come, but the body of Christ." (The greatest thing that people need in this day is Christ, and then all the days will come in their order and in their place.) Jesus knew if their flight occurred on the Sabbath day, all the gates of Jerusalem would be shut and the Christians could not get out, and the mothers could not escape; so His heart went out for the precious women. The Lord Jesus Christ knows all about our struggles. He knows all about our sufferings and our trials. He is touched with every infirmity and He remembers us. Bless His holy name.
May God help everyone that is getting saved to stay within the lids of God's word and wait on God, and He will make all things right. Now we can give up anything that we see is really of self gratification. The Lord wants us to be temperate in all things. Bless His holy name. People that are desiring to get the victory over spirit, soul and body, can have it if they will trust God.
I have been asked so much on this question, and I can only give what God has revealed to me through His precious Word. Bless His holy name! WJS.
We read in 1 Cor. 14:20, "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people, and yet for all that, they will not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe but to them that believe not." Tongues are a sign, for Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe; in My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues." We believe because we have received God's word into our hearts and the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us; therefore the sign of speaking in tongues follows. The sign is to them that believe not, that is, it convinces the unbelievers.
Dear loved ones, do not seek for tongues, but seek for the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and praise God and thank and bless Him, and He will manifest Himself. Everything we receive from God we receive by faith. When you have received the Word of God into your heart for the baptism of the Spirit, you must entertain the Holy Ghost by praising God and giving Him the glory for the Holy Spirit. Then He will manifest His power in the demonstration of speaking or singing in tongues, just as the Holy Ghost chooses. Hallelujah!
This Gospel means a crucified life. We must take up our cross daily and follow Christ. The cause of so many losing the anointing of the Spirit is that they neglect to mortify and crucify self. He wants our eyes, our ears, and all our members kept holy unto Him, that we might live after the Spirit and not after the flesh. He is looking for a people today that will die out to the flesh. How can our eyes revel in the things of the world and our ears listen to worldly music if they are consecrated to the Master's use. People say this is fanaticism, but it is the teaching of the precious word of God. We must measure up to it. He wants us to have our ears closed to the world and open to heaven.
Prayer is the Spirit making intercession through you. Sometimes it is in groanings that cannot be uttered. He takes your whole being and commences prevailing through you.
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God is listening when you are praying. He is right there to bless you. While you are making confession and supplication, Jesus comes down among us and breathes on us. O just think of the bright light that bursts on your face, when you are praying to your Almighty King.
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You first have to repent before you can pray to God, because you must have the Word of God in your heart. God heareth not sinners. But when one has Godly sorrow and repents to God and prays, he is no more a sinner. We must have Christ in us before we can have power with God. We only have power with God through Jesus. He puts the Spirit in us that He might recognize Himself. All we get from God we get through Jesus. Through that wonderful sacrifice that He has made, He freely gives us all things.
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Jesus is the door of salvation, and when we get into the Word, we have a chance to use the key of prayer. When Peter got into the Word, the Lord Jesus said, "Blessed art thou Simon, Son of Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but My Father which is in heaven." So Peter was converted and Jesus gave him the key of the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 16:19. He was the first one converted under the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and the Lord recognized it and gave him the keys. So the Lord gives you the keys of the kingdom of heaven when you are converted.
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Many people get down and holler to God and cry like the prophets of Baal and get nothing. It appears that they have a dead god. But those that have a living God, it does not take them long to get their petitions through, and He answers by fire.
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If you pray in the Spirit, you will strike the spring of living water and it will bubble up in you and you never get tired praying. It is not your words. You have joy in your soul. But some of you pray and do not have any joy. You keep begging God and when you get almost through you remind Him to be faithful and be sure and do it. It seems you have a god you fear will not do you justice.
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We ought not to stop till we pray through and get what we want from God. We should prevail with God till we get a witness. Elijah prayed for rain and sent his servant seven times till he got the witness, which was a cloud the size of a man's hand. Then he arose and went to tell Ahab the rain was coming. Paul prayed thrice for a certain thing before God answered him. God heard the first time but he did not get the answer till he prayed three times. So we should press our claim before the throne till we get a witness by the power of the Holy Ghost. God will do just what He says He will.
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Many people pray their own thoughts and do not stop and wait for the mind of God. Honor God for the spirit of prayer. You cannot pray yourself. Let the Holy Ghost give you the mind of God. It is the Spirit's work altogether. It is not our work.
