All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Maria Woodwortb-Etter:

A Call to the Supernatural

ISBN: 978-1-60683-425-1

Copyright © 2000 by Roberts Liardon

P. O. Box 30710

Laguna Hills, California 92654

Published by HARRISON HOUSE

P. O. Box 35035

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74153

www.harrisonhouse.com

Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form without the express written consent of the Publisher.

Introduction

A Love Affair

Author’s Note

Note from the Editor

Part I: The Great Commission

Chapter 1 The Great Commission

Part II: Acts of the Holy Ghost

Chapter 2 The Glory of the Lord Abode Upon Mount Sinai

Chapter 3 The Fire and Glory of God Filling the Temple

Chapter 4 Christ’s Great Revival on the Plains: Our Example

Chapter 5 The Promise of the Father

Chapter 6 The Two Greatest Religious Movements in History

Chapter 7 The Great Revival in Jerusalem

Chapter 8 Divine Healing and Signs and Wonders

Chapter 9 Miracle-Working Faith

Chapter 10 Work of the Holy Ghost

Chapter 11 The Spirit Reveals the Deep Things of God

Chapter 12 Try the Spirits

Chapter 13 The Wonderful Power of the Word of God

Chapter 14 Will Ye Also Go Away? or, The Great Decision

Chapter 15 God’s Work, His Acts, His Strange Acts

Chapter 16 Dancing in the Spirit Is Victory

Part III: Visions

Chapter 17 Visions and Trances

Chapter 18 A Vision of the Coming of the Lord

Part IV: Divine Healing

Chapter 19 Divine Healing: Health for Body, Soul, and Spirit

Chapter 20 Prayer of Faith Shall Save the Sick

Chapter 21 James’ Commission to the Church

Chapter 22 Questions and Answers on Divine Healing

Part V: Women in Ministry

Chapter 23 Women’s Rights in the Gospel

Part VI: Miscellaneous

Chapter 24 The City of God

Chapter 25 Neglect Not the Gift That Is in Thee

Chapter 26 Gospel Witness

Books For Further Study

Relevant has become the new buzz Word in the Christian World and has been for over the last 10 years. Churches are undergoing face lifts, changing their services around to be more appealing, trying to rid themselves of the old religious order.

I’m for it. Previously serving the Lord as a pastor I remember working hard to improve our image striving to be relevant to my community. I had a Saturday night service in which we tried to appeal to a younger, career-focused crowd in particular by changing the music. We all wore jeans that night. On Sunday mornings we had a ministry team available to help single mothers as they pulled into the parking lot, pulling strollers out of trunks and getting kids to Sunday School. We also sought to appeal to the youth and children with all the latest techno gadgets. We even had an espresso bar and a bookstore that looked just like Barnes and Noble. I do not regret making any of those changes.

But if in our attempts to be relevant and make people comfortable coming to our churches we somehow cross a line and make it uncomfortable for the Holy Spirit to be there then we’ve lost the only thing that separates us from a club. Only the Holy Spirit can make us truly relevant since only He knows what is in the hearts of the people who sit in your pews and green or blue chairs. Only He can meet their needs and transform their lives.

Imagine the following scenario:

You came to your church one Sunday and someone other than your pastor stood behind the pulpit and spoke to the congregation in tongues for half an hour while your pastor sat leisurely in the front row and listened. Would you remain in the service or slip out after 15 minutes? Would you come back next week even if there was no explanation or interpretation of the tongue that morning? If you had brought your neighbors to church that particular service would you be embarrassed and apologize to them afterward?

I don’t know many pastors who wouldn’t begin to get uncomfortable in this situation, and possibly take the control of the service and get “back on course” with the plan. And every pastor I know has someone in their congregation who would send a rebuke via email the minute they got home from church for allowing such a thing, especially since there was no interpretation of the tongue.

Surely, this would be a strange day at church especially for the visitors; or would it? Strange as it was this is something that actually happened in one of Maria Woodworth-Etter’s church services.

And for her congregation, experiences like this 28-minute tongue were as common for them as singing the doxology was for other congregations. The Etter congregation may not have had understanding of what exactly was transpiring during that near half hour but evidence would suggest they were content to trust that something divine was going on. And it was. On that particular morning the woman with the tongue, unbeknownst to her, was speaking fluent Romanian. She would find out later that she was speaking directly into the needs of a Romanian family who were first-time visitors. Only the father spoke English.

I can’t think of anything more relevant for this Romanian family than to have their heart cry answered in their own language. Put yourself in their shoes. They were completely out of their comfort zone here in the States in the early 1900s, perhaps lonely and feeling isolated from any help as is normal for someone feeling the confinements of the language barrier and culture shock. They heard about Mother Etter’s church, they took a chance and God met them as He was so desperate to do.

At another Mother Etter meeting for one woman—whose breast was so overtaken with cancer that it had become an open, puss-filled sore—what happened at the altar that night was certainly relevant to her and to anyone in the tent, including the reporter who witnessed it first hand and wrote about it in the paper. According to the report, Mother Etter jumped down from the pulpit unbuttoned the woman’s blouse and put her hand right on the mangled breast. Someone reading this introduction right now is screaming: “lawsuit.” I do understand and know first-hand the screaming flesh that accompanies this kind of brave step of ministry. But I assure you that this woman did not sue Mother Etter since she was healed on the spot. Her breast, it was reported, became as new before everyone’s eyes.

Maria Woodworth Etter had one hero, Jesus Christ. She had been overcome with His love for her and the world as a young girl. She wanted to do what He did and so she studied His life and copied Him. She expected miracles because she had come to know intimately the One who loved so much he would reach through a small, woman’s frame to restore human lives. She ended up causing quite a commotion and lost her reputation in the eyes of many along the way but irrelevant she was not.

My heart for this book is to let Mother Etter herself prove to you in her sermons that the supernatural should not be extraordinary but ordinary to the life of the believer. In her life story you’ll read how God anointed her for the spectacular work she was called to, but you’ll see in her messages that she didn’t think it was something God intended to do for her exclusively but was something he longed for all believers to have operating in their lives.

Maria proved her point when she called upon other ministers in her meetings to work the same miracles as she was working. These unsuspecting men and women were just at the tent meetings to serve in the area of ministry of helps. Help they did when she lined them all up along the altar and started forming lines of needy people in front of them. These ministers were amazed when the same power they had observed in Mother Etter was now flowing through them successfully.

“Oh, give me an easy case,” one minister begged of her. Mother Etter laughed within herself and directed someone in a wheelchair over to him. That person was healed.

The stories told here and others like them in the next chapter on her life are the product of Mother Etter’s obedience to the Holy Spirit’s every unction. You won’t come away with out the following impressions:

First, God is Love. He is: hot, penetrating, laser-beam accurate love looking for entrance into people’s lives, their questions, longings, hurts, loneliness, sickness, poverty and oppression.

Second, because of His great passion and compassion that he longs to pour out, there must be a terrible back up of His power in heaven since there is such a small percentage of His people who expect that it would have entrance into the world through them.

Third, God wants to use you, right where you are, to make the difference in people’s lives. God ache’s for all people and you’ve got the answer. I hope you will commit with me to be a conduit for this Love, this God we know and enjoy so freely. Let him touch a fearful and oppressed world through you.

This is your call to the supernatural. Mix this with your coffee bar and strobe lights and you’ve got true relevancy.

The war raged in her little, 13-year-old heart that night in the Disciples’ Church. Would she remain frozen with fear or move out into the aisle from her seat in the last pew.

The story of the cross told that night flooded Maria’s heart with love and it wasn’t the first time. She remembered her first encounter with this love when she was only eight years old but her strong desire to know God was dismissed by those around her because she was just a child. Now here was that all-too-familiar feeling again and fountains of tears poured from her little eyes.

Maria would brave the fear of God and the sizeable crowd to walk the isle, and she was the first in the crowd to go. Though she didn’t consider that night her conversion, she noted that the pastor paid special attention to her at the altar, speaking so kindly to her and praying that she in particular would be a light to the world.

Did he see by the Spirit of God all she was called to and all she would do? Did he see that her future obedience to God would be a rescue to thousands upon thousands of lost souls? Did he see the healings: the mangled, gnarled physical mess of terminal disease God would cause untold thousands of people to be loosed from by the laying on of her hands or in so many cases simply by the lifting of her right arm? How about the books she would publish or the coast to coast tent revivals she would host in cities where no other minister gained any ground—did that pastor see these things that night? What about her church—founded in the later part of her ministry—where the Spirit of God resided so the masses could come from all over the world to be freed of all oppression and be released with a new zeal for life and God’s purpose—did he see that?

No. Probably not.

He was a pastor for the Disciples Church and that denomination didn’t believe in women ministers. But in his limited knowledge and from behind the confines of his traditions, God was not limited and something was imparted through this man’s kindness.

Maria Woodworth-Etter would die some 70 years later the grandmother of the Pentecostal Movement. But that Ohio night in 1857 she was a little girl starting out on a journey to know more completely the love of Jesus.

Converted and Called

Maria’s conversion came the next day when she saw a light shining above her during her baptism in the local creek. Fearing she may drown while under the water she asked God to save her and gave herself to Him on-the-spot knowing if she did drown at least she would go to heaven. People could see the change as soon as she came out of the water and said she fainted.

From this point Maria began her whole-hearted pursuit of God and she heard almost immediately His calling voice to the work of evangelism. She couldn’t imagine this however since she was a woman and so assumed the call would have to wait until she married a missionary. Her plans on how she would position herself for this included going away for a formal education in ministry where she would inevitably meet and marry the man who would make her obedience complete. When tragedy struck her family with her father’s death these plans were put on hold and feared never to be lived out. Forced to seek work away from home to help support the family of eight children she would mourn her father’s death and the loss of her hopes for ministry working in a stranger’s kitchen. She was painfully homesick and buried herself in God’s Word committing verses to memory as she worked.

The Tragedy of Wrong Doctrine

Within a few years Maria would marry one P.H. Woodworth and settle with him in the country. He had just returned home from fighting in the Civil War and they began establishing their life together hoping to find success. The two together bore six children, all of whom she was incredibly in love with, but times for the family were tough and nothing they set their hand to found success. Sickly herself, she watched helplessly as disease snatched away five of her six children. This nearly killed her and she mourned them so deeply even those who knew her thought she might die.

Unfortunately, Maria would draw a mixed bag of conclusions about the tragedies and defeats of life. Affected deeply by the Holiness Movement, the strongest Christian voice of influence in the United States at that time, she would see God as someone who would permissively allow disaster to keep someone on course. I believe this to be one of Satan’s greatest weapons: wrapping up his torture of the human race in a revelation that God somehow caused it or allowed it. He must rub his hands together greedily as he has his way with people who stand in their reverence of God in the midst of their innocence and ignorance thinking somehow they are to blame.

Hear me. I have no problem saying that it was not the Lord’s will that Maria lose any of her children. She would even say in her own words that one of her sons was taken out of the way by the Lord so she could fulfill her call. To the not-so-religious ear, this comment is horrifying. People must wonder what kind of a God we serve when they hear these kinds of things said. But to us who have been in the church our whole lives these thoughts about what God may or may not do have been a very common doctrine that frankly still sneaks by deceptively today cloaked in the Words: “Let Thy Will Be Done.” “If It Be Thy Will.” And “The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away.” Didn’t Jesus say it would be our ignorance that destroyed us?

Let’s close the loop hole in our faith right now by taking God at His Word—no matter what has happened in the past—and trust Him to protect us, prosper us, heal us and deliver us. The circumstances of Life come upon us all and they seem to cry out for some kind of respect beyond what they deserve. They deserve to be dealt a blow from God’s Word not to be written up in a new doctrine.

Too Afraid to Obey

Though Maria’s husband would never recover from this great loss to his life and instead grew hardened to the things of God, Maria would plod on seeking the Lord for answers. God would meet her even in her wrong doctrine about the loss and give her a vision of her children in heaven. The way she saw them there allowed her to change the image in her memory of them in the grave and she was gloriously liberated. She could see them in the tender, attentive care of heaven waiting there eagerly for when they would see her again yet encouraging her to fulfill her ministry. And in that encouragement to her soul she could hear God’s calling voice again and again asking her to step out and preach the Word. She fought that voice but not from a rebellious heart. Maria was infected with the disease that stops us all from taking the step of obedience.

She was afraid. She called it the “man-fearing” spirit.

When at a church gathering she would feel the prompting of God to step out and say something or pray something, fear would grip her heart and more than that her husband and teen-age daughter would complain about her doing it. But God would show her in a vision the open pit of hell, the misery there and the people so near to falling in that Maria would be moved from her silence and speak.

Maria proved her faithfulness in these meetings, however it was but a drop in the bucket of what God expected of her. So His prompting continued and her fear persisted.

Back and forth she went, double-minded and tossed. One moment she would be caught away by a vision, traveling over the prairies to be set down in the wheat fields where the sheaves would fall all around her. The Lord was showing her that people would fall all around her at the hearing of His Word. In his presence she would become so brave and felt she would stand in front of the whole world to plead with them to give their lives to Jesus. I those moments she felt she should go and begin right away.

We’ve all experienced this high, this knowing and bravery. And we’ve all known that sense of suddenly losing all nerve. In these moments Maria would side with Satan’s taunting her for being a woman and then she would become convinced that if she did step out she would do the Lord’s work more harm than good.

Qualified by Spirit and Fire

Maria never really got over her sense of weakness. She did not suddenly feel she had it within her to do what God was asking; if anything she came to terms with weakness. One day she simply decided within herself that if God knew her and her weakness and still persisted to make this demand than he would have to do something to qualify her. And he did. She asked God to give her the power he gave His disciples. God met her child-like faith with fire and power. She would call it liquid fire and speak of the presence of angels all around. This would be the qualifying moment that she felt she needed where what was lacking would be made up for by God. This that came, she would testify, would be the same anointing by which she would stand before thousands upon thousands to minister in untold power all the remaining days of her life.

Her husband held her back from her first opportunity to travel with a minister and his wife, but then she would step out on her own in a family member’s home. Still debating with the Lord over what she would preach the Lord promised to be with her and to fill her mouth. So, she stood before a crowded room and received from the Lord, as he promised, on-the-spot, the Word to preach. She simply quoted the appointed scripture and from there the words poured forth from her almost faster than she could wrap her lips around them. That night souls were saved and the impact of her meeting was evident. And so it began: her evangelistic ministry.

She was soon sought out to revive regional congregations; and this she would do while continuing to keep house during the week. By the weeks end she would travel by horse-back over hilly, rough roads to preach Saturday night and several times on Sunday and then return home for the week to be with her husband. It was difficult for her to minister within the region where she grew up and first lived in her early marriage but she continued with great success. Always there was a great revival and souls were saved everywhere she went.

Her regional faithfulness seemed to bring a great redemption of time. In a short period of time Maria’s ministry expanded west with 9 revivals, 200 sermons preached, and two church plantings. She took on the reputation of quite a breakthrough artist being entrusted to come to any given town and bring the power of God. Soon her territory would expand and the old adage “new level, new devil” would prove true for this mighty apostle.

It was in the Ohio Town of Devil’s Den, of all places where we first see the emergence of one of her greatest strengths: her strong resistance to give in to the territorial pressure of Satan.

Devil’s Den lived up to its name and its residents seemed determined to keep its qualities soundly fitted. But they had met their match. They thought they’d drive this woman weeping from the city. But she stayed and in the end the people there were weeping, literally. After she braved their mocking and stiff formalism with no success for three days she had a breakthrough. On the fourth day the softening came and the hardness of the people gave way to a brokenness and repentance.

Territorial Spirits and Closed Heavens

Only God knows the private time in prayer she must have spent each night plowing the spiritual atmosphere there. Add to that the singing and preaching in each evening service and you have a spiritual plow. How long it takes to break into an atmosphere depends really on the principality that reigns there in the spirit realm and the amount of time it has had to shape the people under its influence into its image. But praise God nothing can stand up to the pressure of faith, persistence, and God’s presence. Maria knew this and worked faithfully to see God’s purpose come to each territory.

Apostolic preaching is really the tool that she used in hard territories. Preaching tears down strongholds of old thought patterns that imprison man. When those thoughts are challenged there is usually a defense mechanism of pride that stands up first to resist. That’s why God told the prophets of old not to be moved by the people’s faces when delivering the Word of the Lord. I’ve looked out at a congregation of pretty interesting faces in my time. But continuing without intimidation will get the victory. I noticed even in my pastoring that it would take time to get certain truths through to my congregation. I would begin a series and the first Sunday would be what I like to call a base hit. It might take a month but if I stayed at it and was willing to be misunderstood for a few weeks I would finally sense the walls coming down and the lights begin to go on in the minds of the people. When that happened you could sense the presence of God so strongly and if the Lord led us to ministry time at the altar the fruit of it was always so sweet. An altar call too soon might not be so sweet.

Along with persistent, fearless apostolic preaching Maria mastered another art that brought success: The art of waiting on God. In her sermons you’ll see her continual reference to the absolute necessity of waiting on God privately to see any success publicly. She noticed from the life of Jesus that He set the example for us going frequently to the mountain alone to be with God. She would say, if our Lord had to we must certainly need to as well. Other ministers of great renown whose life stories have been written for us to study and learn from, also had the art of waiting matured in their walk and ministry. I personally interviewed Oral Roberts and he told me how he would go to a room on the day of a meeting and stay there alone all day if need be, having given instructions to his staff that he was not to be disturbed. What were you doing there? I asked him, knowing in myself what he would say. But wanting to hear it from him first hand I asked anyway. He said he was “waiting for Him.” He spoke of the anointing that would come upon Him for the miracle ministry to which he was called. It resided in his right hand, interestingly not the left, and he would wait daily for it to come fresh before each meeting.

We all have the residing presence of the Holy Spirit within but there is an empowering that comes upon us for the work of God.

Along with developing a private life with God, Maria also mastered the art of waiting publicly for the atmosphere to be ripe. Another minister many of us remember from our lifetime, Kathryn Kuhlman, was also very skilled and comfortable waiting for the public sense of God’s presence, a time where all hearts seamed to unite. In a Kathryn Kuhlman meeting the congregation would sing along with the choir often for hours waiting on God. Miss Kuhlman wouldn’t even come to the pulpit until the Holy Spirit was tangibly present. Often by that time many people were simply healed in His presence never receiving ministry from Miss Kuhlman personally.

Mother Etter referred so many times in her sermons to that place of Pentecost where the people waited in unity and came into one accord. Then the power would come or as the old timers might say: “The blessing flowed.” The Bible says “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133.

Note the language here: “For there the Lord commanded the blessing,…” Where? “There….” Where is “There?...” The place of unity.

Tough But Not Hard

All of these points together, apostolic preaching, private prayer and the pursuit of public unity would be part of what led to the success Mother Etter had in Devil’s Den. It would be a success no other minister, let alone a woman, had there. The town would never be the same.

Let me say something else about Maria that will encourage you here. She was tough without being hard. This is necessary for someone called to walk in a fruitful ministry of any kind. No one would fault her for becoming hardened and bitter; is it possible for there to be anything more difficult to go through than the death of a child, let alone five children. But in the circumstances that could have left her that way she sought God and in doing so was restored, healed and set on another plane. Some may be tempted to jump back onto your traditional soap box right now and say: “See, the Lord will cause us to go through things and allow us to experience great loss so we’ll be strong, for His glory, for the good of the Kingdom.” I want to encourage you to consider it another way. The Bible guarantees tribulations, trials and temptations. This will accompany a life lived for Him. Attacks come on account of Him but not from Him.

But the Bible also promises that we will be more than conquerors in all these tribulations, trials and temptations and that He Himself will always deliver us. How can we be brave for a God we think may suddenly pull the rug out from under us? We have to know He has always got our back. With this in mind let us always move forward. Facing down the storm, stepping out in the midst of fear, continuing on anyway—even if your initial plans were delayed and current hopes high jacked—makes you tough. And waiting on God for His touch in these times keeps you from becoming hard. If you’ll walk in this two-fold response (progressing in obedience while waiting for His touch) to everything the Devil does to discourage, disappoint, steal or destroy then you’ll become someone the enemy will wish he had never messed with. Now you’ll be a greater threat and the spiritual punch you throw will be quicker and harder. You’ll really be God’s special agent.

And so it was for Maria. She had really become God’s special messenger and repeatedly, over and over again throughout the Midwest she would see God’s glory pour out and obliterate every corner of darkness in each community.

Spiritual Promotion—Trances

Making her mark as a special task force for God in the area of evangelism, Mother Etter’s ministry would soon begin to bear a new mark and leave her with the reputation as a “Trance Evangelist,” a term penned by her enemies.

It was in a Western, Ohio tent meeting where Maria’s ministry would see this new outpouring. She had been called upon by the minister there to produce the same results seen in all the other churches she had been. Maria had come to expect dead churches awaken from deadness into revival through her ministry but what she saw from the pulpit that night was unexpected. She later wrote of it:

“Fifteen came to the altar screaming for mercy. Men and women fell and lay like dead. I had never seen anything like this. I felt it was the work of God, but did not know how to explain it, or what to say.”1

These people had fallen into a trance, a manifestation that would follow her from that night forward with hundreds of souls saved daily.

A trance is a type of vision God gives to people to communicate something with them pertaining to His purpose. That night He wanted to warn some of how closely to the edge of hell they were walking. Maria said the conversions that night were the brightest she had ever seen with people springing from their trances to their feet, faces aglow, singing praises to God. Discerning Christians who knew God was visiting them stood praising as they observed the great outpouring. But some other supposed Christians who didn’t know better were surprised after coming out of their trances that all their theology, good works and faithful church going hadn’t won them their place in heaven. That night they got up from the floor with their ticket: simple trust in the saving grace of Jesus.

An example of this was seen with one elderly, religious man who inadvertently ended up in a trance, after coming to one of Mother Etter’s meetings, like many others, out of curiosity. He even made jokes from his chair to his friends during the ministry time. He wanted to go forward to get a better look at what was going on. Walking forward in his pride and intellect from a life of traveling the world and seeing “it all” he was struck to the floor. There in that entranced state he saw what he had never seen before, a vision of heaven and hell, and he knew there was a decision to make. He awakened over two hours later born again and praising God. Amidst his praises he would later express his regret that he had spent all of his years previous to that night lost in religion never actually knowing Jesus.

It became common for even Maria to slip into a trance in the pulpit frozen in place with her right arm raised and index finger pointed up. She would awaken even hours later with the story of what she had seen. The trances knew no bounds and happened upon people of every age, sex and culture. Even children were awakened after a trance in a new relationship with the Lord fearing for the souls of their friends.

Because of the new manifestation of power, Maria’s meetings became the talk of the day with all their intrigue drawing true seekers and those who came to investigate including a set of 15 doctors one night. They were reluctant to acknowledge the trances were from God. One doctor, who would have been happy to prove the power was anything other than what it was, found his own son at the altar seeking God while he himself was investigating the situation. When his son saw him there too he asked him to pray for him. The Lord showed the doctor there in His presence that he had better pray for himself and he then fell into a trance. There he saw himself falling into hell, he was saved and came to with a new initiative to work for the saving of souls.

You can imagine the persecution that met Maria’s ministry from that point. But she continued to make room for these experiences knowing that what she and others were experiencing was no different than what the apostle John experienced before he wrote the book of Revelation.

Let me comment on the different types of Godly visions here. I have experienced visions, and you too probably have without knowing it. The most common type would be the Inner Vision. This is a picture God shows you in your spirit, your inner man. If you’ll take note of it and not pass it off as your imagination you’ll see how eager the Holy Spirit is to communicate things with you. Another type of vision is the Open Vision, in which there will be no mistaking that you are having a vision. I’ve had several of these, one I wrote about in my book “I Saw Heaven.” The Open Vision comes to you with your eyes wide open and passes before you like a movie picture. Then there is the night vision, which is a godly dream while you’re sleeping. This may be something you’ve experienced and you haven’t known it was from God. A study of Godly dreams will help you understand what is and is not of God and how to interpret them. We see the ministry of the night vision throughout the Bible.

The last type of vision is the Trance Vision, which Maria and many under her ministry experienced.

Anyone and Any Sickness Healed

When the trances first broke out Maria had an immediate sense that they were from the Lord since they seemed clearly to be the fulfillment of a vision she had years earlier. In the vision she was set down in a wheat field and in her presence the sheaves began to fall all around her. The vision showed her so clearly the tool trances would be to getting people saved, but when the Lord began to prompt her to pray for the sick she wasn’t sure if that would take the attention away from her evangelistic call. She soon found healing and soul winning went hand and hand. For where people could see the goodness of God to heal them they easily chose Him as their savior.

The untold number of miraculous healings that began also to mark her ministry at this time is recorded in a number of her books and in stacks of newspaper articles. Reporters stood to testify and write of the doctors’ examinations that confirmed these sudden and complete recoveries.

In one situation, a former singer came forward for prayer with both throat and lung cancer. After Maria prayed for her she testified that the pain had left her and she stood that night to sing several hymns in praise to God. This was something she had not been able to do at that point because of the ravages of the cancer on her throat. Her doctor later confirmed the healing.

In another case a woman was brought forth on a cot, bed-fast since childhood. After laying hands on her and with boldness and a great shout, Maria declared her healed and told her to get up. The woman attempted to get up but lay back down. Maria gave the charge again: “The Lord of heaven commands you to rise!” This time she did. First she grabbed the rails of her cot and pulled herself to a seated position, then she suddenly got up from the cot. The crowd stood and rushed the scene to verify the healing. But they didn’t have to worry about getting a good view; Maria picked the woman up in her arms, carrying her up to the pulpit to testify. And she did, according to reports. She wept and spoke fervently about the Lord. It was reported that she went home completely restored and proved it by doing a full day’s washing and ironing.

One of the most jubilant testifiers was an elderly man healed of both deafness and an old back injury that had him nearly bent in two from the pain. Apparently wanting to be healed most of the back pain it wasn’t the healing from the deafness that brought the joy. Maria grabbed his ears and cried out loudly that he was healed then asked if he could now hear her. In his acknowledgment that he could hear he seemed to also express frustration as to why, first of all, she was shouting and second of all why she hadn’t yet healed his back. She then laid hands on his back. With that he leapt up into the air and jumped over benches clapping his hands.

Hatred, Heart Ache, and Lies Await in Oakland

And so with two knew displays of power, trances and healing, she continued to see God minister to thousands of people throughout the Midwest. It wasn’t until she ventured to the west coast, where she assumed the same success would follow that she ran into an almost unbreakable resistance.

She put down the stakes of her new 8,000-seat, revival tent in Oakland. But vandalism, violence, threats against her life, hecklers, exposure of her husband’s infidelity, the pains of divorce, a wind storm that would destroy her tent and a mean-spirited press were all forces waiting to be reckoned with. On top of that, a multitude of the locals were stirred into a great unrest and pled with the police to shut down the meetings, citing that Maria’s influence, among other things, caused people to go insane. It would seem so, but in actuality the insane were brought to the meetings, as another assignment, as a means to cause a disturbance. The police didn’t shut the meetings down but they did assign a team of officers to serve as bouncers to root out and remove the rebel rousers as they began to cause trouble.

In addition to all this turmoil, the press would deal a heavy blow to Maria’s ministry when it miss-reported, miss-quoted and twisted a prophesy she gave about a coming doom to the coast that was to destroy it in 1890. What was actually said by her in the prophesy is hard to determine since the papers misrepresented her so badly. To make matters worse many were caught up into the doom of it all adding publicly to the prophesy themselves. This caused her to come in to a very bad light at the time but it would be less than 20 years later when the Great San Francisco earthquake and resulting fire would destroy the city in 1906. The United States has not seen another natural catastrophe of that proportion since.

The Oakland meetings may not have brought the success Maria had seen in the Midwest but she did stay through all the opposition until she felt released by God. This would be another quality that always shined through in her ministry. She never bent under the pressure. She felt led by God and was secure in His ability to keep her. She would speak of the protection she felt even in the midst of this trouble. “I have been in great dangers; many times not knowing when I would be going to and from meetings… But I said I would never run, nor compromise. The Lord would always put His mighty power on me, so that He took all fear away, and made me like a giant… If in any way they had tried to shoot, or kill me, He would have struck them dead, and I sometimes told them so.”2

In spite of the trials she experienced there is no doubt that lives were changed in the San Francisco Bay Area. We won’t know until we get to heaven what the magnitude of those meetings really was in the spirit realm. She served at that time as a plow tearing up the dry, hard, soil preparing the way for what God had for the territory next. I’m sure there are San Francisco Bay-area churches today who owe their existence to a brave little woman’s obedience over 100 years ago. Who knows the prophetic utterances that went forth there even in her private prayer time that laid a foundation for today and even tomorrow?

Friends, Enemies, and One Special Gift From God

God’s impact through Maria in the nation always made a difference not only for the hundreds of lost souls she would continue to reach but also in the lives of her contemporaries of the day and ministers who would be considered her junior, coming up in their callings and gifts. She would be referred to them lovingly in her old age as “Mother Etter.”

Those who loved her stood by her and one in particular even testified on her behalf when she was arrested and tried for practicing medicine without a license. She was arrested for this four times but it only went to trial once. It was the great E.W. Kenyon who would stand in her defense. He was the founder of Bethel Bible College and authored many books some used in universities and colleges to this day. But on the day of her trial he was just a young man who appreciated her ministry. Other noted ministers like Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake and Aimee Semple McPherson all spoke well of her and took something away from her ministry. Wigglesworth would teach that we should all pray like Mother Etter. Though there is no proof he saw her alive both he and Lake would minister in her church after she passed away.

McPherson, who was a much younger woman than Mother Etter, would witness her ministry first hand; seemingly drawing the most from its influences and following a rough blue print for pioneering her church the Great Angeles Temple, which she erected in Los Angeles in 1923. Though McPherson, quite unlike Mother Etter, was known to be flashy and showy—fitting in with and even surpassing in extravagance and pizzazz the Hollywood crowd—it would be the great power show of God through signs and wonders that many think came in a transfer of mantles from Mother Etter to McPherson.

Interestingly, Mother Etter, visiting Los Angeles after Angeles Temple was built refused to go to one of the services though her staff would. She did not agree with the flash and glamour of McPherson and didn’t want to be influenced by it. This was, again, evidence of how deeply rooted in the Holiness Movement Mother Etter was. For a woman of her era Holiness had a “look:” Long shirt. No make up. Hair in a bun. Nevertheless, many believe the mantle passed from one to the other and no doubt from McPherson’s writings the Lord poured out his blessings when the two met.

As is often the case, even when one called to such uniqueness and greatness presents his or her treasure to the world the ones who oppose often make more noise than those who express appreciation.. This would be the case for Maria. John Alexander Dowie, ministering in the supernatural at the turn of the century as well, would criticize her severely. Mother Etter would predict his demise and declare she would outlive him. She did outlive him and Dowie, whose early ministry was amazing in its own right, would eventually become deceived and lead many followers astray when he began to believe that he was Elijah reincarnated.

There was rarely anyone indifferent to Maria and I’m sure she became comfortable with being misunderstood as any true apostle must. But she would have one friend who, along with the Lord himself, became closer than a brother and became her complete confidant. His name was Samuel Etter and she married him in 1902.

Referring to him as a gift from God she would say of him: “He stood bravely with me in the hottest battle, and since the day we were married has never shrank. He will defend the Word and all the gifts, and operations of the Holy Ghost, but does not want any fanaticism, or foolishness. It makes no difference what I call on him to do. He will pray, and preach, and sing, and is very good around the altar. The Lord knew what I needed, and it was all brought about by the Lord, through His love and care for me and the work.”3

I can only imagine the comfort he must have been to her since personal relationships are something the Lord has added to our lives to bring encouragement, edification and sometimes trusted correction. After a few years together in the ministry the two would steal away out of the public eye for seven years before stepping back into ministry. But it was business as usual when they did, experiencing and exhibiting the power as before. And as history would prove the sphere of that power’s territory would be increased.

Meetings Leave Dallas with a New Spiritual Heritage

The stretching of the tent stakes in terms of moving beyond the Midwest would come with an invitation to Dallas, Texas. Accepting the invitation from the then young, pastor F.F. Bosworth she would start her meetings in July. They would run through December with thousands coming from as far away as 2,000 miles bringing the sick and afflicted with them.

