There was a guest speaker yesterday at church. He spoke on John 15:9-17 about being a friend of God by being loyal to Jesus; standing with Jesus, weeping with Jesus, and stewarding His trust. It was such a great sermon. Here are some slides that he shared.
I know many in our neck of the woods are more Baptist in faith than Pentecostal in faith. Azuza Street was a Pentecostal meeting where God showed up in a huge way. Lots don't understand Azuza Street. In their not understanding they tend to spout opinions in order to sway folks to unbelief of what happened there.
Here's my take on it. It's not mine to understand the movings of God and His showing up in different ways for different groups of people. What I do know is it's mine to believe that God can do anything at anytime with anyone who believes. It's our lack of belief that holds us back at times. When we open our hearts and eyes to allow Holy Ghost to show us how mightily God moves and has moved in the past we open ourselves up to a deeper belief than we could ever possibly imagine.
So, you will never see me saying that what happened at Azuza Street wasn't God even though I've heard many non-Pentecostals spout that kind of talk. What you will hear from me is to take the time to read and study about all that happened at Azuza Street for yourselves. Really open your mind and heart to understanding all that happened there. Let Holy Ghost be your guide as you read and study as to what is true or not. If he does with you what he did with me then your heart and life with be touched with all that God did there. And yes, I do believe that God showed up there in a mighty way because the people believed and were expectant for a move of God like they had never seen or known before. Oh what a different, much better, world we would have today if all God's people were seeking Him as they did then. Just saying.
Now, in the slides you saw above there was a David Livingstone quote. He was a pioneer missionary to Africa from the prominent 18th century Moffat missionary family. He became one of most popular British heroes of the late 19th century Victorian era. He was also an explorer of the region. His disappearance and eventual death in Africa led to the founding of several major Central African Christian missionary initiatives carried forward in the era of the European “Scramble for Africa” during which almost all of Africa fell under European rule for decades. Reading about his life is quite interesting.
In the slides you saw above there was also a Frank Bartleman quote. He was a Christian writer. His book Azuza Street (can be found on Amazon) describes the events surrounding the Pentecostal revival. He authored six books, four pamphlets, over five hundred and fifty published articles, and one hundred tracts. Bartleman is best remembered for his chronicles of the 1906 Los Angeles revival. Of the revival, held in Los Angeles from 1906 to 1909, Bartleman famously wrote, "It seemed that everyone had to go to “Azusa.” ... There were far more white people than colored coming. The “color line” was washed away in the blood." After the Los Angelas revival and his missionary work (ending with the start of World War 1) he returned to evangelistic street work until his death in 1936. He is buried in Burbank, California, at Valhalla Memorial Park.
His book is the book I would personally recommend reading in your journey of understanding Azuza Street and the pentecostal movement. That way it will help you not be like so many who in their not understanding say something wasn't God just because they don't understand it.
In my lifetime, I can most confidently say that God moves in mysterious ways and His ways are not our ways. I've experienced Him in my life in ways that I could have never imagined. He's touched my life in such a deep way that it stays with me always. Although I was born long after the Azuza Street Revivals Franks book gives a great description of all that happened there. To say that what happened there was not God is putting God in a box and I never wanna be guilty of doing that ever.
God is my world. He is my lifeline. He's everything that I'm ever gonna wanna or need in this life. It's my prayer that if you don't feel as I do that one day you will.
No comments:
Post a Comment