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The Lord wants us to have more faith. When several are praying together for the same petition and one has prayed the prayer of faith, and the Holy Ghost has glorified Jesus by witnessing that the prayer is heard; then often someone will continue praying, just as they did for Peter after God had brought him out of the prison and he was knocking at the gate; and yet they would not believe that prayer could be answered so quickly. If you continue to pray, you grieve the Spirit by doubting, and show that you can hardly trust Him. The Lord wants us to know that He has heard us, and thank and praise Him, and it will help us a great deal in prayer. He does not want us to pray in doubt but in faith. "Believe that ye receive and ye shall have."
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The Lord wants us to claim His promises, everything we see in the atonement. Since we have Christ, we own everything that He owns, so we ought to claim it. We should have all the purchase of the atonement wrought out in our lives, justification, sanctification, the baptism with the Holy Ghost and healing of our bodies.
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All prayer should be directed to the Father through Jesus. In casting out devils, it is through the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In laying hands on the sick, it is in His name. All prayer must be in the name of Jesus.
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O may God help us all this year to keep prayed up and read up and sung up. If there is too much reading the word without prayer, you get too argumentative, and if you pray too much without reading you get fanatical. One or two verses revive your heart. It is blessed to have God's Word. I could not live without the Word.
As I am on my way back to China, I feel led to leave my testimony for the glory of God since he has manifested Himself. It is hard to express the wonderful way that He has led.
Five years ago a burden came on me for more of Him. I know I was sanctified years before but it did not satisfy me, and one night a brother came to my house. He did not say much, but I felt power in his words and that made me hungry to get something, and I called it the "melting power of the Holy Ghost," and I kept pressing toward the mark. God wonderfully blessed me, and in 1904 I started for China. When I got there the burden became stronger yet, and I kept pressing on in prayer because I saw the need of God's power to present His Gospel.
About December, 1906, I received the Apostolic Faith paper; and as I read it through in the spirit of prayer, I saw it was the thing that I had been looking for, and the first day of January I asked God as usual for a verse for that year, and He spoke plainly these words, "They shall be endued with power from on high." That gave me such a wonderful faith!
After that I went to Shanghai with the intention of finding some one in the Centennial Missionary Conference that had the baptism of the Holy Ghost who could help me out. Instead of that I met opposition from every side, and one from Los Angeles that had attended the meetings denounced the whole thing as of the devil.
I went back to my station with a still stronger determination in my heart for the baptism. After I got home I received a letter from Chicago telling about the work going on in Chicago, and the writer herself had received her Pentecost. As my wife read the letter to me, this melting power that I had been praying for came upon me, and I fell down on the floor crying out "God's wonderful mercy!"
From that time I felt the love of God in my soul stronger than ever before, but I was conscious that it was not the baptism. A desire came into my heart to go to America, but I did not dare to believe that it was God's will that I should go. But as I prayed over it, that if it was His will He should open the way, He quickly did open the way, and I started and landed in Seattle, Wash., the 27th of August, just in time to meet a band of the Apostolic Faith people who were to go to Japan, Korea, India and China.
I went to their meetings and investigated the work carefully, and when I found out it wasn't anything but Jesus that they exalted, I went right in among them to receive my baptism. As I got to the altar God's blessing upon me was so great that I only shouted glory all the time. After the meeting was over I told the brethren that I could not understand how it was that I got so happy, because I thought I had something to do; but they said I could keep on praising Him, and that the Holy Ghost would come in that way.
As I told them the battles that I had had in China and that I had surrendered all, they satisfied me by saying that I was "prayed up" to date. It seemed too good for me to believe. I moved on to Oakland, Cal., and the same thing happened there, so I went to Los Angeles and the third day, on Sunday, Sept. 15th, He baptized me. I was under the power of God on the floor for more than two hours, and it seemed that every nerve in my body was charged and my jaws began to move, and I said to myself, "I could do that," and I tried, but found out I could not do it mechanically, as it was done, and I was satisfied that it was of the Lord. Then my tongue began to move and a brother said to me, "Let the Holy Ghost have your voice." I said to myself, "I am not going to obey man." A short time after, the Holy Ghost said, "Give me your voice," and I said, "I do not know what you mean." Then such a power from within came forcing up, and I began to say a sentence, "Ya! ya!" I said, "This is my native language and I don't want to fool the people, but it kept up for some time. So I began to praise God in English for the faithfulness of brothers and sisters around me, and they said, "Get your eyes on God." I was fully convinced that it was all of God, and I shouted Glory! Then He began to speak through me in an unknown tongue, and I rose up under the power, going back and forth before the people preaching. I had no control of my body. I praise God for His manifestation and for the wonderful sweetness and joy that is growing stronger every day. I will advise anyone to get rid of all that you have and gain that "pearl of great price." I pray God's blessing upon all that are seeking God's best and His mercy upon those who reject. Yours for lost souls in China. B. Berntsen. Tai-ming-fu, Chih-li, North China.