Every manner of sickness was healed. One man came with three broken ribs, was unable to stand upright and flinched in pain at Mother Etter’s touch. But with that touch the ribs were turned into place and healed completely. The man proved it by beating his chest. Another man who could neither hear nor speak told of how Mother Etter ministered to him: “When Sister Etter put her finger in my mouth at the root of my tongue and then in my ears, commanding the ‘deaf and dumb’ spirit to come out, God instantly opened my ears and gave me my voice.” 4

One woman was so near death because of both tuberculosis and cancer many were worried she might die on her cot at the altar before Mother Etter even got to her. But upon receiving her healing she jumped up with a shout and attended the rest of the meetings seated upright amidst the congregation. Though she was still very thin and frail her friends reported that she gained weight and improved daily.

Bosworth, who would eventually be known not just as a pastor but as a great healing evangelist said of the meetings: “Night after night, as soon as the invitation was given, all the available space around the fifty-foot altar would be filled with so many suffering with diseases and afflictions and others seeking salvation and the baptism in the Holy Ghost, that it was difficult to get in and out among the seekers.” 5

Los Angeles Gets Second Chance in the Spirit

The impact of the meetings made an indelible mark leaving Dallas forever branded as the hub of the Pentecostal Revival. A impression made there would be felt strongly enough by one Los Angeles business man who had been baptized in the Holy Spirit during the Azusa Street Revival. He came to Dallas hoping what he had heard of Mother Etter was true and he saw in her someone who could bring back the unity and power to L.A. She accepted the invitation and when news of the camp meeting spread the people started pouring into L.A. from all over North America. There were so many independent family tents erected around the meeting grounds that they had to be organized into streets and were given addresses so people could find their way around and locate people. There were names given to the streets like, “Praise Avenue,” and “Hallelujah Lane.”

Though Mother Etter was brought into the city to be the unifying factor the event became dominated by religious politics with “woman preachers” being one of the debated doctrines. This left her with only morning and afternoon meetings, while the evening meetings were the great discussion ground for doctrinal dispute. But for Mother Etter the meetings, whether evening or morning, were just another opportunity to warn sinners of a Godless eternity and to deliver the afflicted. She stayed out of the pet doctrines and kept her eye on the ministry of Jesus. When the restraint of time crowded her ministry cutting the meeting short and leaving hundreds at the altar still in need she could do nothing but lift her hand in the air toward them. It was reported that at that simple act multitudes of people were healed as she walked off the platform.

One woman remembers well the day her mother was healed: “I remember like yesterday, my girlfriend and I rolled my mother in a wheelchair about six or seven long blocks…. Two big men carried the wheelchair in front of the round pulpit as it was already lined up with wheelchairs. It was so hot, my mother begged to be taken home, but I insisted on staying. Praise the Lord, she was pointed out to be put up on the pulpit, where that beautiful little lady I won’t ever forget, spoke to my mother. I saw her reply by shaking her head and then she [sister Etter] hit her on the chest (it looked hard to me). It was like a bolt of lightning struck her; she leaped to her feet and flew around, jumping for joy. All the people yelled and screamed, I doubt it they had ever seen anything like it before. Many more miracles were seen. We almost had to tie my mother in the chair coming home. She wanted to walk, but she was weak as she had been bedfast for two years. When we got home, my grandmother and more neighbors were waiting for us. My mother stepped out of the wheelchair and walked up the stairs. They all yelled and cried. From that day on my mother was completely healed, healthy, fat, and loved the Lord.”6

Trailblazing Church is Born

By now stories like these would be almost common for Mother Etter’s ministry. Now known worldwide as a traveling evangelist and apostle to major U.S. cities, she would still step further into obedience laying down the foundation for many coming denominations with her final pioneering work; Mother Etter planted a church. The church would be a bittersweet time as it would be a revolutionary blessing to many, but she would experience deep personal sorrow and illness during that time.

Asking her to lay down roots in one location to create a hub where people could come to for what they needed and to go from armed with the inspiration for the work for which they felt called, God led her to Indianapolis, Indiana. The location was central to the nation and she built the Etter Tabernacle there. Some called it their home church while others came to visit. There was no disappointment in the shift since the Tabernacle housed the same power as her tent ministry. By now her husband had passed away and she would suffer yet again when her only living child, her daughter then 60, was struck and killed by a street car. Mother Etter now 80 years old would muster the strength to minister at her funeral pointing again to glory and not the casket, no doubt calling on her memory of the vision the Lord gave her many years earlier when she saw her other children in Heaven.

In spite of this tragedy and learning to live without her precious husband, Mother Etter would continue to minister in power day in and day out though her health would begin to break down. As the day of her death approached she wasn’t always able to carry herself into the pulpit. But faithful men in the church would carry her and there the same power would flow as always. While under the anointing she would seem to have the same mobility of earlier years, but at the end of the service she needed to be carried away again. Finally, a large wooden chair was presented to her by the congregation and it was in this chair that she was even carried from her house to the church and back again after the services. Even then, when her feet hit the platform she was some how loosed from her weakness and frailty to minister, it would appear to the observer, as if nothing was the matter with her.

Mother Etter’s continued intimacy with the Lord kept her sensitive to timing and so she seemed to know she would die soon. During the last weeks of her life a woman brought her flowers to the house and Mother Etter said: “I will soon be where the flowers will bloom forever.” She died in 1925.

Mother Etter lived convinced that she would see the return of Jesus in her lifetime and so she worked tirelessly and passionately reaching into the darkness to snatch out the people who would otherwise go to hell. This compassion for people and utter embodiment of the heart of Jesus was her motivation and the steam running the engine. Obviously, Jesus didn’t return in her lifetime, though all the scholars of the day made very convincing arguments that He would. We too have seen in our lifetime the scholars try to put a timeline on the Lord. Of course the big bubble would pop when after ringing in the new millinuim, we looked around to see that we hadn’t been raptured.

Maybe we will be the ones who see that great day. Maybe it will be our children’s children. We really don’t know. But someone said something that I’ve always agreed with: We should live like He was coming tomorrow. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make plans or that young people shouldn’t go on to college. But we should have this concern daily as we walk along in our lives that there are people who we are passing on the street who will otherwise go to hell unless we reach for them. Let this be the motivation for our existence.

How can we make a difference and reach into the darkness the most effectively? Maybe as a minister. Maybe as a teacher or lawyer. Or homemaker. One thing is sure though, something of which Mother Etter and Jesus were convinced: Whatever we are called to we are also called to the supernatural.

Endnotes

1. Roberts Liardon, God’s Generals, Why They Suceeded and Why They Failed (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, Reprinted from Albury Pub. 1996), 51. Taken from The Woman Evangelist by Wayne Warner, 22.

2. Ibid., 62. Taken from A Diary of Signs and Wonders by Maria Woodworth-Etter, 184.

3. Ibid., 60-61. Taken from A Diary of Signs, 151.

4. Ibid., 64. Taken from A Diary of Signs, 166.

5. Ibid., 64. Taken from A Diary of Signs, 173.

6. Ibid., 67-68. Taken from a personal letter written to Thomas Slevin, the great, great, great grandson to Mother Etter.

Dear Reader:

Mother Etter earned her place in the hall of faith. She rightly deserves special regard and we should embrace the spirit of her ministry and her strong plea that we all follow Christ into the ministry of His spirit. But with anything there is always some stubble in with the hay.

I say this with all due respect. Now that Mother Etter is in heaven and all its glory, I have no problem saying that she would now probably “AMEN” this note.

Being a student of church history and watching it progress from the dark ages to now I have seen the constant emergence of a new voice to carry a new influence to God’s people. God has systematically worked in the church over the ages to build back every one of His revelations. We see the torch pass from reformer to reformer whether it be Martin Luther, John Wesley, Charles Finney, Mother Etter or even in our lifetimes Oral Roberts and Kenneth Hagin.

However, the men and women who would be trusted to carry the torch of new light into the darkness of each generation often did so while still standing in the dark themselves in so many other areas of life and revelation. I’m sure we can all say that of ourselves as we look back over the years. Knowing the way revelation works I’m sure we’ll look back from the future on today and say: “Wow, we didn’t know anything.”

After all, it was said of the great Augustine—considered one of the fathers of the church who wrote extensively on the Kingdom of God and scripture—that he passed away on his death bed only to come back to life long enough to proclaim: “I’ve seen the Lord. Everything I’ve written is rubbish.”

Mother Etter was chosen by God to carry His light into darkness and thankfully she discerned and caught the wave of the Pentecostal Movement that rose from the still waters of the Holiness Movement. She embraced, walked in and taught extensively on the Pentecostal experience to the point she would be referred lovingly as the grandmother of the Pentecostal Movement. But it is the remnant of the Holiness Movement, which she was steeped in from childhood, that surfaces in her teachings and I believe needs to be put in check. In the midst of all the glory and truth of God’s all-consuming love that embodied her ministry to a hurting world you can discern a works-related gospel that Paul harshly rebuked his fellow disciples for perpetrating. Because of this hint of a gospel of law (rigid rules and regulations in order to be saved and/or healed and delivered) I have omitted her work on the end times, death and judgment. Though interesting and full of many strong points, I think it would harm a newly saved soul who is innocently reveling in the undeserved merit and favor of God’s grace—a revelation that is only beginning to spill over the religious walls that I believe still barricade the church today.

Be inspired and catch the fire contained in this book. Be wholly consumed and changed forever by it but have the sense of who you are in Christ to weed out any feeling that you have not done enough or somehow don’t measure up to the goodness God so freely pours out on the new believer, the old saint and frankly the heathen. In the text there is some fear mongering with regards of judgment and the unpardonable sin, which I think is erroneous teaching that only separates us from God.

Also, it is this ministry’s recommendation that you disregard any references, particularly in her message: “Questions and Answers on Divine Healing,” to sickness being a result of either the sick person’s sin or someone else’s. In this sermon she also makes an adamant stand against doctors and medicine. Be reminded that in her day medical science hadn’t come to the place in it has today and many were worse off after medical treatment than before. I believe God works today alongside our physicians and that He will meet a person where they are to walk them to total health.

Also, in Mother Etter’s ministry she was so driven as an evangelist she would not pray for someone to be healed until that person vowed to serve God from that day forward. We do not see this in the ministry of Jesus. We only see His willingness to heal and set everyone free.

It is this ministry’s position that Satan does the oppressing and Jesus does the freeing, at no cost to the oppressed. The price has already been paid.

Respectfully,

Roberts

Note from the Editor:

The materials published by Maria Woodworth-Etter have been treated in the following manner:

- The words have been quoted exactly as they were published except for minor updating of spelling.

- Punctuation has occasionally been added or eliminated to bring these materials into conformity with modern practices.

- Some long paragraphs have been broken into smaller paragraphs for ease of reading.

- Old style Bible references have been rewritten in the currently accepted style (For example, Ps. 6.2 has been changed to Psalm 6:2).

- Words added for clarification are in brackets.

- Illegible text is signified by empty brackets.

When the same sermon has been printed in several publications under different titles, and with minor changes, only one has been included here, usually the longest one.

Proclaim Freedom From Satan’s Power—

God Confirms Our Message

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:15-18

I will show, by the help of God and the enlightening and leading of the Holy Ghost, that the last Commission was not given to the apostles alone, but to all who would believe through their immediate preaching and for all who would believe through their written word until Jesus the Lord of Glory comes again in the clouds for His Church.1

Observe, He said, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (See Matthew 28:20).2

The Gospel was to be preached all over the world and until the end of the age, with all the Pentecost[al] power and gifts. The signs were especially promised to those that would believe and be saved after the Day of Pentecost, or in the future, even to the end. This is the Commission Jesus gave to His Church to preach. The Word with all its power and glory was to be preached by His Church to a lost and sin-cursed world. And He said, “These signs shall follow them that believe,”3 that He might be glorified in His Church throughout all ages. Amen and amen.

Jesus Claimed All Power—Do We Believe Him?

Perhaps we doubt His love for us, or His willingness to use His power. Jesus was and is the head of the Church and all power in heaven and earth was given to Him.

If we do not speak and act as if we believe Him, we make Him a liar. He had the highest authority to choose His apostles and commission them to go and to give them the greatest commission that was ever given to angels or men. “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”4

“Go ye, therefore, into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”5 because all power is given unto Me, and I am able and willing to deliver all men from every power that can harm, injure, or hurt them in any way. Go and proclaim this Good News everywhere to everyone that whosoever will may benefit by My atoning death and victory over the kingdom of Satan and share in My triumph, that now they may enjoy freedom from satanic supremacy and power, that now they may receive and exercise the rights and privileges of citizens of the kingdom of heaven and enjoy the security and protection of the bloodstained banner of King Emmanuel.

Jesus did not say, “All power is given Me in heaven and earth, but I will keep it a secret and never manifest any of it in any way that anyone can notice.”

The Commission Universal

The Commission was broad. It was to reach around and across the world. It was universal; it was to every class and condition of people and tongues. “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35). Praise the Lord! It was not only to be preached all over the world, but to the end of the world. His presence and power were promised to those living in the end, just the same as to the disciples.

He said the Father would send the Holy Ghost, and He, the Holy Ghost, should be with the Church forever: not a limited influence with a degree of power, but as the agent and representative of Christ who has all power in heaven and earth. He was to remain forever, with all the power to save and work as a wonder-working God, to convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, to save and to keep us saved by the power of Christ, and to heal us of all our diseases: “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”6

He has anointed us with power and especial gifts to demonstrate the power and presence of Christ in a visible manner: “As he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17); God also bearing us witness, “both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost” (Hebrews 2:4). “For he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). “All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”7

Revelations Are Made to Us

Paul, speaking of the deep things of God, says: “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. . . . We have received the Spirit of God, that we might know things that are freely given us of God, which things we speak not in the words that man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches.”8

God help us to honor the Holy Ghost and let Him work the mighty works of God through us. To preach the Gospel is to preach a living Christ and the power He obtained by His resurrection working in us: the resurrection of the soul in this life, in spirit and oneness with Christ, the resurrection of the body, to tell the world all the Good News Christ has brought from heaven, with all the benefits He purchased on the Cross and left in His last Will and Testament for all the heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

Baptism

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”9

Thousands of teachers teach that this is water baptism, and tens of thousands believe the same and trust in water baptism for salvation and think they cannot be saved until they are immersed.

Water baptism is all right in the right place. Peter said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (Acts 10:47).

They were then baptized in the name of the Lord. There are thousands of professors all over the land who believe by the hearing, but have not had saving faith that brings the knowledge, the witness from God, that they are saved beyond a doubt. Without this saving knowledge, the wrath of God abideth on them.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” then and there. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). God help us all who read these lines to know what this is and what it means to be saved. This is the meaning of the text, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

Saving Faith

“But he that believeth not shall be damned.”10 No matter what your faith is, until you come to Christ with saving faith that brings the Holy Ghost and brings you into Christ, you are lost. The Word says, “Ye are damned.”

The damning sin is unbelief! Until you believe in Christ in a way that brings eternal life and you have the witness within you, you make God a liar.

We do not hear much in these last days of the judgment of God, of the future punishment of the wicked, and they have almost done away with hell, but Jesus says: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”11

All whose names were not written in the Book of Life were cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone.12 God help us to preach and live the truth! Tell one and all, if they are not saved by the power of God, they will be lost forever.

Handling Serpents

Some, in antagonizing divine healing in these days, say: “If you can heal the sick, why don’t you raise the dead?” A so-called doctor of divinity in writing several articles against me, trying to prove that divine healing and other demonstrations or visible manifestations of the Spirit were done away with and that they died out with the early church, said: “If the sick are healed, we ought to do everything else that the apostles did.”

He said, “No one could be an apostle unless he would raise up the dead, take up serpents, and drink deadly poison.” If this is true then there was not an apostle among the twelve. He makes God a liar and a fraud, also the holy apostles. Peter is the only one in the New Testament record that raised the dead. He did not take up serpents or drink deadly poison.

According to his argument, Peter was not an apostle. Paul is the only one who took up a serpent. He did not dare to tempt God or charm the serpent, but took it up by accident: “And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. . . . And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm” (Acts 28:3-6,12)13 No doubt when Paul saw the poisonous viper on his hand, he knew unless God came to his rescue he would fall dead, and he remembered the promise: “You shall take up serpents and they shall not hurt you.”14

He exercised faith in God and shook off the serpent and felt no harm. He did not drink poison or raise the dead. According to this learned man, he could not be an apostle. Some say he raised the man who fell out of the window from the dead. This man was not dead:

“Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him” (Acts 20:10).

God did not command them to drink deadly poison, but if by accident they drank any deadly thing and then they would remember the promise and look to God in faith, it would not hurt them.

The First Commission of the Twelve

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils” (Matthew 10:8). You will see a report of their work in Mark 6:13: “And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” [And also,] “He called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.... And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where” (Luke 9:1-2, 6).

He sent the seventy out: “Into whatsoever city ye enter. ... heal the sick that are therein” (Luke 10:8-9). He gave them power over all the works of the enemy that nothing should hurt them, provided they trusted God. The apostles were all noted for teaching healing of the body, for casting out devils, and healing the sick. The power of God was with them to do these things when it was needed for the glory of God. Their main work was to preach the Gospel for soul and body.

Jesus reached the masses by casting out devils and healing afflicted humanity. The disciples did the same, and we should do so also; many, otherwise, will never be saved.

The Commission was Given to Us Also

Matthew gives us the Commission in a few words. The apostles were to preach the Gospel all over the world as far as their voices could be heard, bringing all classes to Christ and to teach all that were saved to understand and to observe and to do all things whatsoever Christ had commanded them. The apostles were not only to reach the people by their voices, or presence, but with their written word.

Jesus prayed not only for the disciples, but for all that shall in all ages believe on Him through the Word, that they all might be one: “As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou has[t] sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one . . . that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”15 This prayer was for those that would accept Christ through their (the apostles’) word, through all ages.

All the mighty works Christ did were done through the Holy Ghost, and He sent the Holy Ghost to be with the Church forever. He says: “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them.”16

God Confirms Our Message

He prayed that all the glory and mighty, wonder-working power might be with His followers to the end. This is what He meant when He said, “Lo, I am with you always.”17 It would be strange indeed if the Most Mighty and Most High never manifested] His presence by any visible display of His power.

Oh, hear Him pray that we may be one in Christ. One with Christ and God in the great work of bringing souls from the darkness into the glorious light of the Gospel; that we may be united to each other and to the Lord as the members of His body, drawing all life and strength and God-given intelligence from the great heart and brain of Christ, our living head.

Men Are Saved by Seeing God Work

Jesus did not convince the world that the Father sent Him so much by what He said as what He did: “That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house” (Matthew 9:6 [paraphrased]).

The people blasphemed when He was preaching, but now they were convinced and gave glory to God.

Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:10).

But they would not believe it; then He said [to] believe it for the very works’ sake. He said if I had not done the mighty works they would have had a cloak for their sins, but now they had no cloak, or excuse.18 We should be able to say this, too.

Jesus left all His glory and power to do the works with the children of God that the world might believe that the Father sent Christ into the world and that God loves us as He loved His Son.

We, Too, May Have Signs and Wonders

Don’t you see that the Lord wants to confirm His Word through us with signs and wonders, to convince the world that the wonderful Gospel of Christ is true and that they may know that God hath sent us; that He loves us as He did Christ? They were to believe the message for the very works’ sake: “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:20). As they told the wonderful story, the Lord was by their side and in the midst of the people, working with them by visible signs and wonderful demonstrations.

Christ could not convince the world that He came from God by His mighty eloquence and He does not expect that of His followers; but He wants to work with us and show to the world, by His mighty signs, His invisible presence: “In my name shall they cast out devils . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

God Must Save People—Preaching Alone Cannot

Men and women are the same today that they were in the days of Christ. It takes as much power to save the soul and keep it saved, it takes as much power to cast out devils and heal the sick, as it did then.

All sickness is from sin; all sin is of the devil. Diseases are evil spirits in the body. Jesus said, “Thou deaf, thou lame, thou unclean spirit, come out of him.”19 He came out at once. The lame walked, the dumb spake.

When devils were cast out, the disease or cause was gone and the effects soon left. He said, “Behold, I give unto you power . . . over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).

I praise God, all the gifts and signs are scattered through the Church and thousands of devils are being cast out, and all manner of diseases are being healed through the children of God by the power of the Holy Ghost.

A Stupendous Error That the Days of Miracles Are Past

Why will intelligent people believe, through false teaching, that the days of miracles are past and the power of the Holy Ghost was taken away? Why do they? I ask.

There is no excuse for it, only that they want a more popular, man-pleasing way. There is not a man in any church, or in the world, that can show by the Word of God where and when these things were taken away.

Paul says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”20 Those who preach another gospel today are highly honored and praised, while those who preach the true Gospel are despised. Many do not choose to do anything they think so wicked as to detest such hateful teachers (that is what “accursed” means), but they look up to honor and listen to them instead: “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9).

God have mercy on those who are sinning against light, fighting and denying God’s Word, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Paul says, “From such turn away.”21

Moody and Talmage

Mr. Moody,22 when preaching in New York, said, “Some people thought the promises of God were too good to be true, but,” he said, “they were all for us on conditions and if we met these conditions the Lord would blot out the sun rather than go back on His promises or fail in bringing it to pass.” We say, amen!

Mr. Moody, in speaking of Elijah and Elisha, said: “Elijah had great faith. Elisha had a double portion and did just twice as many miracles as Elijah.” And [he said] that we ought to have a hundred times as much faith as these men of God had.

The noted Talmage^23 said, in one of his sermons: “Instead of looking back to a dead Pentecost, we ought to have ten thousand Pentecosts all along the way. We all ought to have that Pentecost anointing.” He said, “Some men and women in all ages have had this faith and power.”

You see, these noted men who stood so high in the work of God both declared, in a few words, that the power of God and the Holy Ghost is for us today in all the blazing glory of Pentecost and ought to be greater, for the Pentecost storm was only a sample of what would follow.

Trust and Obey

If we would obey Christ and go forward as He commanded, He would work with us, confirming the words with signs and wonders everywhere. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost witness that this is all true. Then how will teachers who deny these things (who are reprobates concerning the faith, having a form of godliness but denying the power^24), how, oh, how, will they stand before God in the great Day of Judgment?

I am a witness. I set my seal this day that God is true. In the work He has called me to do, He has sent all the signs of the apostles, all the gifts and operations and manifestations of the Spirit, even raising the dead. Several have been raised after being pronounced dead so that none could doubt—in two or three cases, in the midst of mobs that gathered around with violent threatening to arrest or kill some of the workers. But through faith and courage, God raised them up, healed, so that they stood, walked, and praised the Lord.

Greater Works Shall Ye Do

The time is now here when God will seal His work in many places by raising the dead, and many more and greater signs will follow His true work. He will show His power as never before. He says He will work as He did with Joshua, who commanded the sun and moon to stand still. Yes, God hearkened to the voice of man, that even the sun obeyed and stood still so that the fear of God fell on the armies.25

He says He will rise up with us and do the same, and greater things, “His strange acts.” (See Isaiah 28:21.) Now, in the close, or consummation of this dispensation, to show His power through His bride, it must be so. This mighty power must be scattered and seen as never in the history of the world, through the overcomers, who will soon sit with Christ on His throne, judging the nations.

Praise the Lord! He is just the same yesterday, today, and forever. His promises are “Yea” and “Amen” forever.26 Amen.

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. See John 17:20 and Matthew 24:30.

2. A paraphrase of Mark 16:15 and Matthew 28:20.

3. Mark 16:17.

4. Matthew 28:18.

5. Mark 16:15, paraphrased.

6. Matthew 8:17.

7. John 16:15.

8. 1 Corinthians 2:10,12-13, paraphrased.

9. Mark 16:16.

10. Mark 16:16.

11. Psalm 9:17.

12. See Revelation 20:10 and 21:8.

13. The actual verses from the passage quoted are 3 and 5.

14. Paraphrase of Mark 16:18.

15. John 17:21-23.

16. John 17:22.

17. Matthew 28:20, paraphrased.

18. See Matthew 11:21,23.

19. See Mark 9:25.

20. Galatians 1:8.

21. 2 Timothy 3:5.

22. Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) was a well-known American evangelist who founded Moody Bible Institute.

23. Thomas Dewitt Talmage (1832-1902), an American pastor and evangelist of D. L. Moody’s time.

24. See 2 Timothy 3:5.

25. See Joshua 10:12-14.

26. See Hebrews 13:8 and 2 Corinthians 1:20.

We May Now Come Within the Veil, Into the Most Holy

Place - He Writes His Laws Upon the Fleshy Tables of

Our Hearts - Summary in Conclusion

And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like the devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

Exodus 24:16-17

We read with wonder the supernatural displays of God’s power and glory, but how many comprehend that we, too, may behold them? The people seem to think that these manifestations were for the early followers. We do not find any such teachings in the Word of God.

Lord, help us to know that our God is the same forever. God would ever dwell with His people. He does not want to live apart from them. His delight and pleasure are to ever be with them. He would walk with them; and wherever the footsteps of God have been among His people, He has left a beautiful pathway of light and glory. God delights to reveal His arm of power; He rejoices to show forth His glory. He “maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters.”1

His glory is for His people. He wants to bestow it upon them. O that His people should reject it! O that He should come unto His own and His own receive Him not! God has ever desired to manifest Himself unto His children. In the ancient days He made Himself known in various manifestations of His power. He descended upon Mount Sinai in fire and smoke and a cloud of glory covered the mount. His voice was heard in the thunder; He revealed Himself in the lightning. He went before Israel in a cloudy pillar by day and hovered over them in a pillar of fire by night, and the glory of His presence was with them.2

In the apostolic days God revealed Himself, through the blessed Holy Ghost, in many miraculous ways. He came to Saul of Tarsus in the brightness of the noonday sun and changed him from a bold persecutor to a bold preacher.3 He came to the amazed disciples upon the transfiguration mount, and the old dispensation and the new held heavenly converse.4 He came upon the Church with such magnifying power that she presented, not simply one of the phenomena, but the grand phenomena of history.5

In all these exhibitions of His power, the people recognized the presence of God and gave Him the glory. That there came a time when there was an interruption of the communication of God with His people was not due to God’s plan. God has told the people that if they would hearken unto His voice, He would give them counsel.6 But they apostatized, and God withdrew Himself. God will never dwell with an apostate people, nor will His voice be heard in their midst. God never speaks in the heart where the whispers of Satan are heard. It is only the pure in heart who shall see the manifestations of God.7

We are living in the last days, and the glorious times of the early Pentecost are for us. If, as in the days of Samuel, there could be a return of the “open vision” and the interrupted communication of God with His people restored, the great decline of the power of the Church would be arrested. The Holy Ghost is no longer with us in primitive Pentecostal power. Instances of marked faith-power, of unction in preaching, of wondrous displays of the Holy Ghost are painfully inconspicuous and exceptional. The Church is merely a negative barrier in restraining the floods of wickedness, when she should be a positive, aggressive force in driving back evil. Sorrowfully we must acknowledge that the glory of the former days has departed.

Now, there is a reason why we do not see the wonderful displays of God’s power among the people. There is a hindrance. The trouble with the people today is that they believe that this power was for the early Church only, and we have taken the views of our ancestors and abided by them. We have not tested God and met His conditions and seen whether He would pour down His Spirit. We have not met the conditions such as would ask God to display His power. We have believed that God has taken His power from the Church; and when one does put forth the faith and believes these days may be for us now, such a one is called a crank, a hypnotic, etc.

The glory of God was withdrawn from the temple because they had abandoned Him. He told them that so long as they would obey His laws He would be with them; but it was because they forsook God that He withdrew His presence from them. The Lord is always ready to do His part. Though His true believers may be few, He will be to them a mighty host. “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord.”8 God’s people are in the minority. Wherever God’s people were engaged in warfare, the numbers of the Lord were the smallest. But whenever the battle was fought in the strength of the Lord, then God fought the battles for them and delivered them. God will make the minority victorious when the fight is in the strength of the Lord.

The masses of the people are not looking for signs and wonders today. They do not want to see them. The preaching of God is foolishness to them that believe not.9 We preach the Gospel as the Lord gives it to us. Bless God, His people obey the Spirit; and where the Spirit is, they recognize it. Where you see these manifestations—the lame leap[ing] as an hart, the sick healed, people stricken down with the power, etc.—it is a visible sign of God’s wonderful presence.

Jesus said: “I will send you the Holy Ghost and He shall abide with you for ever!”10 But oh, how many of God’s professed people despise the Holy Ghost! In many places where the people profess to follow God, the Holy Ghost has been driven out; and there are thousands to whom the Holy Ghost has come for the last time. We are not going to stay here very long. We are bound for judgment, and the time has come for us to get out from the traditions of men. The Holy Ghost is our leader and teacher.11 We must depend upon Him for our teachings.

The glory of the Lord covered the mountain for those six days, and the people saw it and believed it. They saw the visible power of God. Do we look for the visible power in our midst today? Moses lived with God forty days and forty nights, shut up with God without nourishment.12 Now, you don’t believe that. I believe it. I believe the whole Bible. God help us to believe the whole Bible or throw it away.

Now, they had to do something. They made a consecration— repented of their sins and shortcomings. They made a new consecration to God, and then they were ready for duty and then expected the glory and the visible signs and wonders.

It was just the same at the time of Pentecost. The one hundred and twenty came together, forsaking everything, and tarried in earnest prayer and consecration for ten days, waiting for the enduement of power to fit them for life’s service. And they didn’t wait in vain, for while they were yet praying the Holy Ghost came upon them in wondrous power, the city was shaken, and three thousand souls were converted in a single day.13

If we were ready to meet God’s conditions, we would have the same results and a mighty revival would break out that would shake the world and thousands of souls would be saved. The displays of God’s power on the Day of Pentecost were only a sample of what God designed should follow all through the ages. Instead of looking back to Pentecost, let us always be expecting it to come, especially in these last days. God help us to get into line and come together as one man.

In the nineteenth chapter [of Exodus], God came again in the bright cloud. In the fourteenth verse, Moses came down from the mountain and the people washed their clothing. This was the emblem of purity. This was the sign of the inward cleansing. We must be sure we have a pure heart. We can never expect to have these visible manifestations of God unless we are children of God. The people were in a condition to meet God—clean bodies, clean garments. God help us to get the cleansing power.

The people trembled when they heard the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain quaked because the Lord descended into the mount.14 The people prayed for the power to be stayed. That’s the way today. They were not right, some of them. And so it is now. People pray for these demonstrations of God to be stopped. They do not want a visible sign of God’s presence. The cloud of glory hung over them. God help us to pray for the cloud of glory to hang over us. The cloud over them by night, that had the appearance of fire, and the pillar of a cloud by day, were visible signs of God’s presence with them.

I will turn to the third chapter of Second Corinthians. I want the dear people to know why we preach the power and believe in these visible signs: “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the episode of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:3).

Oh, God, help us to know whom this means. The fleshy tables of our hearts. Praise God for the new covenant. We may now come within the veil, into the most holy place. The apostle wants us to understand that we can come so much nearer to God. He writes His law on the fleshy tables of our hearts. God wants us to be walking Bibles! He wants us to be a living ark, bearing about the glory of God! Our body is the temple. He lights our lamp and it becomes brighter. Then we have the epistle written in our hearts. Brother Paul says we have treasure in an earthen vessel.15

But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. . . . For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

2 Corinthians 3:7-9,11

Well, if the glory of God was displayed in [such a] wonderful manner in the old dispensation, how much brighter should it burn in the temple of our bodies today? Brother Paul says the letter killeth: it is the Spirit that giveth light.16 God gives us light today! God gives us light! Paul says the old was done away when the middle wall of the partition was broken down, but that which is more glorious has come to stay.17 Christ said: “I will send you the Comforter.”18

Those who have the courage to stand up and tell the truth will be persecuted. But we must go on and preach the truth; we’ve got no time to listen to the howling of devils. Let us boldly dare, like Hezekiah, to strike for a reformation! Let us purge the priesthood, the temple courts, our own hearts and lives of every unclean and defiling thing and bring all to the storehouse, putting God to the proof, whether He will not open the windows of heaven and pour us out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.19 Whenever the beauty of holiness is found in God’s temples, the Shekinah will flood them with the glory of the Lord!

Taken from Lift, Work, and Experience of Maria Beulah Woodworth.

