Pentecost With Signs Following
from “The Apostolic Faith”
By: Frank Bartleman
Many are asking how the work in Azusa Mission started and who was the founder. The Lord was the founder and He is the Projector of this movement. A band of humble people in Los Angeles had been praying for a year or more for more power with God for the salvation of lost and suffering humanity. They did not know just what they needed, but one thing they knew, people were not getting saved and healed as they desired to see. They continued to hold cottage prayer meetings for several months.
Then they felt led of the Lord to call Bro. Seymour from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles, the saints in Los Angeles sending his fare. It was as truly a call from God as when He sent His holy angel to tell Cornelius to send for Peter. He came and told them about the baptism with the Spirit, and that every after. noon at three o’clock they would pray for the enduement of power. He told them he did not have the Pentecost but was seek. ing it and wanted all the saints to pray with him till all received their Pentecost. Some believed they had it, and others believed they did not have it because the signs were not following.
Hardly anyone was getting saved.
There was a great deal of opposition, but they continued to fast and pray for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, till on April 9th the fire of God fell in a cottage on Bonnie Brae. Pentecost was poured out upon workers and saints. Three days after that, Bro. Seymour received his Pentecost. Two who had been working with him in Houston came to Los Angles just before Pentecost fell. They came filled with the Holy Ghost and power. One of them had received her personal Pentecost, Sister Lucy Farrow, and said the Lord had sent her to join us in holding up this precious truth. She came with love and power, holding up the blood of Jesus Christ in all His fullness.
And the fire has been falling ever since. Hundreds of souls have received salvation and healing. We can truly say that the revival is still going on. The Lord God is in Los Angeles in different missions and churches in mighty power, in spirit of opposition. This revival has spread through the towns about Lost Angeles.
Bro. Seymour is simply a humble pastor of the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made him overseer, according to Acts 20:28, “Take heed therefore, unto yourself and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseer, to feed the church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood.’ And as missionary workers and teachers go out from this place, they have the same privilege of being pastors over the people that the Lord puts them over by the Holy Spirit, and of feeding them with the pure word of God. Each mission will be united in harmony, having its own pastor simply that the Holy Ghost shall appoint.
We believe in old time repentance, old time conversion, old time sanctification, healing of our bodies and the baptism with the Holy Ghost. We believe that God made Adam in His own image, according to Gen. 5:1; Ps 8.4; and Matt. 19:4. We do not believe in any eighth day creation, as some have taught, and we do not believe in the annihilation of the wicked.
We stand on Bible truth without compromise. We recognize every man that honors the blood of Jesus Christ to be our brother, regardless of denomination, creed, or doctrine. But we are not willing to accept any errors, it matters not how charming and sweet they may seem to be. If they do not tally with the Word of God, we reject them.
It is one thing to be filed with the Holy Ghost, and it is another thing to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. It is one thing to fill a glass with water, and another thing to baptize it with water, that is to hide it out of sight. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb but not baptized. The Holy Ghost had been in the world all the time. “Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” He was with Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Enoch and many other men of God, but He was not poured out upon all flesh till the day of Pentecost.
Wherefore, Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore, unto Him without the fate bearing His reproach. Dear loved ones, in order to get sanctification, we have to go without the gate. We must leave the beautiful city, the precious temples, fame, honor, position, and go out of the gate. There we will find Jesus, the despised one, hanging between two thieves. It is so sweet to live this sanctified life. Very few people have sanctification in its full,, which means crucifixion to self according to Gal. 5:24-25. “And they; that are Christ’s have crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Hallelujah!
Other Pentecostal Saints
A message was sent us from a people in New England states who received the Pentecost before we did. As Bro. A. J. Rawson an evangelist of 15 Eliott St. Swampscott, Mass., received one of the Apostolic Faith
papers and was reading it to his wife who is also an evangelist and has the gift of tongues, she broke out in tongues and interpreted. Her husband wrote the interpretation in English, and sent it to us, and we feel it is of God for His people. The message is as follows:
“This work is of God that you are reading of. Let no one put their hand on it. Let all press in and have their part. God has many richer blessings for His faithful children. Seek Him earnestly and pray for His gifts which are a witness of the Spirit.”
They also write, “We are with You in the Spirit in this last work of God. We are rejoiced to hear of those having the gifts of the Spirit according to I Cor. 12. There have been a few of God’s children in New England, in Pennsylvania and Virginia who have believed for years that all these gifts were for the church, and they have been nicknamed the “Gift People.” They have had all the gifts including tongues, but it seems but a few drops preceding the rain and now the work seems to fulfill the “tatter rain.” There are a goodly number of people here in the east ready to fellowship this work. We believe it is a token of the soon coming of the Lord. Amen.
The Lord also has some Pentecostal saints in Minnesota whom we have just heard of and we rejoice to hear from these witnesses.
Audobon, Minn.
Grace and peace unto you be multiplied. A copy of the Apostolic Faith has been sent to us, and we were much blest when we read and saw that God baptized His children with the Holy Ghost exact. ly the same way as He has done here. It is two years ago since God began to baptize His children in this place and some are talking with tongues, some have the gift of prophecy, etc. Others fall under the power of God and He shows them wonderful things that all seem to come unto these words, “Get ready, I am coming soon.” Glory to God. But it is few that believe it is from God. The world’s people and church members and preachers say it is of the devil, so we are well separated from the world, and soon we will be separated forever and be together with Jesus and His holy people.
Snowflake, Manitoba
“I am in sympathy with your work, am baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire, and have received the gift of some as yet unknown tongue or tongues. It first came two years ago, and is proving more distinct and real. Believe God is preparing me for some special work in some part of His vineyard.”—John Loney.
God has been working thus in different parts of the world pouring out His Spirit upon others with signs following even as on us in Los Angeles. We realize that we are in the time of the “latter rain” preceding His coming.
THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED IN THE APOSTOLIC FAITH, DECEMBER 1906. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY AND RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.