If a man is in Jesus Christ, he will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22. When we see people that are not bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit, it matters not how many tongues or how much power to move mountains they may have, the Lord says they are nothing.
When men and women are saved and sanctified, they need the Blood just as much as they ever did. We should not trust ourselves a half a second, we need the Blood every moment.
"I praise God for His saving, sanctifying power, and for the Holy Ghost in His fullness, which I received a few days ago; since which I pray, sing and talk in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. Hallelujah to God!" —JD. Melvin, Hector, Ark.
"God has reached out His dear hands away down south here, as I too have had this most glorious experience. Three of us were baptized, but one has gone out on the battlefield." —Fannie Spurlock, Summit, Miss.
"He for whom I long have waited has come. Last night at 10 o'clock in our little mission, I moved out and He moved in, and gave His own evidence, speaking with my poor tongue in two distinct languages. O it is glorious. What a night it has been. Very little sleep. The glory has been so great. O how I praise Him." —WH. Standley, Watertown, NY.
"As soon as I began to read your paper, I began to shout and praise God, and began to shake so I could not read for some time. I will say I have been wonderfully filled with the Holy Ghost but have not received the speaking in tongues. Am still tarrying. I thought I would surely receive it yesterday while trying to read your paper. Every time I take it up, the thrills go through me, and I get so full to my throat. O it is of God. Bless His holy name. Glory!" —Mrs. JE. Smith, Wolcott, NY.
"O how I praise my blessed Redeemer for all His goodness. He has saved me, baptized me with the Holy Ghost, and also four of my children. Glory to His name! He met with us on July 26th at our family altar and poured out His Spirit, baptizing my little girl, Millie, with the Holy Ghost, and she sang and praised God in tongues for nearly an hour. O how we rejoiced and praised God. My eldest son received his baptism in the meetings in Seattle, but my three daughters received theirs while praying with us at our family altar. O glory to Jesus forever." —Mrs. EA. Buckland, Silverdale, Wash.
"Last winter it was my happy lot to get one of your faith papers, where I learned about the blessed Pentecostal baptism. I praise God this morning I have the blessed Holy Ghost in my heart. Glory, glory to His precious name. He came in the 4th of March speaking in other tongues. Now I talk and sing as the Spirit gives utterance. Glory, glory to Jesus! He is my Savior, sanctifier, healer, my all in all. My two oldest daughters have received the Holy Ghost and talk and sing in other tongues." —Jane L. Rousey, Dewey Rose, Ga.
"I have been quite sick since I wrote you all last. The Lord has blessed me with a daughter and she is two weeks old tonight. I am praising God for His keeping power that keeps me through health and sickness. Even through my darkest hours, the room was filled with angels singing sweet songs to cheer and strengthen me in faith. Many nights when everybody else would be asleep, the Holy Ghost would come in mighty power and fill my heart so I could only say what good old David did in the 23rd Psalm. Praise the Lord! Dear saints, I am praising God for sending Sister Farrow through here in November. She held a few meetings here and the Lord wonderfully manifested His power in this place, and the fire is yet burning. Hallelujah! I am praising God for an Apostolic Mission in Littleton and we want you all to pray often for us that we may ever contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints.” —Mrs. Daisy A. Wilkins, Box 46, Littleton, N.C.
"I am here in Winnipeg and the glory of God is upon me. I can feel the Holy Ghost walking up and down in my innermost being and the cloven tongues of fire are burning from my head to the soles of my feet. I feel my nothingness and so unworthy to preach the Gospel, and my Heavenly Father so loving and kind to save such a wretched disgrace to humanity as I. God has His hand on poor me and has healed my body, opened up the way for service for me, got me into the harness, and I am getting fleshy and strong physically, and realizing I must sit at the feet of Jesus and be a channel for the Holy Ghost. God spoke to me a few days ago and asked me if I would be willing to sit at everyone's feet and be nothing, that He might be glorified, so that is my prayer to get deeper down yet and stay at the feet of Christ—Brother Tom Anderson in Christ, Winnipeg, Man.