Endnotes

1. Isaiah 43:16

2. See Exodus 13:21.

3. See Acts 9.

4. See Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2.

5. See Acts 2:1-4.

6. See Exodus 18:19. 7 See Matthew 5:8.

7. Isaiah 41:14.

8. See 1 Corinthians 1:21.

9. John 14:16, paraphrased.

10. See John 14:26 and 16:13.

12. See Exodus 24:16,18.

13. See Acts 2.

14. See Exodus 19:16.

15. See 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 4:7.

16. See 2 Corinthians 3:6, paraphrased.

17. See Ephesians 2:14.

18. John 15:26, paraphrased.

19. See Malachi 3:10.

A Symbol of the Outpouring of the Holy Ghost on

the Day of Pentecost (Abbreviated)

Let’s look at Second Chronicles 5:11-14:

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: [(for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.] I want you to see how they came—one hundred and twenty of them with different instruments, yet all making the same sound; the Levites arrayed in white linen, emblematic of purity. “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord.”1

There were one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets; there were singers and instruments of music, but they were as one, to make one sound. “For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.”

The one hundred and twenty priests who were supposed to minister stood like statues and the Holy Ghost took the meeting. The entire building was filled with the glory of God. All this demonstration, the house filled with the glory of God, was brought about by the one hundred and twenty priests blowing the trumpets. The sounding of the different instruments mingled with the voice of the great company of singers, the whole object being to glorify God, and all making one sound.

God wants perfect harmony—no one criticizing, no one finding fault, but all sounding forth His praise; and in white—purity. If we go out to meet God clothed in white, washed in the blood of the Lamb; if we go out, all making the same sound; if we go out to glorify God, God will honor all the noise.

It is not excitement. God comes down to acknowledge the praise. They pressed the button and the power of God came down. That same power will either save or destroy us someday. The house was filled with the power and glory of the Lord.

There was no preaching then; but singing, shouting, praising the Lord and all that praise glorified God. The house was filled with His glory. The people were still standing, Solomon ready to dedicate the temple. The temple represents the Church of Jesus; it also represents our bodies. “Know ye not your body is the temple of the living God?”2

Two or three verses from the seventh chapter.’ It is like Pentecost; it represents Pentecost. “When Solomon had made an end of praying.” So many people never look to God to answer. They would be frightened if He did. Solomon stretched out his hands and prayed to God, and God heard him.

When he had made an end of praying something happened. God will come forth if you are not afraid of the power, if you are ready to stand for God with all there is of you. As Pentecostal people we should always be “prayed up,” so we can get hold of God quickly and be sure it is for the glory of God.

“The fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.”3 Some people talk as if God never had any glory, as though the glory of God was never seen at any time.

Paul said, “If the ministration of death, written and engraven on stones, was glorious... shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?”4 The glory under the Law did not last, but the Holy Ghost came at Pentecost to stay, and the manifestations under the ministry of the Holy Ghost are to be with much greater glory, to “exceed in glory.”5 The power under the Law was only a shadow of what we ought to have under grace. This was the ministry of life, not death.

The house was filled with the glory of the Lord; they saw and felt it; it was not a shadow. I am glad the glory of God has been seen here a number of times. Many times in our ministry the glory of God has been seen over us. God is here. This you see and hear; “this is that”; that is the promise of the Father; this is the Holy Ghost.6

The priests could not enter into the house. They could not get in at all, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. “When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”7

Everything connected with this represents this glorious age. The apostle says God can reveal His doctrine, which was hidden from all ages.8 Those who crucified the Lord did not know about the mystical body of Christ. This divine life in us, they did not know it or they would not have crucified Him.9

It could be revealed only when the Holy Ghost came down from God to make men understand the new covenant. The glory that belongs to the ministration of death did not come to stay. The glory came from the ark of the covenant, containing the tables of stone on which the Law was written, the Ten Commandments.

There were the cherubim, two angels, facing each other with wings outspread over the ark and mercy seat where God dwells in His temple. In His tabernacle nothing is supposed to be in the heart but God’s Word, the new and everlasting covenant, written on the fleshy tables of the heart, not on stone, but with the finger of God Almighty.10

If when the people obeyed, the glory of God came down and the people fell prostrate, how much glory ought there to be today? There was just one tabernacle and two tables of stone. Today your body is the temple of the living God. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost, and God with His own finger writes His Word in our hearts.

The ancient temple in all its glory represents each one of our bodies. If we are filled with the Holy Ghost, as we ought to be, the body will be flooded with rivers of water flowing out to others; and it will be on fire for God.11

The glory of the Lord was seen over the ark. Inside the tabernacle the lamp was always burning, being kept supplied with oil; it never went out.12 In the temple of the body, God puts His love in our hearts, and He wants us to keep the light always burning, never to let it go out.

By keeping all obstructions out of the channel of faith, we get a supply of oil continually; and the light shall shine through the tabernacle always. If the oracle written on stone was glorious, how much more glorious under grace! The Holy Ghost shall abide with you always.

Jesus said if we keep His commandments, the Father and He would both take up their abode with us.13 They dwell with us and we are flooded with the Holy Ghost—people to be wondered at. “Here am I, and the children Thou hast given me.”14 There should be perfect fellowship and harmony; we should all make one sound. The glory came down at Solomon’s prayer. At a glimpse of that glory, they lost their strength and the whole multitude went down.

When we are praying for people to get saved or healed, some shout, some praise, some pray, but all are making the same sound. We put on the blood by faith and get a glimpse of His glory. Is it any wonder people lose their strength and fall prostrate under the new life that comes to them?

Is it strange we are people to be wondered at? You have seen all this here: singing, playing, making the same sound. Is it any wonder these people who come here (especially to get under the blood as never before), when they get a glimpse of Jesus, is it any wonder they fall prostrate?

You must prove God has changed, has taken His power away, before you condemn us. His gifts and callings are “without repentance.”15 He never changes; He is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”16

No one has any right to condemn us, to say the people are hypnotized, crazy, have lost their minds, or I have put a spell on them. Great God! Awaken the people before the thunders of judgment shall arouse them! You must throw the Bible away or you must prove the gifts and callings have been taken from the Church before you reject us.

We are going the Bible route, and you have no business to teach anything else; you must stick to the Word of God. We do not hold anything up but the Word of God. It is good enough for me. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ or of His power.17

What a wonderful people we are in our privileges! Today everyone may be God’s priest. If we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we may ask what we will and it shall be done.18 We indeed have wonderful privileges. The power of the Lord shines forth a hundred times greater than under the law; the power then was typical of Pentecost.

Get your Bibles and search out these things. You are getting the light of God, and He expects you to walk in the light, even if you get it from a little, weak woman. In His name we tell you these things are true. What do you care for man’s opinion when you stand before God? Dried opinions and traditions of men all go to destruction, but it is the living Word that we are preaching to you.

When John was in prison he began to doubt a little whether Jesus was the Christ and he sent his disciples to ask, “Art thou he that should come?”19 Jesus did not say, “I belong to the church or I belong to a college.” He said, “Go and tell John the things you have seen here; the lame walk, the blind see, different diseases are healed, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended.”20 Men get mad at the signs of the Holy Ghost—jealous, spitting out hatred, trying to tear down God’s work.

If John did not believe in Christ through the signs, no eloquence would be of value. If he did not believe what the witnesses told him, he would not believe anything; neither will you! There is a devil’s counterfeit and there is a genuine, as sure as you live.

If you only look on, it will seem foolishness to you as we praise God and as people get filled with the Holy Ghost and get gifts, but it is Jesus first, last, and all the time. We hold up Jesus and praise His name. We see bright, happy faces; we see pain go out of bodies; and we go home rejoicing, feeling we have heaven here below.

Resist the devil in the name of the Lord. Sometimes when I am standing up preaching, the devil would make me drop dead if I would listen to him. I resist in the name of the Lord and he has to go.21 We have such a wonderful Savior!

“You shall lay hands on the sick”; it does not say where. He commissioned me and I obey God rather than man. Neither the deadly serpent nor any poison shall harm you. “Ye shall cast out devils.”22 I believe every bit of it, and I have seen it all. Hallelujah!

I got my commission from the Lord, and I did not go until He called me or until I was baptized and qualified. I get my message from heaven. I do not know what I am going to talk about; but God knows everyone here and just what everyone needs, and He will give you something.

The power Jesus promised His disciples, when He told them to tarry at Jerusalem, was to change their lives and qualify them to transact the business of heaven. After they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, they would be true to their master and be witnesses for Him.23

They went down from that mountain praising the Lord. They were filled with a great joy as they went back to Jerusalem to await the fulfillment of the promise. They had confidence in God; He said so, and they began to praise.

Are you full of joy, having not a doubt about Jesus being your Lord and Savior? You want power to do the work of God; you want to be clothed with power. God says He will baptize with fire, bestowing wisdom, knowledge, and gifts. He will make you to understand the deep things of God and as you teach them and live them, God will be with you.

You must believe you are going to get this blessing. They were “with one accord.”24 God help us to get to that place. God wants us of one accord, hearts running together like drops of water.

A little company like that could shake a city in a day. We are not of one accord when one is pulling one way and one another; when we hear “maybe this” and “maybe that.” Do you suppose God will bless you in that?

You cannot understand the first principles. Once you have the newborn joy in your heart, when you see it in someone else, you know it is of God. Be of one mind. No matter how much you have to praise God for, we always want more.

At Pentecost, suddenly they heard a sound like a mighty, rushing wind. This Holy Ghost we are holding up is a mighty power. He came from heaven like a windstorm—like floods of water filling the vessels and as lire upon the heads of the one hundred and twenty people. As it were, cloven tongues of fire sat upon their heads. Then the Holy Ghost went in and took possession of the temple; took full possession of the machinery, wound it up, and set it running for God. They staggered like drunken people and fell. This mighty power took possession of their tongues and spoke through them in other languages.25

It said away back in the prophets: “With men of stammering lips and another tongue will I speak to this people.”26 Think of that! God doing such a mighty thing! But some do not want to believe. That is the way the Holy Ghost came and comes today, and people say it is some other power.

They did not lose their minds; they had just found it! They got the spirit of love and a sound mind. We never have a sound mind until we get the mind of Christ. People who cannot understand it say these things are foolishness. We are told the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.27 This is the power of God and the wisdom of God, not the work of the devil. People saying so doesn’t make it so. God had complete control. He came in and took possession. The Holy Ghost is in the world today. You must prove He has been taken away, and also the gifts and callings, before you have a right to lay hands on God’s people.

The things called foolishness today are the power of God unto salvation. Step out in the deep with God. Paul tells us the Lord ascended into heaven and sent down gifts, for the work of the ministry, the perfecting of the saints, the edifying of the body of Christ.28

The ministry does not want the gifts today. Saints, that is, Christians, are baptized with the Holy Ghost that the whole body may be edified, no matter how much you have got. When God is working, every one of His children is edified. If God works through someone else, I am edified and encouraged, and I rejoice.

The working of the Holy Ghost is the visible sign of the presence of Jesus. They went from Jerusalem to preach the Gospel everywhere and the Lord was with them. I love that word. He is in heaven? Yes, but He is with us also.

The Lord was with them, confirming the Word. How? With signs and wonders following.29 Amen. Wherever they went they saw faces shine, someone healed, someone speaking in tongues. This you see and hear; it is the Holy Ghost and it is for the work of the ministry.30

If I did not know Jesus was by my side and His loving arms around me, I could not stand here today. I should not have the strength if I did not know that He dwells in this body. If I did not know by experience that these things are true, I could not stand here.

I have tested the truth; I know it is of God. How can we help talking of the things we have seen? I have seen things by the Spirit and in visions. I have seen Jesus, the heavens open, the marriage supper, hosts of angels, the glory of God. I have seen them, glory to God! I know what I am telling you. I know Jesus lives and is standing by my side more truly than I know you are here. These things are verities.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. Glory to God! When a weak woman comes here to tell you what strong men ought to have told you, what are you going to think about it? I say these things are true, and when people say they are foolishness and fanaticism, dare they attempt to prove it by the Word? I dare them to do it.

When they can prove the Holy Ghost has been taken out of the world, away from God’s people, I am ready to go to prison, not before.

“Open the Pearly Gates”

We are marching upon the King’s highway,

We’ll shout and sing, and we’ll watch and pray;

No time to idle, no time to wait,

But hasten on to the golden gate.

Chorus:

Open, open the pearly gates,

Open, open the pearly gates;

Open, open the pearly gates,

And let the redeemed pass in.

With joy and gladness upon each head,

We’re marching up where the feast is spread;

For a royal banquet will there be giv’n

To all who enter the gates of heav’n.

No unclean thing shall go up thereon,

No lion there, O no, not one;

But those arrayed in pure garments white,

With souls prepared for the mansions bright.

With our battles fought and our victories won,

Our warfare weapons all laid down,

We’ll strike our golden harps and sing,

And crown our Christ as a conq’ring King.31

Taken from Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry of M. B. Woodworth-Etter.

Endnotes

1. 2 Chronicles 5:13

2. 1 Corinthians 6:19, paraphrased.

3. Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house or the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. (2 Chronicles 7:1-3).

4. 2 Corinthians 3:7-8, paraphrased.

5. 2 Corinthians 3:9.

6. See Acts 2:16 and 33.

7. 2 Chronicles 7:3.

8. See Ephesians 3:5.

9. See 1 Corinthians 2:8.

10. See 2 Corinthians 3:3.

11. See 1 Corinthians 6:19, Exodus 31:18, and Jeremiah 31:33.

12. See Leviticus 24:2 and Exodus 27:20.

13. See John 15:10.

14. See Isaiah 8:18.

15. Romans 11:29.

16. Hebrews 13:8.

17. See Romans 1:16.

18. See John 15:7.

19. See John 11:3.

20. Matthew 11:4-6 and Luke 7:22-23, paraphrased.

21. James 4:7.

22. See Mark 16:15-18.

23. See Acts 1:8.

24. Acts 2:1.

25. See Acts 2:2-4.

26. Isaiah 28:1, paraphrased.

27. See 1 Corinthians 3:19.

28. See Ephesians 4:8 and 11-12.

29. See Acts 5:12 and 14:3.

30. See Acts 2:33.

31. Miller, “Open the Pearly Gates,” (n. d., Possibly the 1920s).

Fasting - Jesus Empowers His Disciples

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles. . . .

And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Luke 6:12-13,17-19

This is one of the greatest revivals that Jesus Christ ever held, with great and wonderful results. We find much preceding these verses: where the Son of God had healed a lame man who had a withered arm; the time the devil got up in the people and they tried to kill the Son of God, but He slipped away from the crowd and went into the mountains and prayed all night alone with God.1

Fasting

If the Son of God found it necessary to pray all night alone with God, don’t you think we ought to spend some time alone with God? He was probably fasting. When Jesus Christ fasted something happened afterwards, and if God puts a fast upon you and you go in God’s way, something will happen afterwards. (Besides afflicting your body and being all out of sorts when you are through and making everybody miserable around you. That is not God’s fast.) Always when Jesus went out and fasted and prayed, some great miracle took place afterwards.

When Jesus got His baptism at the Jordan, the Holy Ghost came upon Him to stay; and He was led away into the wilderness where He was alone with God forty days, fasting all that time. After the forty days the fast[ing] communication[s] with God were over. He was hungry, but He was not hungry all the time He was fasting. Afterwards, we are told, He was hungry.

The devil is always at hand, so the devil tempted Him in a wonderful way by asking Him to make bread out of stones. Of course He could have done it, but you see He got power, while fasting with God and communing with the Spirit, to meet the devil. He came with all his satanic force and even the wild beasts came out of the forests and joined with the devil against the Son of God. But He had won the victory while in prayer alone with God and was enabled to drive the devil back.2

Another time after He had been alone in the mountains praying, a great storm came and the disciples thought the ship was about to go down. He calmed the tempest and the sea became as glass.3

And in this lesson during this fast in the mountain, He was alone with God all night in prayer. He was not talking to the wind, but in the ears of His father, the God of heaven. He was about to undertake to do something requiring great wisdom and mighty power from God. He was about to select the pillars that were going to establish the Church of Christ—the Church of the living God.

Jesus Chooses His Twelve Disciples

So, Jesus Christ could not be hid. If you are filled with God like you ought to be, you cannot be hid either. He could not be hid, and when He came out of His place of prayer, He saw the disciples and a great multitude that were watching and waiting for Him. He called the disciples together to do a mighty work. He had many thousands following who had been healed and wonderfully blessed and who knew a great deal about the Son of God, so He had a mighty responsibility to choose the right ones. So He selected twelve and ordained them.

He clothed them with power. He gave them license from heaven— God-given authority. He filled them with the Holy Ghost. He loaned them the same power that He had over all devils and all unclean spirits and told them to go out two by two and preach the same Gospel He was preaching, in the same way, and exercise the same faith He had exercised with God—cast out devils, heal the sick. He qualified them and ordained them with power from on high to go forth to accomplish the same results that He had. This was wonderful, and all the disciples went down further into the plains.

The Multitudes Follow Jesus

We are told that great multitudes followed Him from Judea (a multitude is not less than five hundred people), and multitudes came out of all Judea and Jerusalem and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon and all along the sea coast out of towns and from every direction. There must have been many thousands out there in the hot sun. What did they come for? They came to hear Jesus, not just to get healed like some of you. They came to hear about Jesus, to get acquainted with Him, to see Him whom to know is life eternal. They came to hear the Word that He brought from heaven, to find out the way that they might be saved and healed.

They had a wonderful meeting there. Remember, they came to hear the Word and to see. “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God.”4 How can they hear the Word of God without a preacher and how can he preach the Word of God unless God has sent him?

Oh, you preachers, how are people to get faith today to be healed when you preach against it? How will they get faith about the coming of the Son of God when you don’t talk about it? Faith cometh by hearing the Word of God. No man can get down into the mysteries without the enlightening power of the Holy Ghost. If the Bible is sealed, it is sealed to those that are lost—who are blinded by the god of this world.5 But this glorious Gospel brings you into communication with Jesus—God Almighty’s dear Son— and with the Father that sent Him.

A Divine-Healing Meeting

So these people were gathered there to hear and get acquainted with Jesus and to find the way to be healed. He took these disciples, the first thing after they were ordained for the ministry, into the greatest revival He ever held and gave them a start for the great work they had to do. It was a divine-healing meeting from start to finish. Jesus Christ preached the glad tidings, salvation for the soul and healing for the body and redemption for the body.

He preached the double cure—otherwise His fame never would have gone out over that country. They heard of the Great Physician, of His mighty love and power. No case was too hard for Him. No one too poor nor too rich. If they came in God’s way, He healed every one and not only healed, but also saved, for He gave them the double cure. Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses, by His stripes we are healed today.6

“Which is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say to this paralytic, get up and walk?”7 One is as easy as the other. Both miracles—God’s power being demonstrated—the same power saves the soul and heals the body and will take us up to glory. Make us so light we will rise without wings. Hallelujah!

So the Lord preached the Word to these people and they were healed, every one. “Son, thy sins are forgiven thee—go and sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee. Go and tell your friends, every one, what great things the Lord hath done.”8 Don’t forget it. Don’t be so forgetful of His benefits. Serve God, give glory to God and that disease will never come back anymore. Go—thou art whole. Go and sin no more lest it comes back and you die or something worse comes. Glory to God. You must see how much glory God is to get out of this. Hallelujah! So when He healed the body, He saved the soul.

So all classes gathered in the plains, they came out to see Jesus. Did you come here to see Jesus, or did you come here out of curiosity? I hope if you came through curiosity you are satisfied by this time. They came to see Jesus, get acquainted, and hear the blessed doctrine He was preaching; came to learn the way and to get this great salvation. It cost such an awful price, but God is offering it to you without money. Glory to God—accept it.

Shocks from the Heavenly Battery

These disciples were initiated in a great revival. Jesus preached as never man preached. He preached the glad tidings, salvation from sin and healing from their diseases. He preached the Word and made it plain and gave them to understand that whosoever will may come.9

O you nervous people, you who are going to have an operation. God can keep you from all these things. “I am the God of all flesh.”10 Is there anything too hard for Jesus? No. He can move the mountain or tumor in a minute, move the cancer, soothe your nerves. You who are afraid the excitement will make you nervous, get a shock from the battery of heaven and you will sleep like a baby. He is the very same Jesus, the wonder-working Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever.11 Glory! I am a witness.

So He went out to preach, and He did not have a lot of music, no pianos, but the power of God was there. It is not so much music, not so much singing, not such long prayers, not so much preaching, but the Spirit of the living God. So as He opened His mouth, He spake as never man spake, because there was something back of it.12

He said, “My Word is like the hammer that breaks the hard rock— like coals of fire on the brain lodged in the heart, arrows dipped in the blood of Jesus and shot out by the lightning of God’s power, striking men in the forehead and they fall like dead men.”

The City of Destruction

Move out of the City of Destruction,13 move to the cross. Get out of the plains and start for glory tonight. They had a wonderful meeting there. So He preached the Word, showed them it was for them, showed them how to come, showed them what they had to do, and they met the condition. Every last one of them had to believe on Jesus and get close enough to touch Him.

“Someone touched me”—glory. How do you know? “I felt the virtue going out.”14 You touch Jesus Christ with faith and God will come if He has to bring heaven down. It isn’t the long prayer, nor the flowery prayer, but the prayer of faith—faith that touches God and brings heaven down. Hallelujah!

The preaching was over, the altar call given, and they began to make their way to Jesus, and they stood on the watch. Faith comes by watching, faith comes by hearing the wonderful testimonies they hear right here. We see them trying to come, trying to get there first, and everyone that came received; and if they had faith it did not take two or three hours for the light and power to come from heaven.

These people accepted it. They did not carry their sick back over those plains in the hot sun, but they touched Him, and the diseases went out and the demons went out like whipped dogs obedient to their master’s orders; and the healing virtue of Jesus went in and their bodies were healed, and they went out to bring in others. Is that what you are doing? Or are you sitting down and waiting for your sickness to come back? Bless the Lord.

A Great Work Done

So faith grew into knowledge. When they went they listened and heard, but now they saw and knew it was so. They saw it before their eyes—saw them running, leaping, and skipping in every direction. And the excitement, as you call it, ran high and everyone got in the battle. When you begin to get your eyes on Jesus Christ, you will do it. So their faith grew and pretty soon they said we will just all rush there and the whole congregation—thousands of people— made a rush to try to touch the Son of God, and everyone that touched Him was made whole. He cast out devils—”You deaf spirit, you dumb spirit—come out.”15

Jesus Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. So the multitude tried to touch Him, and everyone got the double cure, salvation for the soul and body—got joy in their hearts. Don’t you believe it? Praise the Lord! So this was a great revival. He cast out the demons, and those possessed with devils will do all kinds of foolish, devilish things to torment everyone. But when Jesus came they knew they had to go out, and they will have to go out if you come right. You have just as much power to cast out devils in the name of Jesus Christ. The devils will run like a lot of dogs. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”16 But you have to keep them out or they will try to get in again. You keep them out.

The maniac represents the tribulation. The man had these devils all his life. Jesus says, “You come out of him and don’t you ever come in any more.” But He will cast the devils out of you, and you have to keep them out yourself. Get the house full of glory of God and give the Lord the key, and you will not be bothered any more.17

The Double Cure

This was a glorious meeting. And Jesus initiated His disciples there to give them courage, and they went out with gladness, filled with the Spirit of mighty power, and they went into the villages and cities and preached the Gospel—the double cure. They had never heard it before, but they preached the Gospel and healed the sick everywhere. Wherever they preached the double cure, somebody believed and was healed. If they had not preached it, no one would have known anything about it. Glory to God! You find this all through the Word of God. The greatest work that Jesus ever did was the healing of sick and the casting out of devils.

Demonstrate God Is With You by Healing the Sick

We are told that Jesus Christ was anointed by the Lord and began to preach and heal the sick of all kinds of diseases, for God was with Him.18 He was anointed of God to do this. Preach the Gospel and demonstrate it and prove it to be from God by healing the sick. Wherever He went He did that. The greatest revivals in the New Testament after Pentecost were the direct result of one or more divine healings of the body. It was used more than anything else in the Word of God to draw the people to Christ.

Nearly all the great revivals were brought about by divine healing and sometimes only one was healed. The man at the Beautiful Gate was healed and got the double cure.19 They were just going to preach. The result was five thousand men were converted that day, and Peter and John were thrown into prison.20 If you are all right, you are going to be persecuted. But they began to shout and rejoice; they had results and were willing to lie in prison when they thought of the souls saved. Hallelujah!

Hundreds have been healed here. Look how hard your hearts are! You would not believe God if He walked over the platform. May God sweep away this damning sin of unbelief.

Jesus Empowers His Disciples

We find that the same power Jesus had He gave to His disciples. He ordained seventy and sent them out.21 He first chose twelve and a few days later He chose seventy and gave them power over all kinds of devils. They went out and had great success, and as soon as they believed Jesus Christ, they had power. The Word was demonstrated by signs and wonders following and so must God’s Word be demonstrated today.

All through the Word, from Genesis to Revelations (sic), whenever God gave a message to one or two, the message looked very foolish from the human standpoint. It took wonderful faith to go out and carry the message, but they knew God, and whenever they went out and carried a message in God’s way, something happened. The Lord God came in a visible way, with signs from heaven that all the people could see. God demonstrated that message. So these visible signs of the Spirit are the Word demonstrated.

Demons of Witchcraft and Sorcery

The working of God’s Spirit is foolishness to man. You go to some mesmerist or spiritualist^22 and let them call up the dead, and they can pull the wool over your eyes, and you would rather believe that than believe Jesus Christ. They always try to counterfeit the real, don’t they? God works today and the devil works. Back then there were witches and sorcerers, but God’s people knew God. And all through the Old Testament, God demonstrated His Word. They acted like crazy people, but God was with them. He always came to the rescue, and those that laugh last laugh best. The result was the fire of God fell on the people. They thought these men must be connected with heaven.

So the working of the Holy Ghost is foolishness to the natural mind. He is not discerned by the natural man; but you go to God and get the oil of heaven, and you will have light on the blessed Word of God. God will talk to your heart, and Christ will be real and salvation will be real and heaven will be real because the Spirit of God will let you down into the deep things of God. Glory to God!

It was so on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost came. They said these are drunk.23 They lied about the Holy Ghost and they have been lying ever since, but the work went on just the same. Glory to God! They have always persecuted the work of God and grieved the Holy Ghost and treated the blood as something unholy.

Does My Neighbor Think It Is God’s Work?

If you don’t know, if you don’t believe, if you don’t understand, ask God about these things. Don’t go to some old infidel. Go to God. But you say as they did then: What do you think of it? Have any of the scribes believed? Does our preacher approve of it? That is what they said before. Have any of our smart men believed yet?

You had better believe in Christ, seek the wisdom that comes from above. He will make you wise in spiritual things. They are foolishness in the sight of man, but the wisdom of God, the things of God, are eternal; and they are what will take us to heaven.

I praise God for this wonderful salvation. I want to say a few words more about the work I know about. I have been standing before the public for forty-five years, and God has given me grace and courage to stand. I have preached the Gospel in nearly every denomination. Thousands have gone out as ministers and workers. Many saints have gone home to glory.

We have been praying for the sick. If you have read my book, you will remember when I started out I did not know I would have to pray for the sick; but I was sick, and God healed me and raised me from a deathbed. My friends said, “Somehow, I believe God is going to raise you up.” I did not look like it, but I knew inside God wanted me to do something. I promised God if He would raise me up and show me His way, I would do it.

I started out after God baptized me in the Holy Ghost. I knew God was calling me for public service. I knew I would die unless God came to me like He did to the fishermen. I told the Lord if He would baptize me with power and knowledge that I would undertake the work. I would go to the ends of the earth and live a thousand years if I might take one soul to heaven. So the Lord wonderfully baptized me and sent me out.

God Does the Healing

I did not try to heal then—don’t now. God does the healing. But after a while, God showed me I must pray for the sick. I had a big battle—nearly lost my soul before I would consent. He had to give me power. Bless God, He did. After that I began to pray for the sick. The devil kept telling me, “O you go to praying for the sick and they will bring wagon loads and nobody will be saved, and that is what you started out for.” And I felt that was so. When God comes, the devil comes. I fought about three nights, and I was holding meetings in a big skating rink. About three nights I lay awake, but I thought God knew His own business so I said, “Lord, if You want me to pray, You send them to me; and by the grace of God I will do it.”

Since that time thousands and thousands have been saved through the healing that never would have been saved—they might have died in their sins. Dear friends, the people came, got convinced and saved and healed. I have been in Chicago three times and some of you know they came by hundreds, rushing down the balconies, sides, and aisles. The altar was full from one side to another. Everyone trying to get there first. The whole place was crowded and people tried to get in the back way.

The Biggest Cripple There

The first meeting in the big stone church, many hundreds came to be healed and saved. And they came so thick and fast I could not stand it, so I told the preachers they had to commence. I called a brother and said, you take this chair and pray for the sick. He said, “Oh, I can’t pray for the sick.”

I said, “Yes you can. I will pray for you.”

He said, “Give me an easy one.” I gave him the biggest cripple I could find. Never mind, God can heal that cripple as easy as any. They thought they were in for it. We had five chairs standing on the great platform and two or three ministers to pray for the sick, but you would be surprised to see how many were healed.

It is Jesus that does the healing. When a few were healed, they had faith for the next one. And it is wonderful how those people jumped and ran, shouting and praising God. Soon we had five rows of chairs, and I would go back and forth and encourage them. God did mighty works. The next place we go we expect to see them coming by hundreds. Sometimes the power is so great when the saints are in one accord.

People who are afflicted come from Saint Louis, California, Alabama, and all over; and some come bringing their grave clothes along, but never one died yet that we know of. Jesus is a mighty Savior. Sometimes the power has been so great that I would go along great long altars telling them—I have no time to talk much. “You know what to expect. The power of God is here. You give everything to God.” In a few minutes they would be leaping and running in all directions.

The power of God will go out like rivers of water, and if you are looking to God in faith, you can get your baptism without waiting two or three weeks. It is not man or woman, but God that does the work. Jesus Christ is the divine healer and baptizer. God gave Him power to give life to everyone that will come in God’s way.

In one meeting they came by hundreds and we never could get around; and the power of God was so great, but we sprinkled the blood on them by faith and looked to God; and we only had two or three minutes and fifty or one hundred trying to come up. It was so late I said, “The power of God will come if you believe.” I said, “By faith Moses took the blood of lambs and sprinkled the people and I take the blood of the real lamb, Calvary’s Lamb, by faith, and sprinkle it over the people.”24 I asked God to rebuke these diseases and take away their sins, and right there the power of God fell in every direction. God did the work. Oh! Glory to God, who has given such wonderful powers to His Church, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. See Luke 6:6-12.

2. See Matthew 4:1-11.

3. See Matthew 14:22-33.

4. Romans 10:17, paraphrased.

5. See 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.

6. See Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24, and Isaiah 53:5.

7. See Matthew 9:5, Mark 2:9, and Luke 5:23.

8. John 5:14 and Mark 5:19, paraphrased.

9. See Matthew 10:32, Luke 6:47, and Acts 2:21.

10. Jeremiah 32:27, paraphrased.

11. See Hebrews 13:8.

12. See Mark 1:27 and Luke 4:36.

13. “City of Destruction”—From The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678, 1685) by John Bunyan (1628-1688): The City which Christian, the pilgrim, left in order to go to the heavenly city. The City of Destruction stood for those living without the faith in Jesus Christ that brings salvation.

14. See Mark 5:30 and Luke 8:46.

15. See Mark 9:25.

16. James 4:7.

17. See Matthew 12:43-45.

18. See Acts 10:38.

19. See Acts 3:1-12.

20. See Acts 4:1-4.

21. See Luke 10:1.

22. “spiritualist”—Seances and attempts to speak to the dead were popular as a result of a crisis of faith that haunted nineteenth-century Americans and Europeans. Because of an atmosphere of skepticism people doubted the afterlife and sought to know through seances that their loved ones were safe. Maria Woodworth is addressing a vital issue of her day.

23. See Acts 2:13.

24. See Exodus 24:8.

God’s Gift Eternal Life - The “Gifts” of the Spirit

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.

Psalm 68:18

If Christ had stopped short at Calvary or at going down into the cold grave, His work would have been a failure. Men would not have been able to receive pardon or salvation. Many people look at the dead Savior.

They have only a dead religion of form! And of works. (They don’t know His resurrection life!) They have no life or power. Remember, Jesus brought life and immortality to light, to us, through resurrection. No, the grave could not hold Him, though all hell was up in arms to hold Him cold in death. A hundred or more armed soldiers stood around His grave, for fear that His disciples would steal His lifeless body away. They also sealed the sepulcher with the governor’s seal, and it was death to break the seal.1

Jesus, the Mighty Conqueror

A mighty battle was fought. All the armies of heaven were engaged with the hosts of hell in fierce array around the rock casket, or tomb, where the body of Jesus, our crucified Lord, lay cold in death. Hear the demons, “We have got Him, and we will hold Him captive. Where is your Prince? Where is your King?” But hark, listen! The battle turns, victory is near, help is coming. The Lord God Almighty is coming Himself, with His great angel, who rolls back the stone from the sepulcher and sits upon it. His countenance was like lightning, His raiment white as snow, and for fear of Him the keepers did quake. They fell, and lay as dead men.

God, with His mighty presence, sent a great earthquake, and with a great shout over death and hell and the grave, we see the conqueror come forth, holding the keys to unlock the prison house of the dead.

No, dear reader, He is not dead. The Lord is risen indeed. Oh! Praise God for a living Christ, a living Church, and soon-coming King and Lord. Praise Him for the great marriage supper of the Lamb that will soon take place in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

God’s Gift Is Eternal Life

He ascended on high and gave gifts to men.2 Yea, to the rebels also. Jesus did not have all power until God raised Him from the dead. No one could have the gift of God, eternal life until after He was born of the Spirit.

Jesus has all power. He was raised up with all power. The Holy Ghost was with the disciples, but Jesus said, “He shall be in you.”3 When they were all together Jesus met with them, and He opened their spiritual minds. He breathed on them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”4 They received Him and became partakers of the divine nature. They received the gift of God, were enlightened, and cried out, “My Lord and my God.”5 No one ever had that experience before that time. They were sons of God, by the new birth. It was the gift of God, eternal life, “Yea, for the rebellious also.”6 This is the most important of all gifts. For without this gift, you can never get inside the pearly gates.

When the sinner stops his rebellion and repents, God gives him faith to accept Christ. God gives him power to become a son of God, who are born, not of man nor of the will of men, nor of flesh and blood, but by the power of God.7 He is then no longer a rebel, but a son, for he has received the gift of God and has been born of the spiritual family of God. His name has been written in the family record by the finger of God, and it has been said, “This man was born in Zion.”8 He has received the benefit of the finished work on Calvary for cleansing from sin and uncleanness. And he is now a child of God, ready for any or all of the gifts of the Pentecostal baptism and power. He is God’s man.

Jesus received gifts for men. When Jesus was giving His last blessing, on the mountain, before going up to heaven, He said to them, “Tarry at Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.9 Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. Ye shall then be witnesses of me.10 All power is given unto me in heaven and earth.11 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. These signs shall follow them that believe (all that believe on Me). These are some of the gifts that I will give to men, in my name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”12

These were the last words our Savior spake on earth, before He was taken up in a visible manner out of their sight. After that, they got the promised baptism and greatest gift; they went forth preaching the Word everywhere, the Lord working with them, confirming the Word with the signs following.

They could not see the Lord in person like in days past, but saw the visible signs of His invisible presence.13

These signs and gifts could be seen and heard with the natural eye and ear. Jesus was with them, with all gifts and signs and miracles and diverse operations of the Spirit. With these He confirmed and put His seal on the truth and on their preaching.14

Sat Like Cloven Tongues of Fire

At Pentecost He sent the promise of the Father. The Holy Ghost came as a rushing wind and sat on all their heads, as cloven tongues of fire. For they were all filled with the Spirit and began to speak as the Spirit gave them utterance.15

It was the time of the great Jewish feast and all the Jewish nations under heaven were gathered there, and they saw and heard the wonderful display of the Holy Ghost and the gifts and the glory of God.16

They were amazed, saying, “What meaneth this, and how hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born?”17 Jesus had sent gifts down for men and women. The Holy Ghost had come to stay. He was given now without measure.

God sent Peter down to Caesarea to hold a revival amongst the Gentiles; and while He was preaching the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard the Word, for they spake with tongues, and magnified God.18

The Holy Ghost was poured out with all the gifts on the Gentile nations, just the same as at Pentecost on the Jews. “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”19 Oh! Praise God, beloved brethren, that takes in you and me.

The “Gifts” of the Spirit

Jesus sent these gifts with all the Pentecostal power and glory. He put them in His Church to stay. Our bodies are God’s powerhouse, they are the channels for the Holy Ghost to flow out of like rivers of living water.

“Gifts for men that the Lord might dwell amongst them.”20 These gifts are the sign to the lost world, that God is with us, that He dwells among us—the signs of His invisible presence. We are a people to be wondered at. We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts that dwells in Zion—down here, not in heaven.

“He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. . . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:8,11). These imply and include all the gifts and workings of the Holy Ghost.

Why did He send this power and gifts to men, to His brethren, and to the Church? He says, “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”21 To make the saints, God’s men, perfect and like Christ; to lead them in the same Pentecostal power and gifts.

The ministers need it, and they must have the seal of the Holy Ghost with all these signs and gifts to encourage and empower them. The gifts are the visible signs to the world and seals to them that God is working together with them, confirming the Word.22

When the disciples were put into prison and their lives were threatened on account of the great power with them in healing and miracles, they were forbidden to preach in the name of Jesus; for their accusers saw the power come through His name.23

The disciples came together and they knew it was the power of God that caused all their persecution. They knew if they had a form of religion and denied the power, that they would have no more trouble. But, beloved, they said, “We will be true to God. We will preach the Word if we die.” Then they prayed to the Lord, saying, “Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant to Thy servants, boldness to preach Thy Word, by stretching forth Thy hand to heal, and grant that signs and wonders may be done in the name of thy Holy Child Jesus.”24

You see, these ministers needed power to give them boldness to stand up for Jesus, to preach all the words of this life.

His Presence and Power Miraculous

When they preached, they knew they must see the signs in the meeting of the presence of the invisible Christ, who said He would be present to confirm the Word and their message. Jesus had said, “I will be with you all the way, even to the end of the world.”25 Then like Peter they could say to those present, “This that you see and hear and feel, it is the promise of the Father, it is the Holy Ghost.”26

The Son was pleased with their prayer and with their faith and courage, and the place was shaken—the building where they were assembled—and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the Word with boldness.27

Beloved, see, this was a greater baptism. They needed it to prepare them for the work they had to do. After this they had greater success. God did mighty signs and wonders at the hands of the apostles; great fear fell on all the Church and on all that heard and saw these things. Multitudes of men and women came flocking to Christ and were added to the Lord.28

A “multitude” means thousands. They came from Jerusalem and all the cities round about, bringing their sick folk in beds and cots; placing them along the streets, that the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow them.29 You see, the power went forth from their bodies like when Paul laid handkerchiefs on his body and sent them to the sick, and the devils or disease went out, and they were healed.30

Oh! Praise God, I am likewise a witness to these things. We see the same thing today, the living Christ manifesting His presence and power; some of the greatest miracles of healing and salvation ever seen have been done in the same way. He gave gifts to men.

Read carefully the twelfth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians. Paul shows that the Church is in possession of all the gifts, power, calling, and work of the Holy Ghost; [he shows] that they are in the body of Christ, His Church.

Quality for the Gifts

Oh! Beloved, we ought to come up to this in all places in these last days when the bride is making herself ready. He says He does not want us to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts, “Covet earnestly the best gifts,” “Follow after charity,” or love. “Desire spiritual gifts,” for God has set them in the Church.31 “Gifts for the rebellious also.”32

Thank God, the sinner need no longer be rebellious, but fall at His feet and settle the old account. He says He has a gift for you. Oh, “The gift of God is eternal life,”33 and then you are God’s man. No longer a stranger or foreigner, you have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Through Him we will have access by one Spirit unto the Father. You are a citizen with the saints and of the household of God; you are lively stones in the building that is being fitly framed together, a holy temple in the Lord.34

Brother, you are a son and an heir to all the Pentecostal blessings, gifts, and power. Press your claims at the court of heaven.

Seek the baptism and power of the Holy Ghost. You can be a pillar in the temple of God—in, to go out no more. Be among the wise that shall know of the Lord’s coming—among the wise that shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.

Let all that read this sermon take warning. “He that knoweth My will and doeth it not shall be beaten with many stripes.”35

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons. This sermon is the same as the one entitled, “Gifts for Men” in Diary of Signs and Wonders.

Endnotes

1. See Matthew 27:62-66. Note: The exact number of soldiers at the tomb is unknown, but the Jews had several companies of soldiers available for their use by Pilates’ permission.

2. Ephesians 4:8, paraphrased.

3. John 14:17, paraphrased.

4. John 20:22.

5. John 20:28.

6. Psalm 68:18, paraphrased.

7. John 1:13 paraphrased.

8. Psalm 87:5.

9. Luke 24:49, paraphrased.

10. Acts 1:8, paraphrased.

11. Matthew 28:18, Paraphrased

12. Mark 16:15, 17-18, paraphrased

13. See Mark 16:20.

14. See Acts 4:30-33.

15. See Acts 2:2-4.

16. See Acts 2.

17. See Acts 2:7-8.

18. See Acts 10.

19. Acts 2:39.

20. Psalm 68:18, paraphrased.

21. Ephesians 4:12.

22. See Hebrews 2:4.

23. See Acts 4:18 and 5:40.

24. Acts 4:29-30, paraphrased.

25. Matthew 28:20, paraphrased.

26. Acts 2:33, paraphrased.

27. See Acts 4:31.

28. See Acts 5:5,11.

29. See Acts 5:15. ‘

30. See Acts 19:11-12.

31. Corinthians 12:1,31, and 14:1.

32. Psalm 68:18, paraphrased.

33. Romans 6:23.

34. A paraphrase mixing parts of Ephesians 2:13,18-19 and 1 Peter 2:5.

35. Luke 12:47, paraphrased.

The Two Outpourings of God’s Spirit: The Early and the

Latter Rain

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh” and great signs will follow just “before that great and notable day of the Lord’s coming” (See Acts 2:17-20).

The first great outpouring was at Pentecost when Christ set up His Church in great power and glory with visible signs of His presence, with special demonstrations, and with great signs and wonders and “gifts” of the Holy Ghost.

“The last days” signifies the last two thousand years, which is the time of the Gentiles. God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. Each day stands for one thousand years. At the close of this sixth day, or six thousandth, the seventh day will be the day of rest when Satan will be bound, and the saints will reign with Jesus in the millennial day—one thousand years.

All the prophets show plainly that the six thousand years would wind up with the Rapture, the resurrection of the dead in Christ, the translation of those then alive, and the manifestation or revelation of Christ and the sons of God.

The translation, Rapture, or catching away of the bride will be followed by the Great Tribulation and will wind up with the Battle of Armageddon, the binding of Satan, and the setting up of the glorious Millennium of [a] thousand years.

Notice that God promised these two outpourings in the last two days, or two thousand years: one in the beginning of the last two days—the early rain—and one in the close. The latter rain, or outpouring of His Spirit, is to prepare the people for His coming; it is called “the preparation time.”

The disciples had been with the Lord for three years. They had seen all His mighty works, had heard His wonderful sermon right from the mouth of God. “Behold the man”; “Never man spake like this man”; “They marvelled at him”; “His word was with power.”1

He sent His disciples out to preach and gave, loaned, or transmitted power to them to do the same things that He did. He gave them power over all devils and sicknesses. They went out preaching in all the towns and villages, healing the sick everywhere.2

Tarry Ye Until Ye Be Endued with Power

Yet just before He ascended up on high, He stopped all their work and told them all to wait for the promise of the Father, to wait for the enduement of power, to wait till they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire.3

Then they would be qualified to be true witnesses, to be flaming heralds of the great redemption plan of His wonderful salvation of which the hosts of angels sang “Glory to God in the highest.”4 “Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people ... a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.”5 The Lord could not trust them with this great work to be true witnesses without the baptism with the Holy Ghost.

The time of the early rain had come. See the wisdom of God in calling all the Jewish nations to Jerusalem at this time to the feast, so that they could be present as witnesses of the wonderful work of God.

They were all together, waiting and expecting to meet God, when suddenly, they heard a great noise coming from heaven like a windstorm. The house was filled with the glory of God, then the fire fell, like tongues of fire. They were all filled with fire and the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.6

Now when this was noised abroad the multitude came together, composed of Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. A multitude came together, they were confounded and amazed and marvelled because they heard them speak every man in his own tongue or language. They said to one another, “Behold are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? What meaneth this?”7

Others mocking said, “These men are full of new wine.”8

Peter said, “They are not drunken, it is the Holy Ghost, the promise of the Father.”9 They began to lie about the Holy Ghost, and they are doing the same today.

Jesus said, “When the Holy Ghost is come, he will testify of me; then you also shall bear witness.”10

They said, “We do hear them speak in our own language, telling the wonderful works of God.”11

The Devout Jews Received the Same as the Apostles

Now these wise men present, these devout Jews, had all heard and knew of Jesus and His mighty works; yet they had crucified Him. But now, when they saw the mighty works of God and heard these unlearned men and women speaking with the tongue of the learned and educated linguist, as with the pen of a great scholar, explaining the Scriptures and the deep things of God, they were convinced that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. They cried out for mercy. Is there any hope for us? We have killed our Prince. We have crucified our Messiah. “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”12

They were all Jews, and they had to humble themselves to be baptized in the name of the despised Nazarene, who had just recently been put to a criminal’s death by the government.

It does not say [that] when they were baptized, the name of the Father and Holy Ghost were left out (they obeyed the command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19); but it was specially mentioned and emphasized that when they were baptized, they could on no account omit the name of Jesus, which brought persecution, reproach, disgrace, and rejection by the rest of the Jewish nation.13

They said, “This that you see and hear is that spoken by the prophet Joel.”14 Yes, they saw and heard and felt the Holy Ghost. And were told it is the promise of the Father, it is for you and your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.15 It was not for them in a limited measure, just forgiveness for their guilt, but was for them in all its fullness, just as they saw it working in and through the apostles.

To those poor, guilty men who had killed their Lord, it was glad tidings of great joy to know that not only could they be saved, but that they could receive this great baptism of power with all its wisdom and gifts. They could go back to all these different nations as flames of fire, telling the Good News that Jesus was the Messiah, that Christ had come, and that the Lord would be working with them, proving or confirming the glad tidings with the signs of His presence and power.

The Worldwide Revival

Then they that gladly received the Word were saved and baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, having received the promise of the Father. They were baptized into the body and added to them, with all the wisdom and doctrine of the apostles. The revival continued in the temple and also throughout the city. Men and women went from house to house telling the Good News, praising God, and getting souls saved everywhere. All the signs of God’s presence and power followed all the believers in general as Jesus had said they should.

These devout Jews mentioned were from every nation under heaven, just visiting Jerusalem at the feast, and therefore, no doubt every church in the land was represented in this great revival. Paul wrote, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8). Paul said he had received apostleship among all nations to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. Praise God, this great Pentecostal movement spread over the world in a few years.

The Second Outpouring

Praise God! Pentecost has come again and is shaking the world once more. The latter rain is falling, “The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.”16 And the roses of Sharon and the lilies of the valley are sending their notes of praise and their sweet incense to heaven.

Oh! Dear reader, hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field” (Zechariah 10:1). He says He will give us the early and latter rains, double what it was at first.

Jesus set up and organized His Church in power, but in this outpouring the Church will be taken up in a blaze of glory, for all the wise will shine brighter than the sun. God is calling you to the marriage supper of His Son, but there must be no delay in putting on the wedding garments.

The Second Pentecost

For forty years or more there have been many showers in different parts of the world. Nearly twenty years ago the great outpouring, or Pentecost, came. Many of God’s saints knew the time had come and were meeting in different places and tarrying and waiting for the promise. And suddenly, the Holy Ghost came on a band of saints in Los Angeles. The fire fell and there were many signs of the presence of the Lord. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. When it was interpreted it was known that they were all telling the wonderful works of God.

It was noised abroad and the waiting saints in the city and over the state and from other states flocked as hungry doves to the place. They were amazed and filled with joy and soon received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire that Jesus promised. The Word was given and great was the multitude who published it. The news flashed everywhere over the wire and over the seas. Ministers and evangelists from every state and from many nations left their homes and came in haste to Los Angeles to see and hear the wonderful works of God and started at once to tell the glad tidings.

Oh! Praise the Lord. The Pentecostal fire began to cover the land and sea till today it is no local affair but encircles the world. Men and women out of every station and class in life, out of every tongue and nation and people, have received the baptism with the Holy Ghost and are speaking in other tongues, telling the world that Jesus is coming soon.

Like the early and first outpouring at Pentecost, there has never been any religious movement that has grown or spread over the world so quickly or done so much for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.

Words of Admonition and Teaching

In closing, I would like to give some needed notes of warning and admonition. Spiritualism is flooding the land; a great part of the world will soon be controlled. And especially, the evil spirits are trying to counterfeit the power of the Holy Ghost. They will be the greatest factor in the antichrist army. Always try the spirits, see whether they are of God.17 We must at all times speak and prophesy in the demonstration of the Spirit. It must always be done under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, or it is done in our own spirit or some false spirit. We might speak with tongues in any or all languages, the language of heaven and the angels, and yet be led of the devil and be as sounding brass in the sight of God.18

You may lose your experience and a wrong spirit come in almost unnoticed, and yet retain your “gifts.” Then the devil will use you in bringing a reproach on the real power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost. These people with these spirits talk from their heads and their minds instead of from hearts filled with the love of God. There are lying and deceiving spirits who many times condemn the minister or someone else, or perhaps the whole church. These are unteachable and you cannot control them; they will rule or ruin if possible. These things ought not to be allowed. It has, and still is hurting this movement, and keeping many of the best people away who judge by these loud and unruly ones. Beloved, try the spirits for many spirits have gone out into the world that are not of God. If they were of God, they would hear us and be teachable, loving, kind.

If we have the “gifts” and are used of God, we will also have the fruit of the Spirit (See Galatians 5:22-23). Everything will be done and we will be led and controlled by and through the Spirit of God; and it will edify, build up, strengthen, and help God’s children. It is the Spirit of the Good Shepherd whose concern is for the sheep; and not the spirit of the “stranger” which harms, destroys, and scatters.

Let All Things Be Done to Edification

Dear little children, especially you who have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or think you have, when you feel or think the Spirit is on you and that you think you ought to do something in the assembly or any place, stop a minute and try the spirit and see if it is of God. Ask yourself, would the congregation be edified? If God is leading you, whatever you say or demonstrate will be a blessing to all who hear you.

Oh! If we would all wait a minute and test the spirits, many things we say and do would not be said or done. Oh! I warn you to be watchful and careful! How you cause precious hungry souls to be disgusted with the counterfeit work of Satan and turn away from the genuine, concluding and thinking that we are all alike and cause them to say hard things against this wonderful outpouring of the Holy Ghost that God is offering to all flesh who will receive it. Some imitate the workings of God’s Spirit and act as if God’s power was working with them. Souls are too precious to be trifled with. As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so these try to counterfeit and destroy the effect of God’s great works.19

God’s people never have to be ashamed of anything that God does through any of His children.

The Word of God and the Spirit always agree. One confirms the other. Watch closely and note that if they do not agree, it is not of God.

We will not permit demonstrations or tongues or doctrines that cannot be justified and backed up with a “Thus saith the Lord.” We deal with these gently; try to show and teach them, to lead them in the doctrine of the apostles and the true Word of God and Spirit. If they are of God or have any desire to be, they will hear us (See 1 John 4:6). If they are not of God, they will show a fighting, arguing, resisting spirit; will either rule or ruin you, and do you all the harm they can. Oh! Beloved let us be true to God and His Word if we have to stand alone. But we must be very gentle, rule and lead with love, and keep these trials from the congregation as much as possible. Keep off the judgment seat. Do not lay hands on anyone suddenly or unkindly; they have had wrong teaching, so try to show them the right way.20

Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not the love and anointing from God, I am become as sounding brass.21

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. John 19:5, John 7:46, Mark 12:17, and Luke 4:32.

2. See Matthew 10:1, Mark 6:7, or Luke 9:1.

3. See Acts 1:4-5.

4. Luke 2:14, paraphrased.

5. Luke 2:10-11.

6. See Acts 2:4.

7. Acts 2:6-8, paraphrased.

8. Acts 2:13.

9. See Acts 2:14-17.

10. See John 15:26.

11. Acts 2:11, paraphrased.

12. Acts 2:37-38.

13. Maria Woodworth makes this statement in response to the Jesus Only movement which began in Los Angeles where she ministered at the Worldwide Camp Meeting.

14. Acts 2:16, paraphrased.

15. See Acts 2:39.

16. Song of Solomon 2:12.

17. 1 John 4:1.

18. See 1 Corinthians 13:1.

19. 2 Timothy 3:8.

20. See 1 Timothy 5:22.

21. 1 Corinthians 13:1, paraphrased.

(Sermon Preached at Montwait)

And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch).

Acts 5:11-12

This was the greatest revival given in the New Testament, greater in many ways than Pentecost. Then they were all with one accord in one place, waiting the outpouring of the Spirit. They all made the same sound. You get there and God will shake the country.

“Signs and wonders were wrought . . . and of the rest durst no man join himself unto them.”1 They were so full of fire no one dared to say falsely, “I am one of you.” They were afraid God would strike them dead. God wants to get a people so full of power—His power—that others full of wildfire will not say, “God sent me.”

What was the result? Believers were added to the church? No, to the Lord—multitudes both of men and women.2 Some say that this excitement, this fanaticism, is good enough for women, but there was a multitude of strong-minded men there.

They brought the sick into the street and laid them on beds and couches that Peter’s shadow might overshadow some of them.3 See what a cranky set they were! I wish we were just like that. Excitement rose higher and higher.

The whole country was stirred. There came a multitude out of the city about Jerusalem, bringing the sick and they were healed, every one.4 Healed because they came right. A wonderful revival was it not?

In the midst of it [all], it was broken up. The high priest and Sadducees arrested them and put them in prison. Bless God; they did not stay there long. God sent His angel down and brought them out and told them to go into the temple and preach to the people.5

It took some grace to do that, did it not? To go right back there and preach all the Word, not leaving out divine healing, but showing all the signs and wonders. In the morning they sent to bring them out. They found the prison locked but no one there; those they sought were out preaching.6

It is better to obey God. We are determined to obey God, let the result be what it may. God’s people must meet persecution. People say this work is not of God. That is the kind of talk the devil likes to hear. All the devil has to do is to blow his whistle and his army runs to do his work.

God has to blow and blow before He can get His people to do His work; yet we have the promise, “One shall chase a thousand.”7 The devil hates holiness and power; he persecutes, and persecution is all that makes men fit for heaven.

This was a great revival. Every one of the apostles seemed to be there and God gave them wonderful power. Many mighty signs and miracles were done by them because they were of one accord, preaching and believing. Because of this, the fire of God fell upon the Church and sinners began to tremble.

I believe in preaching in such a way that the power of God will make people tremble and come up to the front to do His will. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”8 The first we know of God, there is a holy awe that comes over us. When we want God to work, to cause His presence to be felt in our midst, we must feel He has the power to work among His people; and it is a terrible thing to resist.

We must get on the full armor and rush into the battle. Press the battle to the gates. Vain is the help of man. There is no shelter except in the wounded side of Jesus. It is the only place on earth to which we can flee. We learn there the way of righteousness, and we know what awaits the sinner if he does not accept this shelter.

In the Old Testament, we read of God’s workings among His people. When someone was sent with a message, it often seemed very foolish, humanly speaking. What was the outcome? God will always show Himself and put His seal upon His work. When the message was delivered, He came forth with the supernatural, with the sign of His invisible presence.

He manifested His presence in miraculous ways. That put His fear upon the heathen. They said there is no God like the Hebrews’, because of His wonderful works. He was a God to be feared.

In the New Testament, signs and wonders were done before the people. Wherever Jesus went the people followed Him. God was with Him, putting fear upon the people through miracles, signs, and wonders God wrought through Him.

He said, “I do not these things of myself. The Father, he doeth the works.”9 The apostles said the same: “By the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, Jesus doeth the works.” Not I, but Christ. It is the same today.

In the signs and wonders today it is “Not I, but Christ.” He dwells in these bodies, and the work is done by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost. “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?”10 Jesus Christ dwells in us. We are God’s powerhouses.

It was by the hands of the apostles, not of angels, that God did His mighty works; and people believed when the signs followed. Jesus commanded the unclean spirits to come out and they had to come. The power of the Holy Spirit went through the apostles’ hands and that is just the way God works today.

The apostles were not afraid of persecution, the sword, or anything else. They faced death in any form rather than disgrace the cause of Christ by being cowards. It is a mighty God we serve, and today, Jesus Christ who ascended into heaven is here by my side. He will lead His hosts on to victory. Let us press the battle to the gates.

This sect is always spoken against, misrepresented, and lied about, but Jesus Christ is leading on His hosts. God permitted Jesus to be nailed to the cross and laid in the grave, but He came forth like the sun. God permitted the apostles to be arrested and put in prison; then He had an opportunity to show His power. He sent His angel and delivered them. The angel of the Lord is with His own. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are children of the King.

Around us day and night are ministering spirits sent to minister to those who are heirs of salvation.11 We can afford to be misrepresented or even put in prison, if only we are looking for the manifestation and the glory of translation to go sweeping through the gates.

The apostles were persecuted and the meeting broken up in Jerusalem, where the Lord was crucified. The meeting was held in Solomon’s porch, one of the prominent places in the city. It seems the apostles were in this great porch, and they brought the sick into the street on beds and couches and every way and laid them all around: sick, blind, and those vexed with unclean spirits, a great multitude.

What would the preachers think if we brought the sick around the church in this way? When they were preaching one of those fine sermons, “firstly, secondly, thirdly,” if someone dropped a sick person down in the midst, they would send for a policeman quickly. You know they would.

The paralytic did not break up the meeting when brought to Jesus and dropped down through the roof when He was preaching. He is our example. He was glad to have something like that because it gave Him a chance to show His power. He forgave him all his sins and then made him rise, take up his bed, and walk.12

The people began to shout, “Glory,” the same way you do here. You cannot help you[rself]. If you have not done it, you will. A consumptive woman was brought in here in her night robe. I did not care what she had on—she was healed. Hallelujah!

When the paralytic was healed, they gave glory to God. People say today, “You never heard such a cranky set.” If they had only heard them then! We have something to make a fuss about. Dead people never make much noise, do they? There is not much noise in a graveyard.

Some people are frozen and have their feet in grave clothes. May God take off the grave clothes and set us free! David danced before the Lord with all his might. His wife did not like it. She thought he had disgraced her before the handmaidens and she began to grumble.

He said he was not dancing before the handmaidens but before the Lord. It is dangerous to lay your hand on the work of the Lord. She had no child to the day of her death. It was a great disappointment to the Jewish woman, as each one hoped to be the mother of the Lord.13

Do not lay your hand upon the work of the Lord. It meant sudden death to lay your hand upon the ark of the Lord. Beware of sin against the Holy Ghost. That is the unpardonable sin and cannot be forgiven. Sometimes the Holy Ghost comes like a mighty rushing wind from heaven and makes a great commotion among the people, sometimes silently. He comes to us here.

You want to take down your umbrellas and get your buckets right side up. God will fill the vessels and make you a powerhouse for Him; then God will show Himself mighty to pull down the strongholds of the devil and build up the kingdom of Christ. You will have power to preach, and signs and wonders will be wrought as in the days of the apostles. The Lord was with them. He was invisible but He was with them, confirming the Word with signs and wonders; and He will never forsake us if we obey Him.

Signs and wonders following. Following what? The preaching of the Word. He is here and ye shall see Him with what we call visible signs. Peter said, “This you see is the Holy Ghost.” If you are willing, you will see it here for God is coming in a wonderful way.

They saw the fire on the apostles’ heads and heard them speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance; they saw them stagger like drunken men. Wherever the Holy Ghost is poured out, you will see signs.14

That was a great meeting. The sick were brought on beds and cots, and God, at the hands of the apostles, wrought many signs and wonders. The fear of God fell on the people. Thousands and thousands were converted to God.

Their names were written in heaven; they were filled with the Holy Ghost, the glory of God. The power of God was so great they could not get close enough to have hands laid on all the sick. Peter seemed to be the leader in this divine-healing movement, and they tried to get them near enough that Peter’s shadow might overshadow some of them.15

The power was of the Holy Ghost. He that believeth on Jesus Christ shall have such power that out of his inward parts shall flow rivers of living waters.16 The Holy Spirit is like a river. Pentecost filled the apostles, and people were healed even watching for Peter’s shadow.

The power of the Holy Ghost struck the sick ones and healed them, and the people marvelled. Jesus did many mighty works, and He told the apostles they should do greater things than these if they believed on Him.

Men and women, God wants you to get into that place. Don’t you see God works through human instrumentality? God will use us if we are swallowed up in Him. In Chicago, people were healed sitting in their seats, and away up in the gallery some fell like dead people.

The power of God is going out while I am talking. You know I am speaking the truth. Believe it, accept it, and get more of Jesus. If we take in and take in and do not give out, we are like a sponge that needs to be squeezed. Let us get so full that it will run right out through us, not absorb and absorb and never give out.

Many of you are baptized with the Holy Ghost; you ought to send the power this way while I send it that way, and when the two come together something would happen. I could not keep my feet if you would do this, glory! Glory to God!

Take a picture of the revival. Did they act like crazy folks? Some of the best people in Jerusalem took part in that revival. All classes were there. People were lying all around, getting healed, or running to bring someone else to be healed, and multitudes were saved.

It was the greatest revival; divine healing was the drawing card. When people are healed it does not mean simply healing, but it brings people to Christ. Take the man healed at the Beautiful Gate of the temple.

Peter took the miracle as his text and preached. The authorities laid hands on him and commanded him not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, but Peter and John said, “We shall preach in that name anyway.” They prayed and the Holy Ghost came in great power. The outgrowth of that healing in the temple was a great revival.17

Notice the mighty power that went from Peter’s body. His very shadow healed people. Paul did special miracles; from his body were sent out handkerchiefs and aprons and the people were healed through them.18 This is different than any other miracle in the New Testament, but God is doing the same thing today.

The Holy Ghost works through our hands, through our bodies! We are sending out thousands of handkerchiefs all over the country, over land and sea. I could tell you wonderful stories of the work they do; five were healed from one handkerchief.

As we hold up Jesus, God sends His power through us, as He did in apostolic days. Let us arise and shine and give God the glory.

When I first started out to preach, I did not know I was to pray for anyone to be healed, but God showed me I was to preach divine healing. The devil tried to keep me back, but thousands have been healed and saved through healing.

I lay on hands in the name of Jesus. Tis Jesus makes you whole. Sometimes the power is so great they are healed instantly, leaping and jumping and praising God. The Lord is here, we can have as great a revival as they had in Jerusalem, and the fear of God will be upon the people.

God wants you to march to the cross and give glory to Him. We want to get to work here. Let Him do the work in your soul first. We are going to have a revival here like the one in Jerusalem, with many signs and wonders.

Getting divine healing isn’t like going to the doctor. Get baptized with the Holy Ghost before you leave; then when you get home you will not backslide. Glory to God!

“The Communings of Jesus”

Not a sound invades the stillness, Not a form invades the scene,

Save the voice of my Beloved, And the person of my King.

Refrain

Precious, gentle, holy Jesus,

Blessed, Bridegroom of my heart,

In the secret inner chamber,

Thou wilt whisper what Thou art. And within these heavenly places, Calmly hushed in deep repose, There I drink with joy absorbing, All the love Thou wouldst disclose. Wrapt in deep adoring silence, Jesus, Lord, I dare not move, Lest I lose the smallest whisper, Meant to catch the ear of Love. Rest thou, O my soul, contented, Thou hast reached thy happy place, In the bosom of thy Savior, Gazing up in His dear face.19

Taken from Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry of M. B. Woodworth-Etter.

Endnotes

1. Acts 5:12-13, paraphrased.

2. See Acts 5:14.

3. See Acts 5:15.

4. See Acts 5:16.

5. See Acts 5:17-20.

6. See Acts 5:22-23.

7. Joshua 23:10, paraphrased.

8. Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10.