"The Lord graciously pardoned me of my sins. That was on Thursday evening at home. On Friday evening at the Azusa Street Mission, He wonderfully sanctified and anointed me, and I sang for about two hours. [We well remember this little girl's singing in the upper room; it was the heavenly song that sounded like an angel.] Then about three hours after at a cottage meeting, the Lord baptized me with the Holy Ghost. When the campmeeting started, I neglected to read my Bible and to pray; so that caused me to lose the sweetness out of my soul. I kept losing out and losing out till I lost out altogether. But I did not know I was a backslider till one evening the Lord brought it out somehow that I was not saved. So that night I got back. While I was praying to get saved, I was blaming the Lord in my heart for not keeping me; but I had to get that out of my heart before I could get saved. The next morning I said to Mama, 'Mama, I must be sanctified, because I don't feel cross nor proud as I did before.' But she said she did not think I was because she said justification gives you victory over those things, but sanctification takes them out. So after breakfast she and I went up on the hill to pray, and the dear Lord sanctified me, and He brought this scripture to my heart, 'It is finished.' And about ten minutes after, He baptized me with the Holy Ghost. Praise His dear name!" —Kathleen Scott, Winnipeg, Man., Can.
"Just a line to say that I received my Pentecost on Christmas day at Sunderland. O glory, glory! Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." —CH. Hook, 23 Gairloch Rd., Camberwell, London, SE., England.
"Blessed be the name of the Lord. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He has baptized me with the Holy Ghost and fire and spoken through me in tongues. How sweet it is to be completely swallowed up in His love and let Him have His way. I feel that we are but in the beginning of this "latter rain" and greater things are before." —CE. Foster, 924 Kansas Ave., Topeka, Kans.
"While the Holy Ghost came into me with indescribable sweetness and power, I found myself absolutely alone and cut off from sect and society, friends and foes, and rested alone in His satisfying fullness. He seemed to settle down in my innermost being, adjusting Himself to His new home, and I soon began to speak in a low voice in a new tongue, then breaking out into singing while the melody rose in my heart as He gave utterance. This is an indescribable experience and must be passed through to appreciate it. The Comforter has come. The Holy Ghost in all His fullness now for the first time in my experience possesses my entire being, and satisfies and fills unto the uttermost. The work is done and Pentecost stands upon an incontrovertible Rock, of which experience alone I can testify upon the case." —GH. Lester, 24 Champion St., Carthage, NY.
"Hearing that the Holy Ghost had come to Tampa, I started at once. And while praising God for allowing me to suffer persecution, the Holy Ghost fell upon me and filled me. I have been continually praising Him ever since." —Mary B. Simmons, Frostproof, Fla.
"Glory to be God forever! On the 17th of July, God wonderfully baptized me with the Holy Ghost. The Blessed Comforter came in and testified for Himself in another language. No tongue can express the glories I experienced then and am still enjoying. O how grand to do everything by the direct inspiration of the Holy Ghost! He gives me such direct messages from His Word and puts upon me special burdens of prayer in the Holy Ghost. I know He is going to lead me out to the foreign field." —H. May Kelty, Tampa, Fla.
"At the time I wrote you requesting prayers for my brother, the doctors and nurse said he could live but a few days. I prayed the Lord to keep life in him till my letter could reach California. He was so low and so weak he could not speak above a whisper. I laid the anointed handkerchief you sent on his body in the name of the Lord, asking Jesus to raise him up for His own glory. He has been gaining ever since. He is now walking around in his room and sits at the table and eats heartily. I do praise the Lord for such a deliverance." —Miss HA. Peck, Cashmere, W. Va.
"Dear ones, it is sweet for me to think of you all and your kindness to me while I was with you. My soul is filled with the glory of the Lord. He is giving great victory wherever He sends us in His name, many being baptized with the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues. Praise the Lord. The fight has been great. I was put out, because I believed that God did baptize me with the Holy Ghost among you all. Well, He did it and it just suits me. Glory in the Lord. Jesus is coming. Take the Bible way, it is right. The Lord is leading me out of all that men have fixed up for their glory. Be strong in Him. (Isa. 41:10, 20.) The Lord is casting out devils, healing the sick, and singing the sweetest songs. He has sung hundreds of songs. I do not have time to go back over one to practice it, for the next will be new. Praise His name. I sit under His shadow with great delight. His banner over me is love." —CH. Mason, Lexington, Miss., Nov.28.