9. John 14:10, paraphrased.

10. 1 Corinthians 6:19.

11. See Hebrews 1:14.

12. See Luke 5:18-26.

13. See 2 Samuel 6:14-23.

14. See Acts 2.

15. See Acts 5:15.

16. See John 7:38.

17. See Acts 3.

18. See Acts 19:11-12.

19. Composer unknown.

We all know, who have read the Acts of the Apostles, that their ministry was marvelously successful.. Here are a few brief reports of some of their revivals.

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.1

Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.2

And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.3

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.4

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.5 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.6

And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.7

But the word of God grew and multiplied.8

And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.9

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.10

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.11

Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.12

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.13

And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.14

There are three reasons, or causes, that gave the disciples this phenomenal success:

First: They preached the Gospel of the kingdom, which is, as I have already stated, a full Gospel for spirit, soul, and body. They preached exactly as the Lord told Jeremiah to preach. “Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word” (Jeremiah 26:2).

And as He told Jonah to preach: “And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching [that] I bid thee” (Jonah 3:1-2).

The apostles did not diminish a word of the Gospel of the kingdom. They preached precisely the Gospel that Christ bade them preach. And such preaching, God will always honor and bless.

In the second place, they preached this Gospel under the power of the Holy Ghost. This they received on the Day of Pentecost. This is such an essential and all-important factor in preaching that Jesus would not permit them to enter upon their great life work until they had received the divine anointing.

Had they not tarried in Jerusalem until this anointing came, there would never have been any Acts of the Apostles written, for there would not have been any acts upon their part needing to be recorded, and the revivals mentioned above would never have been reported.

In the third place, God bore witness to their preaching with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. This was as important a factor in their success as either of the others. I am satisfied that without these miracles, the Gospel would have made but little progress in pushing its way through the heathen world.

Notice the apostles’ prayer, which shows the estimation they placed upon miracles, especially the miracle of healing, as an auxiliary in their work: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).

Notice now a significant fact. Read the following:

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. . . . Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Acts 5:12-16

The significant fact is, that in this passage is a parenthesis which reads as follows: “(and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them.... And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)”15

Why did Luke insert that parenthesis? Did those miracles have anything to do with that multitude of believers, both men and women, being added to the Lord? They constituted a powerful factor in that revival.

That was the result in nearly every instance where miracles were performed, great revivals followed. Read these words: “And the word of God increased; and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people” (Acts 6:7-8).

Is there any relation between the miracles that Stephen wrought and the multiplication of disciples in Jerusalem? There is a most intimate and vital relation.

Take another case:

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.

Acts 8:5-8

Did the miracles of casting out unclean spirits and healing the lame have anything to do with the people giving heed with one accord to the things that Philip spake, and filling that city with joy? Very much. Take another case:

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

Acts 9:32-35

Raising Dorcas to life was another case with the same effect. “And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.”16

If ministers could cast out devils today in the name of Jesus and lay hands on the sick and have them restored to health, they would not preach to empty benches, nor mourn over the dearth of revivals. On the contrary, every minister who could do that would have crowded houses and a perpetual revival. And that is what God wants His ministers to do, and it is not His fault if they are not able to do it.

There is nothing the devil hates with more infernal malignity than divine healing. That is something that is visible, tangible, real, and valuable. When a lame man is made to walk, or a poor epileptic made well, there is something the unsaved world can see and appreciate. And it convinces them of the goodness and lov-ingkindness of God.

A book is lying before me entitled, Back to the Bible. I see another advertised, Back to Pentecost. Does it occur to these authors that to get back to the Bible and to Pentecost is to get back to miracle-working power?

Such a return would not only secure the baptism of the Spirit, but it would secure the gifts of the Spirit in the working of miracles. Is there anyone taking the back track in that direction?

Taken from Acts of the Holy Ghost.

Endnotes

1. Acts 2:41.

2. Acts 4:4.

3. Acts 5:14.

4. Acts 9:31.

5. Acts 10:44.

6. Acts 11:21.

7. Acts 13:44.

8. Acts 12:24.

9. Acts 16:5.

10. Acts 17:4.

11. Acts 6:7.

12. Acts 17:12.

13. Acts 2:47.

14. Acts 19:17-20

15. Acts 5:12-14.

16. Acts 9:42.

Jesus has all power in heaven and earth, but we have to touch Him by faith.1

Don’t think you will get anything if you doubt.2 The Lord Jesus never did anything without faith on the part of someone. You can never have faith without meeting His conditions. When you meet the conditions of surrender and obedience, He will drop the faith right down in your heart; it is the gift of God.3 Jesus will not do anything today without faith. You must have not only faith in God, but you must have the very faith of Jesus Christ, the faith that Jesus Himself had. When God said a thing, He knew that God was going to do it; and that is the faith that He will give to you. All the miracles that He ever did were through the faith of someone. When Jesus turned the water into wine, it was through the faith of His mother and the servants. She said to them, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” There was a need and she expected Him to do something to meet that need. He said to the servants, “Go and fill the water pots to the brim.” The servants had faith to prepare the water pots, knowing that Jesus was going to do something.4

Peter walked all right while he had faith, but when he doubted he began to sink. Jesus rebuked him, not because he was doing something so great as to be presumptuous, but because he did not have faith to walk right on.5 The centurion had great faith. He did not feel that he needed to have Jesus come to his house. He said, “I know that you have the power to heal with a word. Speak the word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus was surprised at such faith, and He healed the servant.6

We read of a father whose child was dying. He went a long journey to find the wonderful Nazarene. Jesus said to him, “Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe.” The father said, “Sir, come down ere my child die.” As the man talked with Jesus, as he got near to Him, he believed. Jesus put him to the test and said, “Go thy way, thy son liveth.” The man started off, and he did not have the witness till the next day when he got home. He did not urge Jesus to go home with him because he felt sure that the Lord had kept His word; and on his way home the servants met him and said, “Thy son liveth.” The son was healed, but not perfectly strong yet. If he had been, he would have run out to meet him. The father asked at what hour the fever left him. They said, “At the seventh hour.” The father wanted to know the hour that he might give God the glory. It was at the same hour when Jesus spoke the word to the father that the fever left his son and he began to amend. This healing was brought about by the faith and obedience of the father. He believed God, though he did not get the witness til he got home.7

When Lazarus was raised from the dead, it was through the faith of Martha. That is a most beautiful picture of what God can do through faith. Jesus loved those two sisters and Lazarus. It all rested with Martha whether or not that brother should be raised from the dead. He said, in substance, “If you will only believe my word, you are going to see something marvelous.” But Martha was not through yet. There was a stone to be rolled away. It may be that you have a stone to be rolled away before your child can be healed, or before you can get your baptism.

According to the custom no one would dare to touch that stone but by order of the family. So Martha had to cooperate with Jesus when He gave the order. But at first she objected and said, “Master, by this time he is offensive.” Just as though the master did not know His own business! He looked at her and said, “Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? How is it that you are so forgetful, Martha?” Then she got her eyes on Jesus and looked away from the corpse of Lazarus. I seem to see her step forth like a queen giving the order to roll the stone away.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and thanked His Father that He had heard Him and that He knew that He heard Him always. He wanted the unbelieving people to know that His Father heard Him that they might see and believe. Beloved, do you want to be healed, or do you want to be baptized with the Holy Ghost that God may be glorified, that men and women may see the mighty miracles that He does and believe God? He said to His Father, “Thou hearest me always,” and He will always hear your prayer if you believe God. Then Jesus went forth and cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” And the dead came back to life, and many saw this mighty miracle and many believed. What a happy time they had as they went back to that home and took supper together.8

But you say, “Why does not God hear me?” Just because you do not obey Him, and you would not give Him a bit of glory if He did heal you.

When that sick man was carried up to the roof, do you not think that took some faith on his part, as well as on the part of those who carried him? How the finger of scorn was pointed at them all along the road. But the sick man did not expect to be carried back. They broke up the roof and let the man down in the midst before Jesus. “And when he saw their faith He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.” He forgives all and heals all. Ring the bells of heaven, for thy sins are forgiven. Then he said, “Arise, and take up thy couch, and go unto thine house.” The man knew he could not arise, but as Jesus spoke the word, he made the effort in faith, and “immediately he rose up before them.”9

The very minute you begin to exercise faith, God begins to work. Do not come up here to have prayer offered for your healing unless you expect to be healed at once. Forget your disease and look at Jesus. Do you believe that God is going to take it away? Well, then, clap your hands and shout victory. It is faith and obedience that bring the healing. It is not long prayers but it is the look of faith. When you see the people begin to clap their hands and look for Jesus to come in, you see a change come into their faces. If you give your sickness to God, you have not got it. When He tells you to arise and walk, you will have to do it and show your faith by your acts like a well person.

We say to them, move your feet, move your hands by faith. We want your whole body set free. If you do not think God is going to do something, don’t come up here. That palsied man did not expect to be carried back. He walked back and carried his bed. As the disease begins to go, the virtue of Jesus begins to come in. So this man had faith to rise up and carry his couch. He had to take God at His Word and so have you. You see him standing there, healed, moving his hands and moving his feet, and making a great noise praising the Lord just like an old “crank”! Some of you would not do that after prayer was offered for you, but you would make a beeline to get right back in bed! But he did not forget what the Lord said, to carry his bed, as well as to rise up and walk. He felt like jumping over the bed. He did not say, “Don’t ask me to run until tomorrow. Don’t ask me to carry my bed for they will laugh at me, and I will never hear the last of it.” I suppose he was shouting for joy like a crazy person. He broke up the meeting, but it was Jesus’ meeting, and He did not say, “Stop making that noise,” but He said, “Let him alone.”

Faith comes by hearing the Word.10 When Paul was preaching at Lystra, there was a cripple who had never walked. Paul perceived that he had faith to be healed. God is waiting for someone to have faith so He can get a chance to work a miracle. Paul said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.”11

If you will venture the leap in faith, the Lord will catch you. Most people do not have faith in God. God smiled His approval on the Son of God by confirming His Word with signs and wonders. God baptized Jesus with the Holy Ghost and fire, also the disciples on the Day of Pentecost; so when God baptizes you with the Holy Ghost and fire, signs and wonders will follow. There is no limit to His power if we believe Him. The winds and the waves obeyed Him, and the fig tree was withered by His Word.12 He said that they who believed on Him could pluck up the sycamine^13 tree by the roots and cast the mountain into the sea and even do greater things than He did on earth because He went to His Father.14

The time has come for greater things, beloved. On the Day of Pentecost, the greater things began. On the Day of Pentecost He did something that had never been done before; many miracles had been wrought, but the disciples had never spoken in tongues. They were gathered together praising God the best they could when the Holy Ghost came upon them in a fiery baptism and spoke through them in new tongues; this was what broke up the unbelief in many of the Jewish people. They were amazed and said, “What does this mean? How hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born?” And here is a beautiful point, “We do hear them speak in our tongue the wonderful works of God.”15

That was what brought three thousand people to their knees that day. God had said, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit; I will pour out a cloudburst of power and glory upon My people. They shall speak with new tongues, they shall prophesy, they shall cast out devils.”16 Don’t be tired of hearing people speak in new tongues; don’t call anything common or unclean that God does.17 It is the Holy Ghost let down from heaven. The Word says, “With stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.”18

I have seen hundreds healed in one day. God is showing the people the double cure of Calvary, for soul and body. Every time you hear God speaking through someone in tongues, it is the voice of God saying, “Get ready.” The Great Tribulation is going to break sooner than you think. The Word says that in the last days knowledge shall be increased.19 Think of the wonderful inventions in these last days.

The saints also are getting knowledge of what is coming. Great troubles are coming, tidal waves, earthquakes, etc. We warned San Diego when we were there. They wanted us to stay another month, but God did not lead us to do so, and the storm broke the very day we left there. So the Lord does warn His children. I have known the Lord to turn aside storms and cyclones in answer to prayer, and I have known Him to do mighty miracles.

When we were holding meetings and it was so hot and dusty, several times we have asked God to send the rain to lay the dust and to cool the air so the people could come, and God has sent rain just around the locality. One time He led me to have meetings out in a wilderness, where we were five miles from the nearest railroad station. I did not know what God did this for, but I did know one thing, and that was that God wanted to show forth His power and glory. A great mass of people came, and the Lord led me to take that text, “What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?”20 There were a number of Jewish brethren there, and I said, “That rain was in answer to prayer. Did you have any rain at Mt. Pleasant?” They turned pale as they realized the power of God.

The very earth was shaken with the power of God at Muncie, Indiana, where we were holding meetings. A great mass of people were there, and they had to stand, as we could not provide seats for them. They would fall against each other under the power of God. At two or three places God sent the sound of His armies in the tree-tops. The Lord said, “You must have more power among these people.” I said to them, “We must have more of the power of God here. I am never going to preach another time to this people till God comes in power that you have never seen. Those of you who will take this stand and stay with me till the Lord comes in power, get down on your knees by me here.” They began to be frightened. But I said, “If you do not come and wait on God with me I will go away.” They did not want me to go away, so they came and got on their knees.

When you get down before God with such a determination as that, you do not have to wait very long. I would keep quoting Scripture and the power of God settled down upon us, and there was a holy awe. Some infidels laughed but they were frightened enough before we got through. Then we heard a sound in the tops of the trees, a sort of roaring. Some thought it was a great storm coming, but the Lord told me to look up and see the moon and stars shining. There was no sign of a storm. I gave a shout and said, “It is the armies of the Lord. Hallelujah!” I don’t remember all that happened, but God came in great power. Some of the people were frightened, but I said, “Stand your ground. The Lord will strike you down under His power in your homes if you run away from this meeting.” The people began to get converted all over the country. You remember how David heard “the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees” when the Lord went forth to fight for him against his enemies.21 Are we waiting to hear from heaven today?

God is going to do great things in these last days. We are living in very solemn times, and God is doing His strange work of judgment. Jesus is coming soon, and we will need to trust God to hide us away from the coming storm. The Son of Man is near, even at the doors. Awful tribulation is coming. The signs and wonders that He is now giving confirm the message that the last days are upon us. The damning sin of unbelief is all around us. But God is even raising the dead, here and there. A woman was dead, and the Lord gave me the prayer of faith; and in that big congregation I commanded her to come back to life in the name of Jesus.

Get on the whole armor of God.22 Have faith in God, simple faith that will ask no questions. Keep low under the blood of Jesus. He says, “My people shall never be ashamed.”23 Terrible times are coming even in this land. Everything will be shaken except the people of God who are hidden away in the secret place of the Most High. If you do not take the warning messages that have been given here, I will witness against you in that day. “Let no man take your crown.”24

“Hold fast till I come,” Jesus says.25 We will go up to meet Him in the clouds.26 Now may God seal this message for His glory.

San Francisco, January 29, 1916

Transcribed by Mrs. Carrie Judd Montgomery from an address given by Mrs. Etter given in San Francisco, January 29, 1916, at Mid-winter Convention. Triumphs of Faith. February, 1916.

Endnotes

1. See Matthew 28:18.

2. See James 1:6-7.

3. See Ephesians 2:8.

4. See John 2:1-11.

5. See Matthew 14:28-31.

6. See Matthew 8:5-10.

7. See John 4:46-53.

8. See John 11:1-45.

9. See Mark 2:3-12.

10. See Romans 10:17.

11. See Acts 14:8-10.

12. See Matthew 8:27, Luke 8:25, and Matthew 21:19.

13. “sycamine”—a tree mentioned in the Bible (Luke 17:6), believed to be a mulberry (Morus nigra) with dark fruit (Webster’s N. W., 1997).

14. See Matthew 21:20-21 and John 14:12.

15. See Acts 2:1-12.

16. See Joel 2:28 and Acts 2:16-18.

17. See Acts 10:28.

18. Isaiah 28:11, emphasis Maria Etter’s.

19. See Daniel 12:4.

20. See Matthew 11:7 and Luke 7:24.

21. See 2 Samuel 5:24.

22. See Ephesians 6:13-18.

23. See Joel 2:26-27.

24. Revelation 3:11, paraphrased.

25. Revelation 2:25.

26. See 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

In John 15:26, Jesus is speaking of the coming of the Holy Ghost:

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father ... he shall testify of me.”

He is the Holy Ghost. The Lord speaks of the Holy Ghost as a person as much as He would of one of the apostles. On the Day of Pentecost, they were all of one accord, in one place, and something happened.1 It will every day if you have the Spirit. “Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind.”2 This was the Holy Ghost when He came to stay. “There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”3

“When this was noised abroad, the multitude came together.” What was noised abroad? That these people were all speaking in other languages. The news went through Jerusalem, and “the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”4 And those who came were men out of every nation under heaven.

They heard these hundred and twenty speak in their own language wherein they were born. This is what gathered the people and confounded them. “They were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? . . . we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”5

The Holy Ghost is a wonderful person, not a myth or shadow. Pentecost is the greatest thing that ever happened in God’s work when the Holy Ghost came in to stay. He came and took possession of one hundred and twenty men and women. He sat upon their heads in cloven tongues of fire and went in and took possession of their bodies, then of their vocal organs; and they spoke, every one, as He gave them utterance.

They spoke in languages they had never learned. They did not know what they were saying. The Holy Ghost took possession of their tongues and spoke through them. He spoke through the clay as you would speak through a telephone. [He] told about Jesus. “He shall testify of me.”6

Jesus told the apostles that they should be witnesses.7 The Holy Ghost, when He came, knew all about it; and He told through them of the wonderful works of God. When this was noised abroad, multitudes gathered. It was the speaking in tongues that drew the people. When they heard them, they were confounded and said, “What meaneth this?”8

I want you to notice this point—it was speaking in tongues that confounded them. The Holy Ghost spoke through these unlearned men who had never been to college to learn other languages. It was one of the most wonderful things God ever did; it is now, when God speaks through you.

The Lord said through the prophet, many hundred years ago, “Whom shall he teach knowledge? . . . them that are weaned from the milk.”9 The wisdom of the world was to be confounded through these unlearned people, and it proved to be so.

Jesus had been on earth, healed the sick, cast out devils, cleansed the temple, but the Jews rejected and crucified Him. Now, on the Day of Pentecost when they heard the Holy Ghost speak through these one hundred and twenty unlearned men and women, they were confounded. They heard them tell of Jesus, whom they had crucified, and were convinced that this was the work of divine power. Some said, “These people are drunk, filled with new wine,” but Peter said, “They cannot be drunk so early in the day.”10

He went back to the Old Testament scriptures and told what the prophet had said about the coming of the Holy Ghost. “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.”11 The Holy Ghost had been with the apostles in a wonderful way, but they had not spoken with other tongues until Pentecost. Isaiah prophesied, “With stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people . . . yet they would not hear.”12 God Almighty was speaking through other tongues. Pentecost was proving the prophecy was fulfilled.

They would not believe Jesus, so they had to be convinced by the Word of God that what they heard was the Holy Ghost, as spoken by the prophets. Peter preached to them, taking the Old Testament as proof. They were convicted of sin and converted, three thousand of them.13 They cried out for mercy, “We have crucified the Lord. What shall we do?” They got saved and baptized in the Holy Ghost. Peter said to them, “This you see is from the Father; repent of what ye did; turn to God and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”14

“The promise is unto you, and to your children.” You can all have the same power we have and do the same things, you and your children. You can get this baptism and teach it to your children; they can have it. And “all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”15

God sends the Holy Ghost to come into the human body; He takes charge of the vocal organs and the person has nothing to do about it. But for all that, God does such a wonderful thing some of you will not believe it. Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers; they were the worst kind of unbelievers; they had crucified the Lord, but they were made to believe in Jesus Christ by this sign.16 They were convinced by this sign that Jesus was the Messiah, when everything else had failed.

These were unlearned men, all Galileans, yet they spoke all these tongues representing the different nations, in a wonderful way. It takes years and years to master other languages and very few speak them fluently like natives. These were unlearned people, yet they spoke fluently like natives, because God Almighty spoke through them.

Everyone who is baptized in the Holy Ghost today, as he ought to be, speaks in another language; and the first words almost always are, “Jesus is coming soon!” The pouring out of the Holy Spirit in this way is a sign that we are in the last days. When He comes in His fullness, He shall take possession and talk through you of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. When Jesus went away, he said, “Do not preach; but tarry at Jerusalem until ye receive power, after the Holy Ghost comes upon you.”17

After their training of three years, they had much to tell, but He told them not to talk about it. He told them to stay together and watch until the power should come and then they should testify of Him. Now, when the Holy Ghost came and took possession of them, remember they kept still until the Holy Ghost testified through them; then they could be witnesses.

They had to keep still until the Holy Ghost testified through every one of them. He told the wonderful works of God—Jesus died and rose again, went to God’s right hand, and sent the Holy Ghost to testify of Him. It is so wonderful to me, the Holy Ghost speaking first and the rest waiting until He had finished.

He took the Scriptures, for the people always believed in the prophets. He took the witness stand and brought to them the proof that the promise of the Father had literally come to pass in the fullness of time. God had spoken in other tongues through men. Peter took up the Word, and confirmed what the Holy Ghost had done.18 He confirmed it by the Old Testament.

Jesus said, “When the Holy Ghost comes in, He shall testify of Me, then you shall be witnesses. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”19 When the Holy Ghost comes in to abide, He comes into the body like rivers of living water.20 The power comes from the heart, not the head. We talk through the intellect; the Holy Ghost talks through the spirit. The Holy Ghost testifies when it is God’s work.

Peter said, “This is that,” this special thing. These, acting like drunken men, these talking in other languages—all this is “that spoken by the prophet.” God said when His Spirit was poured out He would speak with stammering lips and another tongue; but some will not believe it.

The cloven tongues are seen. In Dallas and Chicago, fire was seen upon the heads of some. It is the same Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues; why not see the cloven tongues of fire?

When the Holy Ghost comes in, He will take possession of the house, take the uppermost seat, and speak Himself. Paul shows it is a wonderful thing for God to speak through you in unknown tongues by the Holy Ghost. He quotes the prophets of thousands of years ago.

Paul said, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”21 “I would that ye all spake with tongues.”22 “Forbid not to speak with tongues.”23

This is one of the last signs of the soon coming of Jesus. Most everyone that is baptized with the Holy Ghost, the first words they speak in an unknown tongue when interpreted is, “Jesus is coming soon, get ready.” Everyone that speaks in an unknown tongue should pray that he might interpret.24

Paul said, “Desire spiritual gifts ... he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man under-standeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.”25

Tongues are for a sign to unbelievers that Jesus is coming soon and that the Holy Ghost is poured out. Those who have the gift of tongues can speak at will or anytime that the Spirit is moving. Some even lose their experience and still speak anytime, anything they want to, casting reflections on the cause; this is in the flesh and not of God.

John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost from his birth, yet he was under the law.26 The mother of Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost but had to receive the baptism with the rest.27 The apostles had received the Holy Spirit and had the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, yet [they] were baptized on the Day of Pentecost.28

Follow on and get the real baptism, and you will be filled with all the fullness. Jesus did not have the fullness of power until He finished His work, laid down His life, and God raised Him from the dead.

When He arose He was a mighty conqueror; then He had all authority and power. He breathed upon the apostles and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”29 Their understanding was opened, and they knew more than they ever did before. They were wonderfully blessed.

You must be full of joy before you get the baptism. They were full of joy and all of one mind and one spirit. Glory to God! They went to the Upper Room, they were ready, they believed, and they waited at Jerusalem; they continued with one accord, not praying and begging all the time, but waiting.

Stop begging and get joy in your heart, and then you will get something. God had been moving in power and they had cast out devils; but now they waited until the power came upon them, and they spoke in new tongues.

Just as far as you believe, you will receive. Everyone, after the baptism, is supposed to speak with tongues. They had the testimony of the prophets, and Christ said they should speak with tongues. They were prayed up to date, they believed, expected, praised, and the Holy Ghost came down upon them.

They were full of joy; every doubt was gone. They did not care about the results—only that He came; and everyone was filled with the Holy Ghost. You must have something else, the other gifts: casting out devils, healing the sick. Poison or the deadly serpent shall not harm you.30

The apostles had nearly all the gifts; they looked for tongues. Many have only spoken with tongues once; they are not looking for other gifts. Just as far as you believe, you will get every blessing. We ask God to sanctify us and bless us, and just as far as our faith reaches out, we get what we ask for.31

In these days, we have too much light of God to wink at ignorance. We see miracles done, showing that the Holy Ghost is poured out; and God wants us to step out for all the gifts. There is the poison, some running sores, putrid and full of poison. People come here like that; when we ask God to rebuke that and believe He will, it will be cleansed.

If you accidentally drink poison, believe, give Him the glory, and the poison won’t hurt you. A serpent fastened on Paul’s hand, he shook it off and suffered no harm, and they thought he was a god and wanted to worship him.32 All these things are the work of the Holy Ghost.

Many people teach today that no one has the Holy Spirit until baptized with the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost comes in different degrees: the filling of the Spirit and the baptism in the Spirit. The baptism comes down on your head like a cloud. When the prophets were anointed, the oil was poured over their heads; then the Holy Ghost came into them.33 The Holy Ghost must come upon our heads, then all through us, taking possession of us. Many people do not think of anything but speaking in tongues; they lay everything else aside.

Thirty-five years ago, I was baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire; and I stood alone. When the Pentecostal movement broke out and some said they would not have anything but tongues, I was kept back and could not do much with the movement at first. There was so much false teaching, the Holy Ghost was driven away from many people. They wanted the Holy Ghost to work this way and not that way. Let the Holy Ghost work in any way that agrees with the Word of God.

The apostles had faith; they knew they were going to have power as they had never had it before. God has given us light, and He expects us to have faith that we shall receive the Holy Ghost in such a wonderful way that He will speak through us.

I believe the Holy Ghost will speak in tongues through everyone who receives the baptism, and you will receive the other gifts also if you believe for them. In these last days, God is raising up a people who will blow the trumpet.

How can we sing in the heavenly choir unless we are filled with the Holy Ghost? John heard the song of the redeemed like the rushing of mighty waters.34 It is the Holy Ghost; it rolls up and sounds like the rushing of many waters. We have heard the heavenly music and many times there are sounds like instruments playing. The Holy Ghost sings through the people. God is working in mysterious ways these days, and I bless Him for it.

The early rain and the latter rain, much more abundant, were promised in the same month, with the same power and gifts as in the early Church.35 “Greater things shall ye do, because I go to the Father.”36 He has left His work in our hands. It means something wonderful to be baptized in the Holy Ghost. The Jews were unbelieving until they heard the Holy Ghost speaking in other tongues through those unlearned people. They knew it was God; they realized they had crucified the Lord, that He had risen and gone to glory, and they cried out, “What shall we do?”

Jesus prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”37 When the Holy Ghost came, they knew what they had done. The “tongues” were a sign to unbelievers; it is today one of the greatest things God ever did.

The Holy Ghost will sing through us. He is training us to sing at the marriage supper of the Lamb. We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed; we shall have a glorious body like Jesus and shall rise to meet Him in the air, full of joy.38

People who are healed are full of joy and sometimes jump and dance when the healing power comes into them. The Holy Ghost takes all the deadness and stiffness out of them; sometimes God slays them and lays them down so He can talk to them.

Men and women, rejoice! Seek the baptism and receive the gifts. You shall have them if you believe for them, and you shall be witnesses. May God seal this to some heart, in the name of Jesus.

Taken from Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry of M. B. Woodworth-Etter.

Endnotes

1. See Acts 2:1.

2. Acts 2:2.

3. Acts 2:3-4.

4. Acts 2:6.

5. Acts 2:7-8,11.

6. John 15:26.

7. See Acts 1:8. ‘

8. Acts 2:12.

9. Isaiah 28:9.

10. Acts 2:13 and 15, paraphrased.

11. Acts 2:16.

12. Isaiah 28:11-12.

13. See Acts 2:41.

14. See Acts 2:36-38.

15. Acts 2:39.

16. See 1 Corinthians 14:22.

17. Acts 1:4 and 8, paraphrased.

18. See Acts 2:14-36.

19. John 15:26 and Acts 1:8, paraphrased; 2 Corinthians 13:1.

20. See John 7:38-39.

21. 1 Corinthians 14:18-19.

22. 1 Corinthians 14:5.

23. 1 Corinthians 14:39.

24. See 1 Corinthians 14:13.

25. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5, paraphrased.

26. See Luke 1:15.

27. See Luke 1:35.

28. See John 20:22 and Romans 5:5.

29. John 20:22.

30. See Mark 16:18 and Luke 10:19.

31. See Matthew 7:7-8.

32. See Acts 28:3-6.

33. See Exodus 29:7.

34. Possibly a mixed allusion to Revelation 1:15 and 5:9-13.

35. See Joel 2:23.

36. John 14:12, paraphrased.

37. Luke 23:34.

38. See 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

The Knowledge of God the Result of Divine Revelation

This is not understood by anyone except he has the Holy Ghost.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Many today apply this [verse] to eternity, to the other world; they think we can never know these things until we get into another world. I am glad the scripture explains itself. “Eye hath not seen,” in the natural state. “God hath”—in the present time—”revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” The new birth brings us into the realm of the supernatural. How [did He] revealed them? By His Spirit in this world. “The Spirit searcheth all things; yea, the deep things of God.”

I desire to call your attention, especially, to the fourteenth verse: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”1 The natural man (anyone who has not received the new birth) cannot understand this wonderful scripture.

There are two classes of man: the spiritual man and the natural man. The natural man is in the “gall of bitterness.”2 The spiritual man is born of God and walks in the Spirit; he gets out into the deep. The natural man can never discern spiritual things; he can never hear and understand the work of the Lord; these things pass all human understanding. The wisdom of this world—intellect and science— can never understand the spiritual things of God.

There are two kinds of wisdom. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.3 The wisdom from above, the natural man cannot comprehend. It never enters his imagination to think of the things God hath prepared for those who love Him.

He hath prepared already and He hath revealed them to us by His Spirit. His Spirit lets us down into the deep things, even the deep things of God. This is what we preach, what we practice, and what we stand on. The work of the Spirit is foolishness to the natural man, but he that hath the Spirit can discern spiritual things.

Various Kinds of Spirits

There are many kinds of power and many spirits going out in the world today. We are told to try the spirits for they are many.4 Everything is revealed by God through the blessed Holy Ghost. There is only one Spirit we want anything to do with, not our own spirit, nor any other spirit, but the Spirit of the living God. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”; and “He will lead us into all truth,”5 all the way. He will lead us where we can get the truth. The child of God will be led into the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, which is the Pentecostal baptism.

Then we can go from one deep thing to another. The Holy Ghost is sent to us by Jesus Christ, and all spiritual gifts come through the Holy Ghost. Jesus said, “He shall not speak of Himself, but of Me; He will speak to you and show you the things to come.”6 We believe it. Glory to God!

This is the Holy Ghost who came at Pentecost and turned Jerusalem upside down; and Jesus said that when the Holy Ghost came, He should abide with us forever, even unto the end.7 The work of the Spirit is foolishness to the natural man; he cannot comprehend it.

Unless you hear the voice of God, the voice of the natural man will make you attribute what you see to excitement or to some other power. When the Holy Ghost is poured out, there are always two classes—one is convinced and convicted and accepts it; the other says, “If I accept, I will have to lead a different life and be a gazing stock for the world and suffer persecution.” They are not willing to pay the price, so they begin to draw back. First they wonder at the strange acts; then when they won’t accept, they begin to despise. Everyone who continues to despise the works of the Holy Ghost will perish.

Satanic Power

There are many powers in the world that are not of God, but are counterfeit; but where there is a counterfeit there is always a genuine. No one ever tries to counterfeit anything that is not genuine; that is sure evidence that it is genuine.

The devil shows his power in a good many ways to deceive people. He tries to substitute some other power for the power of God. It was so in the time of Moses and the time of the prophets. God’s power was especially in the world at certain times, and then magicians would come up with their power and show something that seemed similar. One was of God; the other was of the devil. Moses went to Egypt to lead the people out. Before Pharaoh he threw down his rod and it became a live serpent. The magicians said they had the same power, so they threw their rods down, and they became serpents.8 One was of God, and the other was of the devil. Moses did not get scared and run away; he knew God and wouldn’t have run if all the serpents in Egypt had come before him.

He stood his ground, and I admire him for it; I do not like a coward. What was the result? Moses’ serpent swallowed the others up, head and tail! There was nothing left of them. Those who are trying to overthrow the power of God and substitute something else will have a day of judgment. The time is coming when the Almighty God will manifest His power then they, too, will be swallowed up.

The Lamb of God left the realms of glory and came down here to be footsore, dusty, weary, spat upon. He said, “I come to do thy will, O God.”9 If He had not borne all these things, if he had not gone all the way to the cross, the Holy Ghost never could have come. If He had been left in the tomb, the Holy Ghost never could have come. As soon as He arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, the Holy Ghost could come.

Christ’s Sovereignty

God gave His Son the highest place before all the hosts of heaven; then He sent the Holy Ghost to dwell in these bodies, His temple. The Holy Ghost is a great power; He is compared to wind, water, and fire.

At Pentecost He came like a cyclone—a mighty, rushing wind.10 He is to come like rivers of living water.11 He comes as fire. Tongues of fire sat upon each of them at Pentecost.12 Wind, water, and fire— the most destructive elements we have, yet the most useful.

God uses them to denote the mighty power of the Holy Ghost. He was to be given after Jesus was glorified. We see many demonstrations of His mighty power; and we can but “speak of the things we have seen and heard” of His glory, His majesty.13 When we know these things, we are witnesses to His power, His majesty, and His glory. Glory to God!

He is a mighty power, and He lives in these bodies. He lets down an “eternal weight of glory” upon us here, and when we are filled with this glory we have to give vent to it sometimes or we would explode.14 What are we? Only worms of the dust; we cannot stand the glory of God; one breath from Him lays us prostrate.

In the Bible we read how men fell to the ground when they had a glimpse of God’s glory. Saint Paul tells us there are those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof; from such we are to turn away.15 “In the last days perilous times shall come,” and those who have reprobate minds shall withstand God’s children to their faces, even as the magicians withstood Moses.16

In the last days there will be some people living very near to God; but the devil will have his workers too, who will attribute signs and wonders to any power except the power of Christ. The Lamb of God, the lion of the tribe of Judah, has never lost His power and never will lose His power, and I would hate to say by my actions that I thought the devil had more power than God.

God’s Power Unlike Any Other

There is a wonderful difference between the power of God and any of those other powers. The Holy Ghost comes only in Christ; He only comes into the bodies of those who love God. When He takes possession of us, He takes us away into the sweetest experience this side of heaven—alone with God. He talks to us and reveals to us “things to come.”17

It is wonderful! God puts us under the power and God takes us out. No man can bestow this power upon another; it comes only through Jesus Christ. There are two kinds of power, and people who do not know the difference will stand up today and say wisdom is foolishness.

Many people today have an intellectual faith, a historical faith; they believe. Well, the devils believe and tremble;18 belief is one thing, faith is another. “The letter killeth: the spirit giveth life.”19 If the truth is hid, it is hid to those who are lost.

We may have intellectual imaginations, go through a course of study learning the doctrines of men; yet there is none but the Holy Ghost who can give us a real abiding, tangible, definite knowledge of the things of God. They seem foolish to the natural man. Sometimes the Holy Ghost gives a spirit of laughter and sometimes of weeping, and everyone in the place will be affected by the Spirit.

I have stood before thousands of people and could not speak, just weeping. When I was able to see, people were weeping everywhere. That is one way the Holy Ghost works. I have stood an hour with my hands raised, held by the mighty power of God. When I came to myself and saw the people, their faces were shining.

“God moves in a mysterious way/His wonders to perform.”20 He is the God I worship. Jesus says, “Here am I and the children Thou hast given Me.”21 We believe in signs and wonders, not from beneath, but from above. We are a people to be wondered at; we are for a sign among the people.22

Citizenship

The heaven of heavens cannot contain God, yet He tabernacles with men; He comes and dwells in us. His gifts are demonstrated through us, that people may know God dwells in Zion; we have a bodyguard of angels. The angels of the Lord encamp around those who love God.23 “Our citizenship is in heaven,”24 and we are on the way.

The Holy Ghost works in many ways. People saw the fire on the disciples’ heads at Pentecost; they staggered like drunken men; then the Holy Ghost took possession of their tongues. God Almighty spoke through one hundred and twenty of His children, and they were telling of His wonderful works. They did not know what they were saying, but every man heard them speak in his own tongue wherein he was born.25

I am glad God does the same thing today. People who are not saved hate the power of God; the cold, dead formalists cannot understand the power of God; it is foolishness to them. They think people are excited, hypnotized, have lost their mind.

May God have mercy upon us if we do not know God’s power from hypnotic power or devil power! If any man speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall never be forgiven him. To attribute the work of the Holy Ghost to the devil or to any unclean spirit cannot be forgiven; that is the unpardonable sin.26

Some people are calling the Holy Ghost the devil, and they had better beware. There are different kinds of spirits and different kinds of power; and the natural man cannot understand the work of the Holy Spirit—shining faces, singing, shouting as one, to make one sound (See 2 Chronicles 5:13); sometimes staggering and falling, “drunken, but not with wine”27; sometimes speaking with other tongues.

Spiritual Manifestations in Angelic Singing

Praise God, some of the redeemed are getting so filled with the Holy Ghost that He is singing through them songs that none but the redeemed can sing, “There are diversities of operations, but the same Spirit.”28 Paul tells us, “The Spirit will work in you in one way and in someone else in another way; you know it is the same Spirit, and you do not get jealous because the other is blessed; no matter how the Spirit works, every member of the body is profited.”29

People look on these things; they see us lift up holy hands to God, and they don’t like it. They are too dead. They could not get their hands up. Paul says, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands.”30 The Psalmist says, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”31

People go to the theatre and clap their hands; but when we are raised from the spiritually dead and we get our grave clothes off and begin to clap our hands, they think it an awful thing. David danced with all his might before the ark, and sometimes the Spirit of God gets into our feet and makes them like “hinds’ feet.”32 David says, “By my God have I leaped over a wall.”33 How much more in these last days when we are getting ready for a flight in the air! We must get a good supply of this power; the same power that took Jesus up will take us up one day.

We want more of it, don’t we? More of this mighty power. No matter what people say—foolishness, hypnotism, and every other thing—that doesn’t make it so. The Spirit will take us out into the deep things, even “the deep things of God.”34

Old Testament Types Revealed by the Spirit in the New

Many things recorded in the Old Testament are types of the work of the Spirit in the New. Many of the movements of God through His children seemed foolishness, and the messages He gave His prophets to carry, humanly speaking, seemed very foolish.

He gave Noah a plan of the ark—only one window, only one door. He built it according to God’s plan, not heeding the jeers of the people, who thought he was losing his mind. He was a gazing stock for everybody, but he went on with the building and proved the wisdom of God in the end.

He built the ark and God provided the water, more water than they wanted—too much water for them. What happened? God took those who believed Him into the ark and shut the door. The water rose and the ark went above the treetops—as we are going someday. God is building the ark now, and the works of the Holy Ghost are foolishness to the people who are fighting them.

The ark sailed away and the world went down, all except Noah and his family.35 Not many are going into the ark God is building; people are crying, “foolishness!” One time there was a great battle, the enemy had gathered like grasshoppers. God knew there were a lot of cowards among His people, and He tested them until only three hundred were left to meet the enemy.

The Leader—The Signal—The Result

God can work by the few as well as the many. He told Gideon what to do. He divided the men into three companies and “put a trumpet in every man’s hand with empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers,” he said. “When I give the signal, blow the trumpet and say, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.’”

As they obeyed their leader, something happened (God always has a leader). At the signal, they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, revealing the lamps, and they shouted, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.”

At the shout and the light, the enemy was frightened to death and started to run, but God sent confusion among them. That little band of three hundred “cranks” put the whole host of the enemy to flight. What they did seemed foolish, did it not? But what was the outcome? The whole army of the enemy was conquered.36

God used a vision—He does sometimes. He let Gideon go down to the enemy’s camp, and he heard a man tell his fellows a vision or dream of how a “cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and came into a tent and smote it that it fell and overturned it, that the tent lie alone.” The other interpreted it, “This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon; into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the hosts.” So Gideon believed and took courage.37

Children of God who think you are something—you are nothing. When you realize you are nothing, God fights for you. How foolish seemed the method of fighting the Midianites! Israel might have said, “If we break the pitchers, the lamps will show the enemy where we are and they will shoot us.” When God speaks, go forward, obey Him; He takes care of His own.

Truly, God moves in a mysterious way. Remember the fall of Jericho? It had great walls around it, and all the people were shut in. God said to Joshua that he and his men of war should march around the city once a day for six days, seven priests bearing before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns. On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times, the priests blowing with the trumpets; and when they made a long blast the people were to shout, and the walls should fall down.38

It took faith to do all that marching without any sign of victory and to shout—anyone can shout after the walls fall. Humanly speaking, how foolish this all was! Don’t you see? No preparation for war, only marching and blowing rams’ horns; but that was God’s way, and they were simple enough to obey God! What was the result? The walls went down.

So we could go all through the Word of God; so many things that seem so silly, things people would laugh at, but it was God’s way, and His servants were willing to obey Him. The result showed the wonderful wisdom and brought victory through a visible display of His power.

Apparent Ignorance in the Natural Is Height Upon

Height in Wisdom in the Spiritual

When these visible signs came, they put a fear of God upon the people; it is so with the works of the Holy Ghost. The ways of God are foolishness to the natural man, and the works of the Spirit are foolishness to the natural man; but what is the outcome?

Paul said, “If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”39 Later he said, “I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.”40 He said he was carried away to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body, he could not tell—he could not tell whether his whole body went or not; he was so light he could not tell whether he had left his body here or not.41

He said, “God knoweth,” and he heard unutterable things. At another time Paul was praying in the temple and fell under the power of God; he fell into a trance. To the world he appeared to be unconscious, but he was never so wide-awake to God in his life.42

It is then that the Spirit of God lets us down into the deep things, even the deep things of God. Peter fell into a trance upon the housetop, and God spoke to him three times.43 Paul and Silas started out to visit converts. Paul had a vision; he saw a man of Macedonia holding out his hands and saying, “Come over and help us.” He knew it was the call of God, so they changed their course and went to this place, altogether different from their plans.44

When they began to preach and were arrested, they might have thought they had been mistaken; but Paul knew God, and he never doubted it was God’s voice that had called him. They might have said, “If we had not come here, we would have had many people to preach to; now we have come to this strange place, have been put in prison, with our feet fast in the stocks.” The devil put them in there, but God permitted it, and God delivered them.

There are many wonderful things all about us in these last days, things the natural man cannot understand, demonstrations of God’s power. There are other powers too, and many do not know the difference. God’s power is the greatest and is the only power that will bring peace to your soul.

God wants you to be pure and holy, filled with the Holy Ghost; but the devil is right here, too, and if you do not know the difference you will be listening to him. He comes sometimes as an angel of light.45 One word in the Garden of Eden upset the world; the little word “not.”46

When God talks to you, the message agrees with the written Word. The Holy Ghost never says anything that doesn’t correspond with the Word. A message that comes from heaven must correspond with the Word; if otherwise, do not accept it.

The things of the Spirit that seem foolishness to the world antagonize the devil, and he sometimes does things that look very similar, but to him who understands there is a wonderful difference.

I have been carried away in the Spirit many, many times. Once, I was seven hours under the power of God. I have been examined at such a time by medical doctors and found to be in a normal condition. Many I know of have been honest enough to say the power was not hypnotic, even while they could not understand it.

Celebrated Hypnotist Baffled

One of the greatest hypnotists in the world came to our meeting in Saint Louis; he had been there two or three days before I knew anything about it. He was surprised to see a man lying there whom hundreds of hypnotists had tried to get under their power. He himself had tried it.

He went to him and tried to bring him out, but could not. After a while the hypnotist came to me to have an interview with me. He said he was going to call his friends together and tell them he had found something he could not understand.

He said, “If there is a God, I believe this is His power.” He could not put anyone under that power, nor bring anyone out. When the doctors examined me when I was lying under the power, they said my pulse was regular, my blood flowing naturally, and my heart was in a natural condition.

I am told that when a person is hypnotized, the blood does not flow naturally; the person is unconscious and simply does what he is told. Someone has to put him in that state and bring him out again.

God does lay His people down under His power, and then He talks to them. I have known people to be a whole week under the power of God. May He seal these truths to our hearts!

I know nothing about hypnotic power. I never saw a person hypnotized; but I do know something of the power of God, of the power of the Holy Ghost. It is God Himself who sends this power; we can press the button, but God sends the power. Talk about excitement! This power is the best thing in the world to settle the nerves. These people go down praising God; while they are there and when they are up, they are still giving God praise.

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.”47 People ask why we tell them to praise the Lord. If you do not feel it at first, praise as a “sacrifice” and after a while the praise will come of itself, from a soul filled with joy. Hallelujah!

If you will search your Bible, you will find the things I have told you are true. My words do not amount to anything unless they are backed by God’s Word. The Lord gave me this message tonight and I have written it to you.

When the power of the Spirit has been so maligned, it is time for you to take a stand for the truth. When a ship is in danger the sailors come to the front, if they are not cowards. Let us come to the front, not run away.

I stand here in defense of the Gospel. If we are faithful, all things must work together for God’s glory. Praise His name.

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. 1 Corinthians 2:14.

2. See Acts 8:23.

3. 1 Corinthians 3:19.

4. See l John 4:1.

5. Romans 8:14 and see John 16:13.

6. John 16:13, paraphrased.

7. See John 14:16.

8. See Exodus 7:9-12.

9. Hebrews 10:9.

10. See Acts 2:2.

11. See John 7:38.

12. See Acts 2:3.

13. See Acts 4:20, 22:15, John 3:32, and 1 John 1:3.

14. 2 Corinthians 4:17.

15. 2 Timothy 3:5.

16. 2 Timothy 3:1 and 8.

17. See John 16:13.

18. See James 2:19.

19. 2 Corinthians 3:6, paraphrased.

20. A hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1774), William Cowper (1731-1800), Lines 1-2.

21. See John 17:9,11.

22. Zechariah 3:8, Deuteronomy 28:46, Isaiah 20:3.

23. See Psalm 34:7.

24. See Ephesians 2:6,19 and Philippians 3:20

25. See Acts 2:8.

26. See Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29, and Luke 12:10.

27. See Ephesians 5:18.

28. 1 Corinthians 12:4,6, paraphrased. Maria Etter refers here to singing in the Spirit, in which spontaneous melodies and harmonies are sung in tongues and also in the native language of the worshipper.

29. See 1 Corinthians 12.

30. 1 Timothy 2:8.

31. Psalm 47:1.

32. See 2 Samuel 22:34, Psalm 18:33, and Habakkuk 3:19.

33. 2 Samuel 22:30 and Psalm 18:29.

34. 1 Corinthians 2:10.

35. See Genesis 6-9.

36. See Judges 7:2-8:4.

37. Judges 7:14, paraphrased.

38. See Joshua 6.

39. 1 Corinthians 3:18.

40. 2 Corinthians 12:1.

41. 2 Corinthians 12:2, paraphrased.

42. See Acts 22:17.

43. See Acts 10:9-16.

44. See Acts 16:9-10.

45. See 2 Corinthians 11:14.

46. See Genesis 2:17.

47. Psalm 150:6.

Sermon Preached to Ministers and Workers

at Montwait, Massachusetts

Beloved ... try the spirits.”1 There are many spirits we do not want to have anything to do with. There is our own spirit, the flesh, and the devil. There are many spirits contending, and many times we let our own spirit rule and make ourselves think it is God’s. And we do the same with the flesh and the devil.

Sometimes we know it is not God, but we want to have our own way. If we have the Holy Ghost we can prove the spirits, because everything the Holy Ghost does is confirmed by the Word. We do not want to trust to tongues and interpretations; you must measure things by the Word. We must measure tongues and demonstrations by the Word; and if they do not agree with the Word, we must not accept them; everything must be measured by the Word.

We do know God and the voice of God, but the devil can come as an angel of light.2 When you are in the Holy Ghost, that is the time the devil tries to get in and lead you astray. The Holy Ghost is revealing some secret things; at the same time the devil comes in; and if you are not careful, you will listen to what he has to say and follow him.

Once I was having a wonderful vision and right in the midst of it, the devil said to me, “You are going to die.” I was very poorly and was worked nearly to death, and I listened to the devil for a minute; then I stopped to hear what God wanted to teach me.

I said, “What is this God is showing me? Does this agree with what God is showing?” I saw there was a big difference. God touched my forehead, the seat of intellect and reason; my mouth, signifying courage and power to give forth the message; and I could not die if I was to do this. If I was to give the people His message, I was not going to die.

There was someone in the meeting here God was blessing. He wanted to use her, but the devil came in and made her think she could do any outrageous thing and it would be of God. See how the devil can lead us off? She was talking in tongues and praying, and she said, “Lord, if You want me to kill anyone, I will do it; if You want me to set the camp on fire, I will do it.”

That is the way in spiritualism; the Holy Ghost never does anything like that. He does not come to kill and knock people’s heads off; He deals with them in love and tenderness. People have even offered up children in sacrifice. If you listen to God, the devil will be put to one side.

These things hurt the Pentecostal movement. God is in it, but the devil is in it, too. Many people are honest, but they do not understand. God shows great things that are going to happen, and the devil comes in and makes them set a date.

Daniel did not understand the vision he had. For some time, an angel appeared to him to make him understand the vision. Be careful the devil does not come in and give you another meaning all together different from what God wants you to have.

So many prophesy this or that and it never comes true; the prophecy was not according to the Word of God. Someone gives a person a message and he believes God sent it when it is not according to the Word.

When God calls you out for His work, He will take care of you, give you something to eat and clothe you. There are so many who run before they are sent; better not go at all. Sometimes the devil uses tongues to upset things generally. The devil can speak in tongues and your flesh can.

When God speaks in tongues, it means something and you want to look for interpretation. God says ask for interpretation.3 Sometimes God gives it through someone else, but give the person who speaks in tongues a chance to interpret. Be careful you do not give an interpretation in your own spirit; this hurts the work everywhere. Let us try the spirits and not get in the flesh.

Some people, if they do not like someone, will give a message in tongues, or a rebuke, and nearly knock the person’s head off. This is the work of the devil. Then someone will get up—some people are so silly—and say, “Don’t lay hands on that; it is the Holy Ghost.”4 And no one dares to touch it, and the devil has the whole thing.

It goes out that the leader sanctions all that and people do not want to have anything to do with it. The leader may have discernment but someone will pull his coattail and say, “Don’t lay hands on that.” Instead of being so afraid, let us search the Scriptures. God never told anyone to rebuke in an ugly tone.5

There was a great work being done in the West. One woman, especially, said the United States was going to be destroyed, and they should go to Japan. They went. People who could not spare the money helped them; they went to escape the wreck.

The whole thing was of the devil. The United States was not destroyed. They could not speak the Japanese language, they were stranded, and a number backslid. They tried to raise money for a great building, but never accomplished it. They had been doing a good work here, but other spirits got in.

God gave me a special commission to take the precious from the vile, and I do not want you to get into the snare of the devil. So many young people, after their baptism, give up work and go to preaching. In a few days they tell all they know, then tell something they don’t know; bread and butter does not come in, and many of them backslide.

If God doesn’t send you out, don’t give up your work. Then you will have something to give. This mistake is made by many missionaries who go abroad; some sell all they have, break up their homes, separate from their wives, and God has not called them.

The Holy Ghost makes us levelheaded. Those who stayed in the camp got as much as they who went.6 Be God’s stewards and give the Lord His part. The cattle upon a thousand hills are His, but He works through our instrumentality.7 He gives you everything you have, physical, financial, and spiritual; and He expects you to use all your powers for Him. If you give out, He will supply.

He expects you to take Him into partnership, give Him what belongs to Him, and He will bless you. The Gospel has to be supported. Water is free, but it costs money to lay the pipes and keep the water running. Angels can fly, but men have to pay fare, and someone has to help.

If you keep the pipes in order, the Gospel will be given out; and you need to help with your prayers—hold up the hands of those who work. If you trust God and walk with Him, that is the work God wants of you.

Don’t take up with every vision that comes along. In the Pentecostal movement in some places, they have discarded the Word of God. They don’t want a leader and God always had a leader; when there is none, the devil takes the chair. God hath set some pastors and teachers.8

How does anyone know when God calls them to the ministry? Someone has said that when God calls anyone to do His work, you can hardly get him into the pulpit; but when the devil calls him, you can’t keep him out of it.

Some people want to talk so much, bringing in a bone of contention. It is hurting the work everywhere. Leave outside issues. God will teach people what to eat, what to wear, and where to go. Many of God’s children are nagging about these things. The Lord said, if you do not think it right to eat meat, don’t do it; but don’t judge another.9

When we open our mouths, let us say something. If you have the baptism, you need not tell it; people will know it. Let God speak to you. Do not wait for someone to speak in tongues and tell you God wants you to go to India; let God speak to you. People who go because someone else says so get homesick and discouraged and try to get back again. Let the Lord be our guide; if we do His will, we shall know His will.

Hold up Jesus and try to get the people so full of the Holy Ghost that they will live in unity. We do not want to lay hands on anyone suddenly.10 If we do anything in a spirit of contention, the first thing we know everything is in a jumble and we have done more harm in one meeting than can be imagined.

Hold up Jesus and the resurrection. Let us walk in the light, as He is in the light.” Christ is the great headlight and I am on the stretch for more light than I ever saw in my life. You have fellowship when you walk in the light. We are the lower lights and He will show us what to do next.

He will say to you, “Now you can do this.” You may say, “I did not know before that You would trust me.” And again His answer, “You can do it now.”

Until God shows you a thing, it is not a sin, but after He shows it to you, if you do it, it is a sin.12 Consecrate everything to God, day by day. He will not call you to do a thing unless He is going to give you strength and grace.

When you go into a meeting, listen to the teaching. If it does not suit you and you want something else, the best thing you can do is to go out quietly and drum up a crowd yourself. Some say, “You have no need that any man should teach you.”13 The natural man cannot teach you, but the spiritual man can teach you. We know what we are talking about; the spiritual man can teach you. We know nothing as we should, and there is so much for us to know.

Be careful not to lay hands suddenly on anyone. Regarding the recent disturbance here,13 we profess to be saints; and we want to show forth the Spirit of Christ. We must be firm, but kind. Do not speak roughly. The crowd wants to see. I would have nearly broken my neck when I was young to see what you are seeing.

When they became noisy, it would have been useless to attempt to use force. It would only have ended in a fight and the plan of the enemy would have been accomplished. God led me in the only way by which the disturbance could be quelled and order restored; God fought for us. Do not speak roughly to the boys; each one is some mother’s boy. God can smite with conviction; the battle is His, not ours.14

“Try the spirits.” In one of our meetings there was a colored woman who had a wonderful experience spiritually; that is the kind the devil gets after. One day she commenced to go about on her knees, twisting about like a serpent. God does not tell anyone to do that. She spoke in tongues, then she said, “I don’t want to do it; I don’t want to do it.”

Everyone knew it was not of God and I said to her, “That is not God; the enemy has got hold of you.” At first, she didn’t want to give up, but the next day God showed her and she asked to be delivered. The devil had got in and made her do things that were not right to kill her influence.

A woman came to me and said, “I am afraid this spirit on me is not of God. I was baptized in the Holy Ghost, and I went into a mission where they did everything by tongues. They got me so mixed up; I did not know where I was. Then, this spirit got hold of me; it shakes my head and makes my head ache.”15

That is spiritualism. Some people, when they pray for anyone and lay on hands, throw the slime off.16 That is spiritualism. Don’t ever do anything like that. When you lay hands on a person, God takes care of the evil spirit. If you are filled with the Holy Ghost, the devil is outside you—keep him out. Be careful who lays hands on you, for the devil is counterfeiting God’s work.

For two years, that woman could not give a testimony. God rebuked the shaking spirit, the power of God came in her hands and in her voice, and she gave a testimony for God.

That is what ails the Pentecostal movement; so much of this has crept in. Some people take every foolish thing for the Holy Ghost. There are two extremes: one keeps the Holy Ghost from working, except in a certain channel; and the other thinks everything is of the Holy Ghost, “don’t lay hands on it.” One is as bad as the other. Let everything be done by the Word of God.

We are living in the last days and there has got to be a higher standard for the Pentecostal movement. Christ is coming and we cannot move along in the old rut. God is sifting us today and we have got to rise above errors; we have to rise up and go forward. By the grace of God we will. Praise His name!

“Where the Blood Can Heal”

Do you seek relief for your sin-sick soul? You to Christ, then, must make appeal. There’s no other one who can make you whole, You must come where the blood can heal!

Refrain

You must come where the blood can heal, You must come where the blood can heal; There’s no other one who can make you whole, You must come where the blood can heal!

Vain are all your hopes of another cure, Be persuaded, you now, to feel, Help alone, thro’ Christ, that you can secure, You must come where the blood can heal!

Other proffered aids can but you deceive, At your will, unto life, they steal! You must look to Christ if you’d hope receive, You must come where the blood can heal!

Hear you not? Tis there a decoying voice, Striving ever to quench thy zeal; Would you from Him turn, refuge safe to find, You must come where the blood can heal!

If you would arise from your bed of pain, To the counsel of Christ then kneel, ‘Tis prescribed by Him, and your only hope, You must come where the blood can heal!

Taken from Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry of M. B. Woodworth-Etter.

Endnotes

1. 1 John 4:1.

2. See 2 Corinthians 11:14.

3. See 1 Corinthians 14:13.

4. “Don’t lay hands on that”—Maria Etter means that people mistakenly say, “Don’t hinder that person or criticize their message since it is from the Holy Spirit” when it is from the flesh and should be dealt with.

5. See Ephesians 4:15.

6. See 1 Samuel 30:24.

7. See Psalm 50:10.

8. See Ephesians 4:11.

9. See Romans 14:17-23, 1 Corinthians 6:12-13 and 8:8-13, Colossians 2:16, and 1 Timothy 4:1-5.

10. 1 Timothy 5:22.

11. See 1 John 1:7.

12. See James 4:17.

13. See 1 John 2:27.

14. Maria Etter refers here to the hoodlums who disrupted her meetings because of the notoriety she gained as a result of the arrests of herself and two of her associates for practicing medicine without a license. See “Aver They Are Cured,” August 27, 1913, and the subsequent news articles.

15. See 1 Samuel 17:47.

16. That is, they affect others with “slime” or evil. Slime comes off them and gets on those they touch.

We are God’s Mouthpieces -

Human Eloquence is Often Preferred to God’s Word

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mark 8:38

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made....

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

John 1:1-3,14

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:1-3

The words of God have been sent down from heaven to us by Jesus Christ and the holy apostles, spoken with the Holy Ghost. They are from God and go forth a living power.

“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” (John 14:10-11). “They testify that the Father is in Me, and with Me.”

God spake the worlds into existence. God said, “Let there be light: and there was light.”1 As He spake the Word—the earth, land, light, darkness, seas, lakes, mountains, valleys, with all the fruits and flowers—sprang into life, into existence and beauty. He spake the Word and every living creature stood before Him; from the mighty monsters of the sea, the lions of the forest, and wild beasts of every kind, down to the little singing bird; they stood looking in wonder and awe at the Mighty God that had, by the Word of His mouth and the power of His voice, called them into this beautiful world, saying by their very presence, “We know Thou are the great Jehovah! The God that inhabitest eternity.”

When the high priest sent the officers to bring Jesus, the question was asked them, “Why have you not brought him?” They said, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:45-46, paraphrased). “With his voice the dead are raised, the lepers cleansed, the blind see, they have their sight restored. The raging storm on the Sea of Galilee was hushed at His Word, and the roaring sea became as a sea of glass.”2

We Are God’s Mouthpieces

The words of God spoken by the Holy Ghost have the same effect today. There is as much power in the name of Jesus now. Through the Holy Ghost, His words come like coals of fire burning in the brains and hearts of men. They are shot out like arrows dipped in the blood of Jesus; like lightning, piercing the king’s enemies in the head and lodging in the heart. They fall like dead men. They are like David’s little pebbles, we throw them at a venture, and God directs them so that they never return void, but they bring life or death; heaven or hell.3 They stand forever, for by the Word we will be justified or condemned.

When the disciples were arrested and put into prison as recorded in the fifth chapter of Acts, verses 19 and 20, “The angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.” You see, God sent the angel to set them free and to tell them to go back amidst all the threats and the danger and to preach all the words of this life. His words are life; do not hold back any of the message.

Jesus says, “Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s.”4 Oh! God help all that pretend to preach the Word to see what is at stake. Will you please men or God? Will you deceive the people and come up at the judgment with your hands dripping with the blood of souls?

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. . . .

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. . . .

The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

Isaiah 59:1,3, and 8

Do We Love the Praise of Men

More Than the Praise of God?

You have given them smooth sayings, trusting to good works, and a moral life. “In vain do ye worship me, teaching the doctrines, commandments, and traditions of men,”5 that will perish with the using.

Jesus tells us what He will do when He comes in all His glory. Yes, He is coming soon. This is the time of the end; we see the signs everywhere. In this wicked and adulterous generation, in these last days, the churches have gone after the wisdom and power of men instead of the wisdom and power of God. “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”6 Read the third chapter of the second epistle of Timothy.

God is calling as never before, in thunder[ous] tones, to those who pretend to preach His Word, to “blow the trumpet in Zion,” and to “sound an alarm in the holy mountain.” Let all the people tremble. What is the signal to make the people tremble? The Day of the Lord is at hand. It is even at your doors.

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.

Joel 2:1

The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

Zephaniah 1:14-18

Hear the angel shout, “The hour of his judgment has come; repent and worship God, that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that are therein.”7

Human Eloquence Is Preferred to God’s Word

“The time has come when men will not endure sound doctrine, but turn the people to cunningly devised fables, turning away from the truth. Men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the truth, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away, for of him who does not will I be ashamed when I come in all My glory.”8

The last invitation is going forth, “Come to the marriage of the Lamb, and to the supper of the Lamb.”9 The Gospel of His coming kingdom is being preached as a witness to all nations. This work will soon be done. What are you doing? The Lord said, “Preach all the words of this life.”10 Oh! What a calling. Oh! What a privilege. The angels that stand before the throne cannot do this work.

Jesus said, “Tarry ye ... until ye be endued with power from on high. Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. Then you shall cast out devils, you shall speak with new tongues, and if you take up serpents, or drink deadly poisons, they will not hurt you. You shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Your young men shall see visions.”11

Tell them Jesus is coming soon. Show them the signs. The wise shall know the times. The wise shall shine as the firmament.12 They shall reign, be kings, with kingly authority and bless the people as priests, for one thousand years.13

Time Will Soon Merge Into Eternity

Do you not think that it will pay to be a true messenger, or herald, of His soon coming when we shall be like Him and shall have glorious bodies like His? “He that is ashamed of my words, of him will I be ashamed when I come in all my Father’s glory.”14 Oh! Can you not understand? He is coming as a Prince of glory, to meet His bride in the air, to escort His bride back to the great city, to the wedding, the marriage of the Lamb—when Jesus will present His bride to the Father. He will welcome His Son’s wife. He is coming in all the glory of all His holy angels.

Oh! What a picture. Oh! What brightness. See, oh see! The shining hosts! Gabriel that stands before God! Oh, they are getting ready! They are tuning up the heavenly choir. They are coming! They are coming to meet us in the air! “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). They will come in the clouds of glory. We will all be caught up, changed in a moment, have glorious bodies like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and be forever with the Lord.15 Oh, this is wonderful, but it is true.

Oh! Dear brethren in the ministry, can we miss this eternal weight of glory? When Jesus comes, will He be ashamed of us? Will you miss all for a high position or a high salary or a social position or to please the people?

Oh! What can you do in that day?

Oh! God help us to preach all the words of this life and earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.

As God sent Jesus into the world to deliver His message, so Jesus sends us into the world as His ministers, to preach His Gospel faithfully. Woe to us if we do not preach the whole truth or are ashamed or offended at any of His mighty works.

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. Genesis 1:3.

2. See Luke 7:22, Matthew 11:5, and Mark 4:39 41.

3. See Isaiah 55:11.

4. Luke 9:26.

5. See Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7.

6. 2 Timothy 3:5.

7. Revelation 14:7, paraphrased.

8. 2 Timothy 4:3-4, 2 Timothy 3:5, and Luke 9:26, paraphrased.