"Some years ago, the Lord wonderfully saved my wife and I. Then eight years ago my wife was sanctified, and two years later I received the experience of entire sanctification. I knew there was a hungering and thirsting for more, and I knew that He promised to fill us to overflowing. I came into the light of the baptism of the Holy Ghost about three months ago. But it seemed that I could never die the death. My son was saved, sanctified and filled, my daughter came in next, and then my wife. It seemed I was doing all I could to get through. All the meetings closed around my home, so I and my family went to a Pentecostal campmeeting about sixty miles away. And on the 10th day of July, at 5 o'clock a.m., I went out to the tabernacle with the determination of going through that day. At about 11 o'clock, I just gave all trying over, simply trusting. He gave the baptism with wonderful manifestations of speaking in tongues. In the same meeting, there were sixty-two who came through to Pentecost." —FM. Woldron, Nocotee, Florida.
"The Lord saved me when a child, fifteen years ago, sanctified me and called me to the rescue work, and gave me the baptism with the Holy Ghost, July 23. Thought I received Him when sanctified, but at times since, have prayed for the baptism of the Holy Ghost; but was never satisfied till one week ago when He testified in an unknown tongue and prayed for all nations and all people for an hour or more. Oh it is glory all the way. Ever since we heard of the wonderful outpouring of God's Spirit and the mighty wonders wrought, we have been praying Him to give us the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and to give us a Holy Ghost revival. Some of us wished we might go to Los Angeles; but O glory to God! He was so good as to send some of His children near us that had the experience—just fifteen miles from Tampa. One of our girls with my assistant first attended the meetings, and had not been at the altar 15 minutes at the first service till she received the baptism with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit testified through her in an unknown tongue. Since then, my assistant, two more of the girls and myself have received the Comforter and others are hungry. O praise the Lord. He has never been so precious and I have never been so sweetly kept and had such power. We have a mission in connection with the Home, where God is with us in power." —Flora E. Bower, Hephzibah Rescue Home, Tampa, Fla.
"How I do thank God upon ever remembrance of the dear ones in and around Los Angeles, and how my heart grows tender and my eyes moisten when I think of the family gatherings we had twice a day at the old campground, as we gathered around Father's table both for spiritual and temporal refreshment. How the sweet faces of the saints come up before me, as we gathered in the tabernacle or in the dining tent, or as we happened to meet going to and fro on the grounds, or up in the mountains to pray, or as we passed back and forth between there and the city, meeting some of our precious brothers and sisters and greeting them in Jesus' name. My soul is flooded with joy when I recall those pleasant memories. At other times there is a longing takes possession of me to have a repetition of those happy days, which as I look back to them seem to have been a foretaste of the glad millennial day. Glory to our precious Christ. How I do remember you all before the throne, not only every time I bow my knees but also many, many times when I am going about my daily occupation. I can report victory in my soul, and have been joined by my precious wife on the upward march. Two of my little girls six and nine years are saved and getting on nicely. Glory to Jesus. There are many hungry souls here eager for the Gospel." Joseph A. Grainger, Melfort, Sask., Canada.
"The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:10.
Jesus still saves today. O sinner, give your heart to Jesus and be saved.
He hung, bled and died on Calvary's cross to redeem your soul from sin and
hell. O, He loves you and He is calling you to come home. Come home, poor
sinner, come home.
I once was a sinner. I do not know that I was such a hard sinner but I was a sinner. I used to love Christ's people and love to go to church; but I did not know Jesus. I do not know how I could know Him. I thought it was a feeling or imagination, that came by loving the word of God so strongly. But all of those thoughts, when I came to sum them up, were nothing. There was something in my heart that told me there was a reality in the salvation of Jesus.
I used to love to go and hear God's word preached, and I bought me a Bible and commenced reading it. But I used to hate to read in the Bible where death and hell were cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. Rev. 20:14. I used to say I would not like to go there. Then we read in Psalms 9:17, "The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God." O sinner, where will you spend eternity? Will you spend it with the devil and his angels, or will you spend it with God and His angels?