9. See Revelation 19:9 and 17.

10. Acts 5:20, paraphrased.

11. Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:17-18, and Acts 2:17, paraphrased.

12. Daniel 12:3, paraphrased.

13. See Daniel 12:3 and Revelation 20:4,6.

14. Luke 9:26, paraphrased.

15. See 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

After Seeing the Miracles Men are Without

Excuse - Qualify Now for High

Positions in God’s Eternal Kingdom

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

John 6:57-58

If he keeps on eating and believing he shall never die spiritually. Many of His disciples said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”1 Jesus knew their murmuring, and He gave them a little insight into the great Resurrection: “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before. .. . And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”2 That is a wonderful truth. No man ever made his way to Jesus without God. No man ever made his way to Jesus unless the Father sent His Spirit out and drew him. “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?”3

I think He never was more sad. He saw the multitude turn away, for they would not walk in the light. “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”4

Many do not believe that today; they do not know that that is the key to the whole Word of God. “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so we must live the same way, by the power of the Almighty God and the resurrection life of Christ within us. Glory to God.

Multitudes Follow the Christ

In the Word, we see that the Lord had many thousands of followers by this time. His fame had gone out all over the land. He had five thousand converts with Him when He supplied them with bread in the wilderness.5 At another time, seven thousand saw the mighty power of the Almighty God manifested through Jesus Christ, when they ate and were filled; and many baskets were filled with what was taken up of what remained of the few loaves and fishes.6

Thousands came to Him for salvation and healing, and when they were healed they got salvation also. He gave them the double cure. He asked which is easier, to take away sins, or heal the body?7 One is as easy as the other.

Behold, thou are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.8 They got the double cure, they were saved and healed.

They were by this time pretty well acquainted with the Christ and had experienced His love and His mercy and delivering, healing, and protecting power. They had heard of His fame, and every day His power was greater and more wonderfully demonstrated. We find one day when out on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, He fell asleep and a great tempest arose. The ship was going down, for the waves were sweeping over it; and all were about to be drowned. His disciples were afraid and came and called Him. He arose and said, “Peace be still.”

The terrible wind ceased, and the rolling waves suddenly became as a sea of glass, through the mighty power of Christ. The power of God fell upon the people also; and they came forward and said, “What manner of man is He, anyway? Is there no limit to His power? This man, this Messiah, says He is the Son of God. We are following Him from day to day, and every day we see more and more of His mighty power; there is no limit to it; see even the winds and the waves obey Him. All the people in the ship fell at His feet and acknowledged Him as the Son of God.”9 So His fame went everywhere, not so much by what He said, but because of the manifestations of His power.

After Seeing the Miracles, Without Excuse

He said, “If you don’t believe what I say, believe Me for the works’ sake. These are they which testify of Me that I came from God and am the Son of the living God.” Though He spake as never man spake, they still had a cloak to cover their sins.10 In the presence of the mighty signs and wonders, they stood naked before God. They had seen the miracles, had heard Him speak, had seen His majesty and power in many ways; now He began to turn and chide them. He commenced to tell them about getting filled with God and about being baptized with the Holy Ghost and kept by the power of God. He said, “By the living Father I live”—by the power and presence of the living God He was sustained and kept continually, for the Father never left Him for a moment.11

He said, “The works that I do I do not do, but my Father doeth the works. The words that I say, I do not say, but my Father gives me the words. Whatsoever the Father tells me to do I do.”12 He gave the Father credit for everything. As Jesus was sustained by the mighty power of the living God, so we, too, must come to the point where we can be sustained and kept the same way by the power of God through Jesus Christ. We are not to live by natural bread alone. To do the works of God and at last enter heaven, we must have the spiritual man sustained and fed by the bread of heaven— we must be supported by the Holy Ghost. We need to drink from the fountain that never runs dry. We should desire and ask for the living water; whosoever drinks whereof never thirsts.13 We should with joy draw water out of the wells of salvation.14

They Had More Light Than They Were Willing to Walk In

But they did not understand because they did not want to. So many don’t want to walk in the light, and they turn away and are lost forever. “Who then can be saved?”15 His hearers began to murmur and grumble as many do today. God knows when they grumble. Like the children of Israel, they often perish in the wilderness and are destroyed of the destroyers. (See 1 Corinthians 10:10.) Many thousands of those people who were saved and had all those blessings turned away and never followed the Son of God any more. Jesus looked at the few left and His heart must have been broken for those who were so blind. And He is today looking sorrowfully at His followers, for so many are backslidden and going off into delusions—it is the sifting time as never before. There must needs be also heresies among you, that they that are approved may be manifest among you (1 Corinthians 11:19, paraphrased).

God is looking at us and especially those who are baptized—”Will ye also go away?”16 Will you also forsake Me? Will you also turn back, or will you go forward all the way?

Peter said, “To whom shall we go? We cannot find a better way. This has been a glorious way and we are willing to go all the way. And besides, thou alone hast the words of eternal life.”17 We don’t guess, but we know of a truth that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus said, “What, and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?” He wanted to show them the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, of the resurrection life, and that the saints would go up by the same power.18 “I am the living bread that cometh down from heaven. He that eateth me shall live by me and if he continues to eat he will never die spiritually.”19

He said to the few who remained, “Will ye also go away?”

And they answered, “We know of a truth that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, that you have been telling us about.” Glory to God!

Dear friends, God’s people were always the least in number of all the peoples on earth. He said to the children of Israel, “I did not choose you because you were the wisest people or the wealthiest people, but you were the fewest of all the people of the earth.” (See Deuteronomy 7:7.) I have called you, chosen you, and put My love upon you.

We find the previous followers of the Lord always diminished instead of increased. We find from the beginning of Bible history at the time of the Flood when the ark finally floated away, only a few, that is eight souls, had faith enough to enter into the ark; and all the rest went down in destruction to an awful doom. They saw the mighty signs and wonders, but they would not believe God. They laughed at the signs and thought Noah was a fool and that the ark was the craziest building they ever saw. They turned away after having had the light.20

Even at the great conflagration on the plains, when the judgment of God and the fire of God came down and destroyed those proud cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, God sent two angels from heaven to warn them; yet only three souls escaped to the mountains.21 Others had the chance and they too had the opportunity of salvation, but they turned back and took the wrong way. God showed and offered mercy first until finally His mercy ceased. They had lost their opportunity, and judgment followed. Judgment always followed and always will follow the backslider who refuses to obey God. It is judgment unto death. Where Christ is, they never can go. Yes, we find all through the Word of God there were only a few. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, they had the call; they all had a chance, but not many escaped.22

Only a Few Qualify to Be Chosen

Now I turn again to our text. After these multitudes went back and there were only twelve left, the question was asked by our Lord Jesus. “Will ye also go away?” As to the rest, they never followed Him anymore; we never hear anything more of them. These people had been saved, but they did not: follow the Son anymore. “It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them” (2 Peter 2:21).

After Christ rose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples. He asked for fish and ate it in their presence; called Thomas to come and put his finger into His side and proved to them that He had the same body that was laid in the grave. At many different times He appeared to them in order to remove every doubt and prove He was indeed the risen Christ, the Son of the living God, who would soon ascend back to God where He was before. Several different times He met with them; at one time He was seen of over five hundred disciples—after He arose from the dead.23 Many believe it was at this time that He ascended on high; that He went out on the mountain and talked to them for the last time and gave the Last Commission. They watched Him ascend up into heaven, until the angels appeared and said, “Why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”24

They remembered that He had charged them: Don’t preach sermons or teach the people or do anything, but tarry at Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.25 Glory to God! I want you to see that Christ wanted to select men and women to set up His spiritual kingdom. He wanted to qualify them to establish the Holy-Ghost religion in the world. But after all they had seen and heard and after these five hundred had seen Jesus and were thoroughly convinced that He was the Son of God, even then there were only one hundred and twenty out of the five hundred (to say nothing about any of the rest) who really believed and were willing to “face the music”—to bear death or anything else—until God qualified and sent them out. See how His work had diminished after He was taken.

Only a Few Gave Heed

God help you to see whose fault it was that they did not all come up there and tarry to be initiated into the Holy Ghost baptism and the secrets of heaven. Only one hundred and twenty believed that God would fulfill the promise made hundreds of years before to the prophets and confirmed by Jesus. When the Day of Pentecost came, there were only a little company there with God to be qualified to establish the Holy-Ghost Church. They were saved and full of joy. They believed they would receive the Holy Ghost; therefore, they went back to Jerusalem and tarried, continually blessing and praising God until they were filled with joy.26 Now you people who are seeking the baptism: get saved first, get filled with joy, get off the judgment seat; be of one accord, of one mind, and continue praising the Lord.

Christ’s Church was set up in a blaze of Pentecostal power. Common, unlearned men and women went there trusting God, and the power of heaven came down. Suddenly, while they were praising and blessing God (they knew God was coming; and they were not criticizing as to how He would come, for they were willing to leave all that in His hands), suddenly they heard a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind and the whole building was shaken and the tidal wave of God’s Spirit from heaven filled the place. The power of God struck them and the Holy Ghost came and sat on each of them like tongues of fire.27

God was initiating them into the deep things of eternity and making them pillars in the Church of the living God. This was where and when the Church was organized and established, the Church of the Firstborn, glory to God! And these were all that the Lord had to depend on to establish the Church and spread the glad news of what had happened.

“You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and then you shall know how to testify of Me; tell them in a way that people will believe, and I will be with you always; and when you preach the Word, you will see the signs of the living Christ right in your midst.”28 Glory to God! They began to preach the wonderful things, filled with the Holy Ghost; and the Lord Jesus Christ was with them. He was invisible. He was a coworker together with them, and He is working with His saints today. The Lord Jesus Christ confirms the Word with signs and wonders following.29

There Were Different Opinions About God’s Work

But when the news went out and the crowds came to see what was taking place on the Day of Pentecost, they said these people are all drunk. They began to lie about the Holy Ghost and they have been lying about Him ever since. Peter referred to the old prophets and said, “You believe the prophets; hear what they say: ‘This is that.’ (Just what they said was coming, this is that which God said should take place in the last days). This which you see with the natural eye and which you hear—and we know they felt it—this is the power of God.30 It is the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.” But the great company of people that had followed Him before and had seen the mighty miracles, refused to walk in the light.

When we are born of the Spirit, we have some of the light of heaven in our souls. Jesus is giving us more light and giving us degrees of glory; and as long as we walk in that light, we shall have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.31 You are either going forward or backward. As long as we walk in that light, we have fellowship and love for each other and have a present salvation. But when we refuse to walk in the light, we go back and we lose that sweet fellowship with God and with the saints.

God is testing us just like He did the Jews and will continue to do so down to the end of the age. “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”32 He said He would not come unless there was a falling away first.33 God knows there is a falling away today. The Church of Jesus Christ was inaugurated in a blaze of glory and celestial fireworks, but she must be taken up in a greater blaze of glory. The Holy Ghost will continue to take us down into the deep things of God; and we shall be filled with all the fullness of God, with our garments white and our lamps brightly burning.

The Church will soon leave this world in a cloud of glory. God is calling out a people for a prepared place and preparing a people in the Church of the living God to finish up His work. She must be a glorious Church, pure and white, and clothed with the power of Almighty God: a prepared people; a peculiar nation; a called out nation, from all the nations of the earth; a separate nation; a holy priesthood; children of the living God—God’s sons and daughters.34

So now the Lord is calling us to eat the strong meat, calling the saints of God to get deeper in Him.35 They must be filled with the Holy Ghost and eat of the living bread. By continually eating we will never die spiritually. The time has come that we must have strong meat, and we must receive it or be left behind in the Great Tribulation that is coming. One calamity after another is sweeping over the earth. Unless we get deep in God, the waves and tribulations will sweep us away. Blessed is that servant, when Jesus comes to catch His bride away, whom He shall find giving the saints of God their meat in due season. The Gospel of the kingdom must be preached unto all nations, then shall the end come.36 This Gospel must be backed up by mighty signs and wonders, people filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in the fire.

People don’t want to walk in the light, they don’t like the way. People say, “We will be despised and called all kinds of names.” If they can call us any worse than they did the Son of God, I’d like to know it. But if we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him.37 He has promised us everything in this life, with persecutions. We all want the good things, but not the persecutions. They that will live godly shall suffer persecutions.38 Bless God, He is around us like a wall of fire. He that is in us and around us is more than he that is against us.39

Will you belong to the royal line, accept the invitation, and eat of the strong meat? Will you be baptized in the Holy Ghost? God help us to say, yes. Will you go up on the mountaintop and help make up the little flock who will fill the earth with a blaze of glory? For the wise, they that are deep, when Jesus comes, shall shine as the sun.40 Those that are wise will put the sun in the shade. Don’t you see how you can glorify God? He is coming in the glory of His Father, in the glory of all the angels, coming for His bride; and the saints that are alive in that day will be taken up alive. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.41 Bless God. He makes our feet like hinds’ feet, makes us jump and dance with joy with His resurrection power.42

Better the World Should Call Us Fools, Than God

But you say, “Oh! I would not be a fool!” But you are one already. I would rather be a fool for God than for the devil. To everyone that is not saved, he says, “Thou fool!” I would rather be one of God’s wise little ones if all the people in the world called me a fool. But the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God.43 The wisdom of this world shall perish.

Men are trusting in their money and education and all those things which have to do with this world instead of trusting in the arm of the Almighty God. All these things shall perish. I look at the Great White Throne, see the river of life, and see the wonderful things God is preparing. The things we see here shall perish, but the things we see in the spiritual will last forever. (See 2 Corinthians 4:18.) God will gather us up and take us where the people never get old, where there is no death nor harm, no children crying for bread, no prairie fires, and no wars. Bless God!

We are going, don’t you want to join the procession? Don’t you want to sell out, leave the City of Destruction and run from the storm?44 Don’t tarry in the plain, but escape for your life. Prepare to meet God. Prepare for the coming of the Lord, because He is coming soon. Let us not be foolish like the great company of those disciples who once had the light. Some had been healed, many had been saved and come to know that God is good.

“My Minister Does Not Believe That”

But people are saying today like they did then, “Have any of the priests believed?”

“No, not many.”

“Well, I guess I won’t then.” Priests will go to hell and ministers, too, if they don’t get right with God. Priests and ministers all have to go the same way through the little gate, wash in the fountain, and be made white, to get eternal life. If you expect to go up you must tarry at your Jerusalem and be filled.45 The Holy Ghost will quicken the mortal body and like David you will say, “For by thee I have run through a troop; by my God have I leaped over a wall.”46 Power to make you join in the holy dance!

Get out of the mud and run up the mountains, bless God!47 Let us get out of the mud and get cleaned up and dressed up for heaven. Join in the race for the prize. God is filling the people today. There are great degrees of glory, and everyone can take another degree and another and another (and they won’t have to pay a lot of money either) until you come into the perfect image of Jesus Christ. But you say, “I don’t want to give u[p] this and I don’t want to give u[p] that.” If you had any of the love of God in your heart, you would not want to do those things that are valueless and that mean death, because you would be a new creature.48 Old things would pass away and everything would become new, but the trouble is you don’t want to walk in the light.

Will They Laugh You Out of Heaven?

Many people see the light but they are too stubborn to walk in it. They say, “You don’t want to go that way and be laughed at.” Dear friends, what should you care? How many draw back through fear!— fear of being laughed at, fear you will lose your position or be thrown out of the synagogue. Bless God, they cannot turn you out of heaven. God is pouring out His Spirit and many have had the real Pentecostal power, but they are not willing to acknowledge it. They are not willing to go forward; therefore, they begin to draw back, sinning against light. While refusing to walk in the light, they get leanness of soul. First thing you know if you fail to walk in the light, you cease to have fellowship with Jesus and one another; then the blood ceases to cleanse, and you begin to invent excuses to ease your own guilty conscience.49

You were not willing to acknowledge you did not know it all. Behold, I show you a new thing—you did not know it yesterday. Behold, I show you the new things from this day. Things you never knew before.50 So many of us do not want to acknowledge that we don’t know it all. We don’t know anything as we ought to, and there is so much more for us to learn. Let us cut the shoreline, and get out where the Spirit lets us down into the deep things of God. So many people are not willing to walk in the light; that is chiefly why thousands of people who have come up against the Pentecostal movement have declared it was of the devil. When we refuse to walk in the light it is death to our souls, especially if we lay hands on the ark. It is spiritual death to that man’s soul if he does not make it right.

They Look Unto Him and Are Radiant

A great many just born are being filled with God and baptized in the Holy Ghost, and God is revealing wonderful things to them. They are going on and on, thanking God for what they have and taking degrees in glory. Some are coming up through the press where everything is against them, all the devil’s old rubbish. They are going upstream or toiling upward, and they will land on the mountaintop ready when Jesus comes to catch His bride away. But this is the sifting time.51

We find that after Jesus takes this little flock away, He will bring them back again on white horses. We are told that Jesus is coming back on a great white horse with a great army from heaven behind Him, all on white horses, the bride of Christ shouting “Glory to Him that bought us with His own blood.” He takes them away from earth and takes them home to heaven and makes them kings and priests to God, and they will reign with Him one thousand years.52 And this little flock will be taken up very soon.

The time came at Pentecost when the few (out of many thousands) were willing to be called fanatics and God, true to His Word, owned and accepted them with a cloudburst of glory and filled their bodies with the Holy Ghost, when God spoke through them in other languages. They were ignorant, unlearned people; but God took possession and got hold of their tongues and spoke through them as He said, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.”53 Yet for all that some don’t want to hear. They could well afford to be laughed at and brought to death to have such a visitation from heaven and have God smile on them.

Gladly We Acclaim Him Worthy

He must become to us the fairest among ten thousand and the one altogether lovely.54 We must be willing to leave everything and everyone on earth to follow Jesus. And the great holy Bridegroom is getting ready to come and take away His bride. “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”55 Are we going to backslide instead of walking in the light? Are we going to eat the strong meat, or are we going to say, “The way is too hard,” and go off and grumble and growl and be lost forever? We are a royal line, king’s daughters, a company of nobles, children of the living God who will go up, a great company. Everyone will be a king and priest. Bless God. We are going to ride on the white horses and come back to the Battle of Armageddon, but we must have the white robes on down here and follow the Lord wherever He goes.

If you are persecuted for Christ’s sake, great is your reward in heaven. But if you are persecuted because you walk crooked, you ought to be persecuted enough to get down and get right. If you are wrong it will take persecution to get you right; but if you are a child of God and those persecutions come, then you can look up and rejoice because great is your reward in heaven.56

Jesus is coming soon. He is giving you an invitation to the wedding, will you accept it? Will you be one of the little flock? The angels are holding back the four winds, and they are crying, “Shall we let loose?” No, not until we have sealed the servants of God with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.57 Perhaps you are a servant of God; you want to be sealed, be baptized in the Spirit, filled with new life. And some of these days we will burst these earthly bonds and go up to meet the Lord in the air.58 You that love Jesus will be tested.

God is asking us that question, “Will you also go away?” Is the way too hard? Is the price too great? Make up your mind you will stand on the rock. And if the whole world should leave, you will stand firm because Christ is and will be sufficient. We are going to be tested as never before. It is going to be harder every day, even among the people of God if only because so many false teachers are coming in. It is a day of delusion—all kinds of delusions are coming. Keep under the blood, keep white, keep holy, keep pure, and God will give us wisdom. Glory to God!

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. John 6:60.

2. John 6:62,65.

3. John 6:66-67.

4. John 6:68-69.

5. Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, and John 6:1-14.

6. “seven thousand”—The feeding of four thousand is found in Mark 8:1-9. The feeding of the five thousand is in Mark 6:35-44. In both cases, this number referred to the number of men, which meant the total number of people including women and children was much higher.

7. See Matthew 9:5, Mark 2:9, and Luke 5:23.

8. John 5:14.

9. See Matthew 8:24-27, Mark 4:37-41, and Luke 8:22-25.

10. See John 14:10-11.

11. See John 6:57.

12. See John 14:10 and 6:19.

13. See John 4:13-14.

14. See Isaiah 12:3.

15. See Matthew 19:25, Mark 10:26, and Luke 18:26.

16. John 6:67.

17. See John 6:68.

18. See John 6:62-69.

19. John 6:57-58, paraphrased.

20. See Genesis 6-8.

21. See Genesis 19:1-16.

22. See Matthew 23:37-39.

23. See Matthew 28:9,16-17; Mark 16:9,12,14; Luke 24:15,34,36; and John 20:14,19,26, and 21:1-14.

24. Acts 1:11.

25. See Luke 24:49.

26. See Acts 1 and 2.

27. See Acts 2:3.

28. Acts 1:8, paraphrased.

29. See Mark 16:20.

30. See Acts 2:16.

31. See 1 John 1:7.

32. Luke 12:32.

33. See 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

34. See John 14:2-3, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9, and Ephesians 5:27.

35. See Hebrews 5:12-14.

36. Matthew 24:14, paraphrased.

37. See 2 Timothy 2:12.

38. See Mark 10:30 and 2 Timothy 3:12.

39. See Zechariah 2:5, Romans 8:31, and 1 John 4:4.

40. See Daniel 12:3.

41. See 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51.

42. See Psalm 18:33.

43. See 1 Corinthians 3:19.

44. An allusion to the city from which Christian runs in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.

45. See Matthew 7:13 and Luke 13:24. “little gate”—A reference to the wicket gate in The Pilgrim’s Progress, a gate that symbolizes the moment of assurance of salvation, “fountain”—A reference to the fountain in the Delectable Mountains in The Pilgrim’s Progress where Christian washes after he escapes from the Doubting Castle and the Giant Despair.

46. 2 Samuel 22:30 and Psalm 18:29.

47. “mountains”—The Delectable Mountains of The Pilgrim’s Progress where Christian learns from the shepherds how to live the Christian life.

48. See 2 Corinthians 5:17.

49. See 1 John 1:6-7 and Psalm 106:15.

50. See Isaiah 43:19.

51. See Amos 9:9.

52. See Revelation 19:11,14; 5:12; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 1:6; 5:10, and 20:4,6.

53. Isaiah 28:11.

54. See Song of Solomon 5:10,16.

55. Luke 12:32.

56. See Matthew 5:10-12 and Mark 10:30.

57. See Revelation 7:1-3.

58. See 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

Tarry ye and wonder; cry ye out and cry; they are drunken but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.1

Behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.2

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. . . . For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. . . . For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.3

Right through these chapters God is speaking of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost and the latter rain and those who mock and make light of this wonderful work of God. The Jewish people despised this work of God and thereby sealed their own doom as a nation, and it was not long before judgment came upon them. In these last days it applies to us with more force. God is doing a marvelous and wonderful work amongst the people and those who make light and despise it will be given over to believe a lie. Despising these works is committing the unpardonable sin.4

At the time that Jerusalem was destroyed, the people that had received this wonderful baptism had the mark of God upon them. God gave them a sign that He was coming and by the Holy Ghost [would] lead His people out into a place in the country, where they were kept in perfect safety, so that there was not one of them [who] went down in the awful massacre.

So in these last days, those who sigh and cry are sealed with the Holy Ghost and are getting ready to take a flight in the golden chariots in the air, and not one of them will be left to go through the Great Tribulation. Of the rest that will go over to the Antichrist and his army, two-thirds of them will go down in the pestilences, storms, earthquakes, etc.5

The “strange work” mentioned in the text is the work of the Holy Ghost: His strange work, like when Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still. Woe to ye mockers lest ye go over the deadline: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption determined on the whole earth. God will make a speedy riddance of these things. Through calamities God is warning the people. The display of the Holy Ghost power indicates that there is some crisis at hand.

Of all the wise men in the Sanhedrin, there was not one who acknowledged that Jesus was coming or acknowledged Him when He did come. None of those wise men understood it. Whom shall I send? Who will stand in the gap? To whom shall I give knowledge?6 Those just converted, just weaned; those who cannot boast of their learning.

The Jews were confounded and astonished. Their education and talents did not amount to anything in the presence of the Holy Ghost. They said, “What does it mean anyway? Are they not ignorant men?” God spake with men of other lips and other tongues, yet for all that they would not believe.7 It shows that the heavenly power will take full control of the whole body of those that God is going to work with, and make them in some things like drunken men, and that they would speak with other tongues and lips. So today it is the same way. The deep things of God are a sealed book to those that are lost; but the Holy Ghost searches the deep things of God and reveals them to us; God wants a people who understand His Word as He intended it should be understood.8

This is God’s time for people to get ready to go up when Jesus comes, for them to get the baptism of the Holy Ghost. “Who[m] shall I send?”9 God takes the weak things. David was the least in his father’s house.10 Gideon was the weakest in his father’s house.11 Paul says God has chosen the weak things that their faith may not stand in the oratory, eloquence, and wisdom of men that they have learned, but in the power of God.12

The last thing that will be done before Jesus comes is to scatter the power of the holy people. “Ye shall have power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you.”13 The acts of the apostles was God working through the clay. It was His strange work, giving the Jews the last call, and they turned away and rejected it. So today, though people do not mock at an earthquake, they do at the power of God. Don’t mock lest your bands be made strong, lest you commit the unpardonable sin.14

There is one point that I never could understand until God showed me. That is why the hundred and twenty on the Day of Pentecost began to speak in tongues. The speaking in tongues comes by faith, and I did not see that they were taught so as to have faith for this manifestation. The facts are that they were well taught on this point, for not only had Jesus told them (Mark 16:17) that they were to speak in tongues, but He also taught them to believe according to the Old Testament scriptures. The New Testament scriptures were not then written. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). That is, be born of the Spirit. And then what? “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given: because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:38-39, emphasis by Etter).

Notice, “as the scripture hath said” refers to the scriptures I have already read, where Isaiah says, “With stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people” (Isaiah 28:11). Many have believed and received wonderful blessings and been greatly used; but being untaught on this point they could not believe “as the scriptures hath said,” and so never spoke in other tongues.

“Faith comes by hearing.”15 They had heard and were well taught by Jesus and, being familiar with the Scripture, tarried, and believed until “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues.”16 And now in the next verse (Isaiah 28:12), what does God say about this fullness of the Spirit that causes one to stammer and speak in tongues? Hear it: “This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” After the sinner is saved, he finds a wonderful rest, and then if he reads the Scripture and believes, it will lead him into the baptism in the Holy Ghost, which is the rest that remaineth for the children of God.17 Isaiah says so in the scripture just quoted.

“I proceed to do a marvelous work,” saith the Lord. There are two classes of people; the one will glorify God and the other, fight. The law puts wonderful force on the speaking in other tongues. “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 will they not hear me, saith the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:21). Paul refers to the scripture in Isaiah. He says, “yet for all that,” showing God puts much force on it.

The one hundred and twenty had faith because they had read the Scriptures and were familiar with what they read. Jesus said, “You are going to get the baptism, I am going to pour out the Holy Ghost.”

Jesus said, “He shall bear witness and testify of me.”18 The Holy Ghost gives utterance, He is testifying of Jesus. “Devout men out of every nation were gathered there, and they said, ‘They all speak in the language of our own native home.’”19 They all heard them speak of the wonderful works of God. Before Peter preached, God preached to them in other tongues.

The Holy Ghost, when He comes in this way, testifies of Christ. About the first thing He says is, “Jesus is coming soon.” The tongues are the sign of His coming soon. Peter said, “This that you hear and see.”

This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: 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.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.

1 Corinthians 14:21

Those that God uses to turn the world upside down are all like a lump of clay in the potter’s hand. Shall the vessel say, “You have not made me a vessel to suit me”?21

When any great and important machinery is invented in these days, they always have some power to move it; and your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost.22 God sends the third person of the Trinity to take possession of this powerhouse. When God works through us, let us be passive and thank Him that He uses us at all.

The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, but we speak the wisdom of God. The wise of this world did not know Jesus and therefore He said to them, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”23

The wisdom of this world is perishing. I would rather have a thimbleful of God’s wisdom than all the wisdom of this world today.

We are a people to be wondered at. “Here am I and the children thou hast given me.”24 We are for signs and wonders in Israel, from the Lord God that dwelleth in Zion or among His people.25 “Behold the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him.”26 You cannot build a building large enough to contain the Lord, and yet He does come down and dwells in these temples.

To say there is no joy in the religion of the Lord is a lie. We are often talking of going to heaven; but I am trying to bring heaven down to you that you may have a heaven to go to heaven in, for we are workers together with Christ.

“And the Lord was with them.”27 I thought you said He went to heaven? He did in person, but He was present in Spirit. The Lord was with them and when they worked and preached, God put His sign on it, as He does here. Every time you see a miracle, it is God putting His seal on the Word preached.

God Gave the Gifts and Signs to His Church

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Ephesians 4:12

I am glad I am one of those who need these things and must have them. You people in this tent night after night see this marvelous work and wonder like those that God spake of through Isaiah the prophet. You see men and women staggering and falling like dead people; you see men and women carried in dying, get up and shout and run and walk; those born deaf and dumb healed; you hear men and women and children speak in other tongues and sing heavenly music, and yet for all that some of you will not believe.

I proceed to do a marvelous work. Yet some of you won’t believe, but are stiff-necked. But praise God, some of the weakest ones get the baptism. This is the refreshing. (See Acts 3:19.)

God is pouring out His Spirit all over the world today. When the Holy Ghost came He would witness by speaking in other tongues. God does many works, but this is a marvelous one.

The Lord showed us that that is how the apostles got the light that the Holy Ghost would speak in other tongues. I never before understood how the apostles spake in tongues, as they come by faith, but now I see it plainly. “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

There are so many gifts for us all—salvation, divine healing, wisdom, love, and power. “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” (1 Corinthians 14:21).

God is sending His angels, His baptized people, with a great sound of the trumpet to gather His elect together, His people who have made a covenant with God by sacrifice, who have given up or sacrificed everything that stands in the way of their being caught away in the rapture and doing all they can to help others to get ready, blowing the trumpet—preaching in the power of the Holy Ghost with the outpouring of the Spirit on the people and the acts and signs and wonders and miracles manifested in the congregation before sinners, the world, and the saints.

The last thing to be done before the rapture is this power must be seen scattered among the saints everywhere. We must not only talk and say we ought to have these demonstrations, but we must produce the goods. The signs must be many and more wonderful than ever in the world, that the household of faith may be perfected, led into the baptism, and sealed with the knowledge to class us among the wise who shall shine as the firmament, that by these visible signs that they see and hear and feel, the lost world will get its last warning.

In the midst of these signs of the glory and presence of God, many will call on Him and be saved before the great and notable Day of the Lord comes, and those who turn away and reject will have no excuse. Amidst all the acts and wonders of the workings of the Spirit, the speaking in other tongues seems to be God’s last or greatest warning to sinners, and it is a sign to unbelievers.28 Hear His voice from heaven, “For with stammering lips and other tongues will I speak to this people, and yet for all that they will not believe me.” It is a sign to all that Jesus is coming soon.

The Lord is doing His marvelous work here in Dallas. At every meeting the tent looks like a battlefield. Men, women, and children struck down and lying all around like dead men and speaking in tongues; angels seen by many; Jesus seen up over the people in bright glory; stars and great lights in and over the tent. This is going out and will go all over the world, growing in power till Jesus comes.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Isaiah 42:9

Taken from Acts of the Holy Ghost.

Endnotes

1. Isaiah 29:9, paraphrased.

2. Isaiah 29:14.

3. Isaiah 28:9,11, and 21-22.

4. See Matthew 12:31-32.

5. See Matthew 24.

6. An allusion to Isaiah 6:8, Ezekiel 22:30, and Jeremiah 6:10.

7. See Acts 2.

8. See 1 Corinthians 2:9-14.

9. Isaiah 6:8.

10. See 1 Samuel 16:11-12.

11. See Judges 6:15.

12. See 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.

13. Acts 1:8, paraphrased.

14. See Isaiah 28:22.

15. Romans 10:17, paraphrased.

16. Acts 2:4.

17. See Hebrews 4:9.

18. See John 15:26.

19. See Acts 2:5-8.

20. Acts 2:16-18.

21. See Isaiah 45:9.

22. See 1 Corinthians 6:19.

23. Matthew 23:38.

24. John 17:9, paraphrased.

25. Isaiah 8:18, paraphrased.

26. See 2 Chronicles 6:18.

27. Acts 11:21, paraphrased.

28. See 1 Corinthians 14:22.

Has a Place in the Church -

Is the Expression of Holy Joy

David danced with all his might before the Lord.1

There is much in the Word about dancing. Where dancing in the Bible is mentioned, it always signifies victory for the Lord’s hosts. It was always done to glorify God. The Lord placed the Spirit of power and love of the dance in the Church; and wherever the Scripture speaks of dancing, it implies that they danced by inspiration and were moved by the Spirit; and the Lord was always pleased and smiled His approval. But the devil stole the dance away and made capital of it.