If you read in the 55th of Isaiah, you will find these words, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Praise the Lord. O dear sinner, this is Jesus, this water. He is this milk and this honey. You can get Jesus Christ in your heart without paying for it. The blessed Holy Spirit calls you tonight and today to come and accept this water of life. O sinner, may you receive Him.
He says, "Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not?" O dear sinner, dear precious backslider, Jesus can satisfy your heart. You may spend all your money in getting fine raiment, the latest style, you may go to all the theaters, all the card parties, you may have a good position, you may be a good moral man or woman; but O dear beloved, that is not going to satisfy you. Your heart is still empty. There is nothing can satisfy that longing heart and bring rest, peace, and joy only Jesus Christ the Son of God. O may you know Him. May you accept Him.
The prophet said, "And your labor for that which satisfieth not. Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good." Jesus Christ is the living bread that comes down from heaven, and if you eat of this Bread you will never hunger anymore. Your soul will be filled with joy and gladness. Jesus says, "He that drinketh of this water shall never thirst." This is the water of life that runs through the ceaseless ages of eternity.
"Seek ye the Lord, while He may be found." There is a time coming when men will seek God and will be too late. He says in Proverbs 1:26-28, "I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me." O beloved, this is God's word.
Then He says again, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Dear precious loved one, Christ's yoke is easy, but the yoke of Satan is bondage, it is heavy. He makes you spend your money for the theaters, parties, and dances and for that which does not satisfy you, and he brings many aches to your heart. He keeps you going. Your soul is never satisfied. You are enslaved to keep up with the crowd. But, O beloved, Jesus frees you from this bondage. His yoke is easy, His burden is light. May God help you to give your heart to Jesus, that you might know His salvation. He saves you from telling stories, from gambling, playing cards, going to horse races, drinking whiskey or beer, cheating, and everything that is sinful or devilish. The Lord Jesus Christ will cleanse you and make you every whit whole. He will heal your body, and make you new.
He says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That which is born the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." The first birth makes us a creature, it is the physical birth; but the second birth is from above. It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. It makes us a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away and all things become new, so we become a new creature in Christ Jesus. God puts His love and joy into our hearts and we can sing Praise God. Glory to His name.
O if you are a converted child, may you give God your heart and let Him sanctify you through His cleansing Blood. Jesus is praying today for your sanctification. He is in heaven, but He says, "I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth." Glory to His name. His Blood flows and can cleanse from every stain. When God sanctifies you, you will love Him more than ever before, because there will be joy flowing like a river through your heart. Then after you get sanctified, you can get the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and God will grant the signs to follow in speaking in tongues, casting out devils, laying hands on the sick and they will recover. The Lord bless you. Amen.
We cannot afford to sell Satan even a small piece of ground in our hearts; because if we do, he will have right of way at the gate to get to it. The only way to keep him out is to live in the Word, a holy Spirit-filled life. Many people today have sold themselves for naught, they have sold a piece of their land which has been redeemed by the Blood of Christ. They have sold land to Satan to commit adultery, to steal, to beat or to cheat, but praise our God, He has sent us this blessed Gospel, the Word of God, to uncover men's sins by the power of the Holy Ghost, that they may be loosed from these bondage spirits.
If the enemy finds there is a weak place in us, he is going to come in various ways to get us to sell him a piece of land, so he can sow his wild oats in it. We should be like Jesus: when the enemy tried to bargain with Him for the land of the world, telling Him what he would give Him, offering Him the whole world if He would fall down and worship him, Jesus would not bow. And we have His statement that when Satan came, he found nothing in Him. So Satan had no power, he had no right of way. O may we not bow down or compromise at any terms with the world, the flesh or the devil.
A sanctified body is one that is cleansed from all sickness and disease. The Lord gives you the power over sickness and disease, "that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless." Some have a teaching that unless you have a sanctified body you cannot be holy. But though you have not yet attained to your inheritance in the atonement of Jesus and have a body that is sanctified from all sickness, yet your body is holy unto the Lord if you do not sin. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost if the Spirit of Christ is in you. And it is your privilege to go on and get a perfectly whole, strong body; that you may give Him glory for the salvation of spirit, soul, and body. That does not mean that you could not get sick any more. You must maintain the health and healing of your body just as for your soul, by faith and obedience.