In these last days when God is pouring out His Spirit in great cloudbursts and tidal waves from the floodgates of heaven and the great river of life is flooding our spirit and body and baptizing us with fire and resurrection life and divine energy, the Lord is doing His acts, His strange acts, which include dancing in the Spirit and speaking in other tongues and many other operations and gifts. The Holy Ghost is confirming the last message of the coming King, with great signs and wonders and miracles.

Dancing Has a Place in the Church

If you read carefully what the Scripture says about dancing, you will be surprised and will see that singing, music, and dancing have a humble and holy place in the Lord’s Church:

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

Psalm 149:3

Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Psalm 150:4

Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together.

Jeremiah 31:13

“David danced before the Lord with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14). His wife did not like it. She scolded him and made light of him; said he was dancing before the maidens like a lewd fellow; made out as if he was base and low. He answered, “I was not dancing before men, but before the Lord,”2 showing that he had lost sight of the world and what they thought or said and was moved and controlled entirely by the Holy Ghost for the glory of God. All the great company were blessed but Michal, and she was stricken with barrenness till the day of her death.3 So you see, she sinned making light of the power of God in the holy dance and attributed it to the flesh or the devil, just as some do today. They always lose out, and many are in darkness till death.

The Spirit of God Prompts the Dancing

The news of David’s great victory (how before he became king, he had killed the giant Goliath and destroyed the great army of the Philistines) spread quickly over the land; and as David returned from the slaughter, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet the king with joy and playing on instruments of music.4

Now notice, in all their cities the women went out in the streets and danced with their music. Men are not mentioned there, just maidens and women danced unto the Lord in honor of God and David. They were prompted by the Spirit of God to praise him in the dance. It took courage to honor David in this way, but the Lord smiled His approval by having it written by holy men of old and sent down to us in His precious Word.

And he stood up, and leaped and praised God.

Acts 3:8, paraphrased

[Paul] said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

Acts 14:10

And Miriam the prophetess . . . took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Exodus 15:20-21

God has never done a greater miracle nor demonstrated His presence in so great a cloud of glory as at this time. While under the inspiration and light of His presence, their whole bodies and spirits [were] going out in love, the whole multitude of women, Miriam the prophetess and leader, leading them forth to praise the Lord with dancing, shouting, and music, singing a new song just given by the Spirit that had never been sung before. Do you call that foolishness? No, they were praising the Lord in the dance and song as they were moved by the mighty power of God.

Music Is Heard From Invisible Instruments

Moses also led the hosts in the same way, with music and dancing and a new song given for the occasion by the Spirit. So the Holy Ghost is falling on the saints of God today, and they are used in the same way. Those who never danced one step are experts in the holy dance, and those who do not know one note from another are expert musicians in playing many different instruments. Often the sound of invisible instruments from the platform is heard all over the house. And I say in the fear and presence of God, the singing and demonstration put fear of God on the people and cause a holy hush to come over the congregation. The strange acts are coming more and more, showing that Jesus is coming soon; and the Lord is getting His bride ready to be translated and dance and play at the great marriage of the Lamb, which will soon take place for the bride is making herself ready.

The Dance Gives Expression to Holy Joy

Jesus told us about a certain man whose prodigal son returned home. His elder son was in the field, and as he came near the house he heard music and dancing (Luke 15:25). He asked, “What does all this mean?”

They said, “Thy brother has come home, and thy father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.” And he was angry and would not go in, but the feast and rejoicing went on just the same.

The father said, “It was meet that we should be merry and rejoice for thy brother who was dead is alive again and was lost and is found.”5

All will agree with me, this was intended by our Lord to prefigure and describe an old-fashioned, Holy-Ghost revival where at least one soul has been saved. The lost son is a sinner whom the Spirit brought out of darkness into light; the saints are filled with the Spirit, rejoicing because of his regeneration.

I was very slow to accept the dancing in the Spirit for fear it was in the flesh, but I soon saw it was the “cloud of glory” over the people that brought forth the dancing and playing of invisible instruments. The sounds of sweet, heavenly music could often be heard. Several times I asked that those of the congregation who had heard this music from the platform (where they knew there were no instruments to be seen) to be honest and raise their hands. Many hands went up from saints and sinners.

The stillness of death went over the people when they heard the sounds of music accompanied with the heavenly choir. Often a message in tongues was given in one or more languages and the interpretation. As I saw the effect on the people by the Holy Ghost in convincing them that they were in the presence of God, I concluded that this is surely the Lord’s strange work and His strange acts. I saw as many as nine of the most noted ministers dancing at one time on the platform; they danced singly, with their eyes closed. Often some fell, slain by the mighty power of God. These things convinced me.6

I also saw men and women who have been crippled join in the dance with wonderful grace. One lady who had been walking on crutches five years and who got healed in her seat afterwards danced over the platform, singing heavenly music. The virgins, the young men, and the old men all join in the dance together. Praise the Lord. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). The Lord is quickening our mortal bodies, an earnest of the translation.

Taken from Spirit-Filled Sermons.

Endnotes

1. See 2 Samuel 6:14.

2. 2 Samuel 6:21, paraphrased.

3. See 2 Samuel 6:23.

4. See 1 Samuel 18:6.

5. See Luke 15:26-32.

6. See Romans 8:11.

Visions Are Promised by God

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Proverbs 29:18

This fact has been proven all through the Bible. When the people of God were true and faithful, the Lord made known His presence by visible signs and revealed Himself and many things to them in visions. Then they always prospered in every way, and the fear of God fell upon the heathen nations; and they fled before them and cried out, “There is no God like the God of Israel;”1 and God’s cause was glorified in the earth.

But when they were backsliders and disobedient, God hid His face. There were no visions and the people perished in every way. They went on from one sin to another, substituting form and solemn feast and outward offering, polluted sacrifices; and trusting to human wisdom and works, instead of the power and Spirit of God.

People Without Visions in Darkness

Then He took away His Spirit and visions and signs of His presence. They were left in darkness over three hundred years till Christ came, and then they did not know Him. They crucified the Lord of glory and turned loose a murderer on helpless women and children.2 Nearly the whole Jewish nation perished. All this happened because they would not be led of the Spirit of God.

When the new and living way was ushered in, the Lord gave many visions to show that Christ had come; that the Son of God was on earth; that no one need perish, but whosoever would be born of the Spirit, Christ would come and dwell in them and abide with them forever and manifest and reveal Himself to them through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost would glorify Him by revealing the things of God to us and by showing us things to come.3

On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was seen, heard, and felt, thousands were brought into the spiritual kingdom of God. Peter stood up in a blaze of Holy-Ghost power and glory and said when God poured out His Spirit on His sons and daughters, they would see visions and dream dreams and prophesy. He told them that these signs would be sure to follow the outpourings of the Spirit.4

The Lord said to Miriam, “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.”5

Moses said, “Would to God all the Lord’s people were prophets and all would prophesy.”6

Peter says we will all prophesy when we have the Spirit of God, and visions is one of the signs that we have the Spirit.7

The Lord says if we are prophets He will make Himself known in visions. The heathen, or Gentiles, were perishing; they knew nothing of the religion of Jesus. God used two visions to bring about a great revival, where the whole congregation was converted and filled with the glory of God. This was the first Holy-Ghost revival among the heathens. It was a sample of all that was to follow. When the people saw the visible signs of the presence of God in their midst and He revealed Himself to them, everyone felt they were in the presence of God; and sinners came rushing to the loving arms of Christ and were saved from the awful doom that awaits the unsaved.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”8 Those who are opposing the demonstration of the Spirit today say we do not need these things; we are progressing with the age; we want an intellectual religion; we must explain and present the Word from a human standpoint, in a scientific way.9

In these last days the masses of so-called religious teachers belong to the class, Paul said, who have a form of godliness but deny the power. From such, turn away.10 They will not endure sound doctrine; will turn the people away from the truth.11

These false teachers are in a worse condition than the Jews were. They are sinning against much greater light. They are willingly blind and are teaching their followers to hide behind a refuge of lies, trusting to doctrines and traditions of men which are vain worship.12

The judgments of God in the most awful way are coming upon the false church.

God Chooses to Give Visions

We might say they did not need these visions in the revival at Corinth. Why did not the Lord call all the apostles and the thousands of holy men and women who were filled with the Holy Ghost together and let them do the work? No, He was going to show them, and us, that it is not by human power, wisdom, or a great multitude, but by His power and Spirit that the people must be saved. They knew nothing about the great work till it was over and the waves of salvation swept all over the country till they reached the apostles.

It was four days from the time of Cornelius’ vision till Peter came with six Jewish brethren. The news of the wonderful vision and that such a servant of God was coming to lead them to Christ, spread. They believed that God had been in their midst and was coming in great power to save. They were convinced and convicted; left all their work and came together; were just waiting for the kingdom of heaven to come in their hearts with power and glory.13

Some say Peter did all this mighty work. God did it all, through the Holy Ghost. Peter only preached one sermon. He preached that repentance and faith in a living, risen Christ would bring a present salvation and a living Christ in their hearts to abide with them forever.

The Wisdom of God Is Foolish to the Unsaved

The ways and wisdom of God are foolishness to the unsaved, but God hath revealed them to His chosen ones; yea, the deep things of God!14 Oh, praise the Lord for the wisdom and knowledge, the fellowship and presence of the Lord who lives and walks with us continually.

Stephen was not an apostle, but he was full of faith and the Holy Ghost; and we all are commanded to be filled with the same power.15 He did great miracles among the people. When he so nobly defended the risen Christ, fearless of losing his life, his false accusers looked on his face and said it looked like the face of an angel.16

The pure Gospel accompanied by the power of the Holy Ghost cut them to the heart. They would not accept it and they rushed upon him with their teeth. (See Acts 7:54-56.) “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God [vv. 55-56].”

Saul, who was one of the best scholars of his day and had a polished form of religion, would not believe in or accept visions or visible demonstrations of the power of God; so when he saw the glory of God and heard Stephen tell the wonderful vision he had seen, when the howling mob gathered around, Saul helped them on and consented to his death.17

God Definitely Deals with Saul

Now the great persecution commenced. Saul, like a bloodhound who had got the smell of blood, followed the trail, filling the prisons, and putting the saints to death. (See Acts 26:10-12.)

While on his way to Damascus to take the saints from prison to put them to death, about noon, when the sun was shining in all its strength, this man who did not believe in the visible power of God said he saw a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun “shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.”18 He and all of his party were struck to the earth as dead men. There was no loud praying or singing or religious excitement to put these strong men in that condition. God had sent a shock from the battery of heaven.

Saul, who had hated demonstrations of the Spirit, saw at once he was lost and on the way to hell. The Lord showed him while lying under the power of the Holy Ghost that he must preach the Gospel; and wherever he went, he must tell about all he had seen and heard and things that the Lord would show to him in the future. Jesus appeared to him, then and talked to him face-to-face and many times after in visions.19

The Lord used three visions to bring about the conversion of Saul, one of the brightest scholars of the Jewish church. He was under deep conviction, neither ate nor drank for three days and nights. He counted the cost. When he accepted Christ he was filled with the Holy Ghost. The first thing he did was to preach a living Christ and to throw open the prisons and stop the awful persecution and show the despised followers of Jesus that he was their friend and brother.20 The churches all had rest, and the waves of salvation swept over all the land. See the glorious results to the Church and the world. All brought about by three visions. Where there is no vision the people perish.

Paul never doubted the power of God nor any demonstration. He knew more about the personality of the Holy Ghost and His many offices, gifts, visions, revelations, diverse operations, leadings, teachings, and power and taught more about these things than any or all the rest of the apostles; and he proved clearly that all this power would be for the people of God forever.

The Book of Visions

The book of Revelations is (sic) the most wonderful of all in the Bible. Christ appeared to John in person and gave him one vision after another. He showed him the heavenly city, the great city, the city of gold, and the jasper walls. The city lieth four squares—fifteen hundred miles high, as long and wide as it was high; told about the climate, the inhabitants, their occupations. He had visions of the Great Judgment Day, of the lake of fire and brimstone and all the lost swept into it. The Lord told him to write all that he saw and heard and show it to the churches, and they were to show it to the world.

The prophet said the time would come, if anyone had a vision, when they would be ashamed to tell it.21 That time is here. The masses of church leaders look upon everything supernatural as a disgrace and cry out, “hypnotism!” “excitement!” “drunkenness!” or some other power. Just like the Jews, progressing with the age, they are satisfied with dead form.

The churches are filled with unconverted people. Where there are no visions the people perish. If there is not power enough for visions, there is not enough to save a soul.

Visions Are Promised by God

The gift of visions was especially promised in the last days.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out 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

Thank the Lord, those days are here; and God is revealing Himself to those who come to Him in the right way in special gifts, in healing all manner of diseases, in all the fullness of the Holy-Ghost power. Hundreds are having wonderful visions; and wherever these signs follow the Word, all classes flock to Christ.

Dr. Talmage^22 went into the Brooklyn tabernacle one Sunday morning and said to his congregation: “I have been to heaven; I have just got back and will tell you what I saw.” The first one he met in heaven was his mother, who had been dead thirty-two years. He knew her and talked to her. He saw many he knew while here on earth and many were made known unto him that he had never known; saw white horses hitched to golden chariots standing at the doors of mansions, and others driving through streets, etc.

Many noted men and women and all classes of the children of God are bringing messages from heaven to earth. These things, with many other signs of the times, show us the Lord is coming soon for His saints and to punish a lost world. The Lord help those who profess to love Him to have enough of His Spirit to know the power of God!

Where there are no visions the people perish.

Paul says, while he was praying in the temple he fell into a trance. Paul said he would come to revelations and visions of the Lord. He was carried away to the third heaven. Whether in the body or out of the body, he could not tell, but God knew. He heard and saw wonderful things.23

That was a wonderful experience. He could not tell whether he was carried away soul and body or whether his spirit left the body for a while. But he was conscious of being carried away and knew it was the power of God. Paul said when the church came together, if anyone had a revelation, to tell it. (See 1 Corinthians 14:26).

Taken from Life and Experience of Mrs. M. B. Woodworth-Etter.

Endnotes

1. See 2 Kings 5:15, Psalm 126:2, and Ezekiel 39.

2. See Mark 15:7-15 and 1 Corinthians 2:8.

3. See John 16:13.

4. See Acts 2:17-18.

5. Numbers 12:6.

6. Numbers 11:29, paraphrased.

7. See Acts 2:17-18.

8. Proverbs 29:18.

9. Maria Etter refers here to the textual studies of the biblical texts that were receiving a great deal of attention in the universities during the nineteenth century. Many scholars questioned the existence of miracles in the Bible in these studies.

10. See 2 Timothy 3:5.

11. See 2 Timothy 4:3-4.

12. Mark 7:7.

13. See Acts 10:30-33..

14. See 1 Corinthians 1:18 and 2:10.

15. See Ephesians 5:18.

16. See Acts 6:15.

17. See Acts 8:1.

18. Acts 26:13.

19. See Acts 26:16,16:9, and 18:9.

20. See Acts 9:19-20.

21. Thomas Dewitt Talmage (1832-1902), a nineteenth-century preacher whose New York tabernacle hosted D. L. Moody and other evangelists.

22. See Zechariah 13:4.

23. See Acts 22:17 and 2 Corinthians 12:1-4.

On March 24th, 1904, when I fell under the operation of the power of God, while praying for the healing of the last one at the altar, I saw the Savior on the cross and sinners coming to Him. I saw steps leading across to the pearly gates of heaven. All those who plunged into the fountain were at once placed on the steps. Each one carried a light, which grew brighter as they went higher. There was not a spot of defilement on their robes. I was made to understand that they were the light of the world, that their lamps were lighted in heaven. They had Christ in their souls. Each one had a bodyguard of angels of God, escorting them on the upward journey. At the top of the steps were the pearly gates, where the heavenly hosts waited to welcome the pilgrims of earth.

I also saw that the world is in great darkness and that saints are very few. “Many are called but few chosen,” or will accept.1 Many were under conviction, but trusted to water baptism, to confirmation, or to church membership, but unless they are carrying the light from God, they are worse than an open sinner.

The whole world lies in great darkness, except just a few. I saw the preparation in heaven and earth for the soon coming of Christ. Heaven seemed to be in a commotion. The Lord was marshalling His hosts; getting the horses and chariots ready. The armies of heaven were moving; the gates were open. An angel came out of the gates blowing a great trumpet, the Savior was taking the lead with all the glory of heaven, shouting to the saints in a loud voice, that awakened the dead.

The Lord showed me He was judging His saints, separating the wheat from the tares, that the household of faith was getting their portion of meat in this, God’s due season. The angel was sealing the last ones of the members of the bride with the seal of the living God. They were a little flock and the last one would soon be sealed, then the Lord would come in a cloud of glory to take His bride to the marriage feast, or supper.

God help all who read this vision to take warning and repent, for the judgment of God is at hand.

Another Remarkable Vision

While holding a revival in Fostina, Ohio, in March 1894, while in my bed I had a vision of God. I thought I was in a day meeting and was standing by the pulpit. Some man in the congregation spoke in a loud voice, saying, “Sister Woodworth, look at the hand above the door.” I looked in that direction, and right above the door coming from the vestibule, I saw a large hand, wrist, and part of the arm. The wrist was bare for several inches. There was a soft, flowing sleeve that hung down about eight inches. It was white and very soft looking. The fingers were all bent a little, except the little and index fingers; they pointed out each way. The hand and arm were lovely. The sleeves and all were white and shining. The hand and arm moved about and pointed all over the congregation again and again, then pointed the index finger to me and waved the hand and fingers as if beckoning me, or calling me to come. The hand continued to move over the people, then pointed. Every eye saw the wonderful hand sight. I cried out in a loud voice, “Oh! That is the hand of God!”

There was a very large window on the same side of the house. The transom was open and a hand just like the other came through the transom and did just like the other, both warning and pointing the people to me. Both lovely hands pointed over the house, then to me. I cried out again and again, “Oh! That is the hand of God!” They both went away at once.

It seemed the congregation could not move. Then I said, “Oh! I believe it is the hand of God, and it means something wonderful to the people and especially to me.” Just then I saw through the transom of the same window and clear up to heaven, a path twenty feet or more wide. It reached from heaven down and was full of stars and light. As I looked I saw one of the hands and nearly all of the arm with the flowing, soft sleeve come out of heaven and come down the shining path. Then it came across the window, through the transom without stopping, and over the congregation, with the index finger and arm pointing to me. The finger touched me on the forehead. The little finger or thumb, or both, touched my face. The hand and arm waved over me. I felt the everlasting arms and the soft sleeves around me. Everyone saw it then. It was straight across the congregation and out of the window and up to heaven without stopping. I cried out with a loud voice, “It is the hand of God. It was the everlasting arms.” I said, “God is going to reveal Himself to me in a wondrous way, writing His laws on my mind with the finger of God. Perhaps He is soon going to take me home.” For the devil came also to make me believe I was going to die, but I said, no.

The Lord showed me the vision is concerning the soon coming of Christ. The warning, the hands pointing over the people, then pointing them to me and to heaven, was God drawing the people to me to get light on the speedy coming of our Lord, and to get ready to meet Him; that it would be only a few years; that I would pass through several changes in my life and work; that would be for my good and the glory of God. This vision was not of Christ, but of God that inhabits eternity, the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The great fatherhood and love of God was revealed to me as never before, as a personal God. God is as much person as Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the express image of my Father’s person.”2 God is a spirit form. He alone had immortality; but through Christ’s obedience unto death on the cross, He brought life and immorality to light.3

It was the arm of God and the finger of God that touched my forehead. He showed me He would seal me with, and reveal unto me, the wisdom of God and the knowledge of His glorious plan of the ages; the winding up of this harvest; of the calling and preparation of the bride; of the soon coming of Christ, the Bridegroom; that the Gentile door will soon be closed; of the great time of trouble that will follow the Rapture of ascension of the bride.

All that are left will go down in, or through, this great day or time of trouble that the angel Gabriel told Daniel of—such as never was, or ever shall be again.4 The whole world will be taken in a snare at the winding up of that awful time, with the great battle of God Almighty with the armies of earth, when He comes back with His saints to set up the glorious millennial kingdom, which will last one thousand years, when Christ and His bride shall judge the nations.5

In that vision the Lord gave me a special call for this work and to give the household of faith their meat in due season; to give the last call to the Gentile sinners, the last call to the marriage supper of the Lamb, for His wife is about ready to enter into the marriage relation, and the door will be closed never to be opened again; and to get those who have been called to be established, to be faithful and true, that they may be anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power, and sealed with the proper knowledge of His coming and of their great work during the millennial reign of one thousand years, when the saints shall judge the world and angels, when all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

The Lord showed me He would enlighten and reveal these things to me by His Word; through the Spirit He would write them in my forehead, or mind and heart. He touched my mouth with His thumb and finger, showing me He would put words in my mouth and give me wisdom to explain these things as fast as He gave them to me, that this was, and is, His due time when we must know these things. He put His loving arms around me, showing His loving care and protection, that He gave me a new lease of life for this word, which was to be devoted to this preparation work of warning the people and getting the bride ready.

I have been very near death several times, but the memory of the wonderful vision has inspired me to new life. I have been wonderfully enlightened during all these years. I understand all these things better every day, as God is leading me to separate the wheat from the tares with His Word and by His Spirit. Christ, the great reaper in white, clothed in power, is with me in this great harvest work. He gives me the light every day. The time is very short! The Lord is showing me many things on this line. I never loved the blessed, loving Father so much as now. I never had an idea that His plans were so great and glorious. Oh! Praise His name forever.

The Lord revealed to me in this vision many vicissitudes and changes that I would pass through in the following four years of my life. These revelations have and are being fulfilled.

Notes in 1916

It has been fifteen years since the Lord gave me this vision. Read it carefully and see if you do not see the hand of God and know that God gave the vision. See how the Lord gave me courage to prophesy how He was going to use me to write another book and send it out quickly. In four months’ time we had out ten thousand of the sixth volume of a new book called The Acts of the Holy Ghost.

This book has gone almost over the entire world and different parts of it have been translated into several languages, and the Lord has blessed the book far beyond all expectations, in enlightening and convicting and stirring up people of all classes to seek more of God. We get letters from all parts of the world asking for help for both soul and body. We get thousands of handkerchiefs, asking us to pray over them; and like God worked special miracles through the hands of Paul, insomuch that they sent handkerchiefs and aprons and they went out from Paul’s body.6 Devils were cast out and they were healed; so He is working today the same way, and we receive letters from across the seas and also from the Atlantic to the Pacific shouting, “Glory to God! I am healed and filled with God!”

Many times they are healed while we are praying for them, and many times while they are reading the letter, the power of God falls on them and they apply the handkerchief; they are healed immediately and very often they are converted, and some have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost; and at the same time many of the worst diseases and the worst cripples are made to leap and praise God for perfect healing.

In the last two years and a half, I have traveled over twenty-two thousand miles. This is the month of May, and I have received calls from twenty-seven states and one from Washington, D.C., and two calls from Canada to hold conventions or camp meetings for one month or more, and many from small places in these states.

Please read carefully the different accounts of the meetings and see the wonderful work God hath wrought, and you will have to confess that God gave the vision and that the vision and the prophecy have come true. Then be very careful how you receive these great and marvelous works of God, for He hath taken one of the weakest of all to confound the mighty so that no flesh shall glory.7

God is continually revealing to His children the mysteries of the kingdom, which are hidden from the “wise and prudent.” (See Matthew 11:25.) “God’s children have supernatural revelations and see visions: otherwise the Bible could not be the Word of God, for it is (inter alia)”8 the result and record of visions.”9

Someone said that they thought that those who said they had had a vision just imagined it. If that is so, after the Crucifixion Mary did not see Christ, but only imagined it; and when she saw the two angels, she just imagined that also; and when Jesus appeared to her, why she just imagined that.10 If that is so, the apostles who testified that they saw Him only imagined they saw Him,11 and after that, when Jesus was seen by the five hundred brethren, seen by all of them at the same time; why those five hundred men just imagined it, imagined all together, at precisely the same time (1 Corinthians 15:6). And everyone that saw Jesus after His resurrection from the dead just imagined it. On what ground then do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead if you reject supernatural testimony? Spiritual things are spiritually discerned.12

After receiving the new birth into the spiritual kingdom, God’s children know those things which are mysteries and forever secret and hidden from the eyes of the simply natural, unregenerate men, however wise, learned, and intelligent they may be, and to whatever high degree of acumen and understanding they may have attained.

When Elisha’s servant at Dothan saw that the city was compassed round by a host, both with horses and chariots, he came to his master and said, “Alas, my master, how shall we do?” Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes that he may see.” And behold the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire about Elisha.13 If Elisha’s servant could see, why not we?

Paul had a vision in the temple; Peter on the housetop had a vision; John the revelator had visions, and numerous others.14

One of the elementary and fundamental doctrines of the Christian religion is the immutability of the omnipotent God; or in ordinary parlance, it is the fixed belief that God has not changed, and will not change, in His dealings with mankind, as long as this dispensation lasts; that He is all-powerful, and that He has not lost any of His power during the centuries that have elapsed since the days of the early Church; that He is still faithful and true to fulfil all that He has promised to do on the conditions specified in His Word; that He has not lost any of the love that He once had for mankind; and that under the same circumstances and conditions will do as much for us as He ever did for anyone else.

“We repeat that the doctrine and belief in ‘The Immutability of an Omnipotent God’ is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian religion, which has been adhered to all down the ages, by the Christian Church of all denominations; and that no one can deny that God reveals Himself in visions to His servants, and remain an orthodox Christian.15

Written at Dallas, Texas

It could be truly said, as Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, that this you see and hear and feel is the promise of the Father, the wonder-working Holy Ghost.16

With great “signs and wonders” the Lord has stretched forth His hand in working mighty miracles; healing all manner of diseases; casting out demons; laying the people out as dead; many of the meetings look like a battlefield; sinners struck down in their sins; and saints lying like Peter and Paul as dead; the saints have been given great visions and revelations and prophecies from heaven.

The Holy Ghost has been seen as cloven tongues, as rays of light, and as a great cloud of glory over the pulpit and the altar, and the Lord has been seen by many walking through the tent and about the altar.

Thousands of people are stirred and are writing to us for help, both spiritual and physical. The Macedonian cry is, “Come, come and help us or send help.”17

God has called the saints, the brethren in the ministry, and the evangelists and workers from all parts. They have all fallen in line and rejoiced in the unity and love and power of God in our midst and went away feeling convinced of the need of more power of the living God in us and through us and in our midst.

At the end of five months, as we are about to close our work here, the interest which has been increasing from the first is now deeper and the presence of God is more manifest than ever.

As we are expecting to leave soon, the people are improving the opportunity and rushing here from all parts. There are twelve just arrived from Canada, one from England, and others are on their way.

The Lord showed a brother in a vision that the bands of angels that sang at the birth of Jesus were singing through the saints.

The Lord is manifesting His presence more and more to His children and encouraging us in every way that we may be ready and be weaned away from the world and be ready for His soon coming.

I have every reason to praise the Lord that He has wonderfully sustained me during these five months; I have been laboring very hard, not only in the meetings, but outside of meetings.

I would say to the reader that the contents of my books are as a drop in the ocean compared to the many meetings and wonderful things that have never been mentioned and no account given of them.

I am sending books forth in the name of the Lord. The Lord showed me that I must make haste and get the books out, for He is going to send them all over the world. They will not only be used to help to gather the saints together and prepare for the marriage and the great work of the future, but it will be a great help to those who are left to go through the tribulation.

I ask the prayers of all the saints that shall read these lines that I may be kept continually in His will and covered with His mighty love and power; that God though me can finish the work that He has called me to do that He may have all the glory.

Mrs. Woodworth-Etter December 12th, 1912

Taken from A Diary of Signs and Wonders, Harrison House Edition.

Endnotes

1. Matthew 20:16, paraphrased.

2. See John 14:9. The phrase “express image” appears in Hebrews 1:3.

3. See 2 Timothy 1:10.

4. See Daniel 12:1 and Matthew 24:21.

5. See 1 Corinthians 6:2.

6. See Acts 19:11-12.

7. See 1 Corinthians 1:27.

8. inter alia: among other things. (Webster’s N. W., 1997).

9. Source of quotation unknown.

10. See Matthew 28:5-10, Mark 16:9-10, Luke 24:4-6, and John 20:11-18.

11. See Matthew 28:17; Mark 16:12-14; Luke 24:15-31, 36; and John 20:19-29; 21:1-25.

12. See 1 Corinthians 2:14.

13. See 2 Kings 6:15-17.

14. Paul’s vision is recorded in Acts 22:17-21, Peter’s in Acts 10:9-20, and John’s in the entire book of Revelation.

15. Source of quotation unknown.

16. See Acts 2:33.

17. See Acts 16:9.

Health for Body, Soul, and Spirit

“Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses, in His own body on the tree.”1

If we really believe this wonderful truth believe this wonderful truth, we will claim our deliverance and step out, acting as we believe.

In seeking healing for our bodies, we are so apt to look at feelings or symptoms and believe we are healed just in proportion to the amount we see and feel when in reality, we are healed when we believe. “Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye have received and ye shall have.”2 The work was all finished on Calvary. On Calvary’s tree the remedy is found that will heal all sicknesses and diseases of the soul and body. Jesus offers it unto us free. It is “look and live.”3 Therefore, all we have to do is to appropriate it to our own individual needs. Sometimes it is instantly realized in the body, but more often it is a gradual deliverance, requiring us to step out in faith before we see any signs of having it.

We take salvation the same way—claiming it by faith before we feel any change in our hearts. So we must see with the eye of faith, our bodily healing, before it can be made manifest in us.

Now faith is not natural sight; if it was it would no longer be faith, but reality. Faith is believing God and His Word and that He will do all that He has promised. “It counts the things which be not (like perfect, well bodies) as though they were”;4 and the things which be (like feelings and symptoms) as though they were not, because God said so and what He says is true.

Faith looks away from the natural, from the things of the senses, and sees the fulfillment of the promise through Christ’s complete work on Calvary. It sees every need supplied through the atonement. It then believes and acts and will soon bring forth the fruit— a healthy body.

We must believe after the prayer of faith has been given, for “Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye have received, and ye shall have.”5 We must cling to the promises of Jesus instead of looking at our feelings, or go[ing] by them, for our senses are false witnesses] unto us when we step out in faith.

If we are looking and going by our feelings, we are believing them instead of believing God. We are to believe as we pray. We often ask God to heal us and then we begin to note how we feel, and worry and fret about the things that are seen. We concluded because we didn’t feel any better, that God had not healed or heard our prayers. What’s the matter? Simply, we were believing feelings instead of God and His Word. The believing is not in accordance with the praying.

The Lord Jesus healed, though medical man abounded—there were “many physicians.” (See Mark 5:26.) The Lord Jesus healed without inquiry, whether people were taking medicine or not. The Lord Jesus healed, without exception, all who came or were brought to Him. (See Matthew 8:16.)

The Lord Jesus sometimes healed without the result being apparent at once. (See Luke 17:14.) The Lord Jesus sometimes healed gradually. (See John 4:49-52.) The Lord generally healed on the spot, instantaneously. (See Matthew 15:30-31.) The Lord Jesus sometimes indicated healing would be in the near future. (See John 9:7.) The Lord Jesus sometimes removed a man from his surroundings before healing him. (See Mark 8:22-23.)

The Lord Jesus healed all manner of diseases (see Matthew 4:23-24), including lunacy, epilepsy, leprosy, palsy, fever, paralysis, blindness, lameness, deafness, withered limbs, a sword cut, etc. The Lord healed illness associated with devils. (See Luke 9:42.) The Lord

Jesus healed people at a distance without going to them. There is an instance of His healing someone sixteen miles away. (See John 4:46-53.) The Lord Jesus healed by a touch, by others touching Him, by His taking people by the hand, by command, by a word. (See Matthew 8:3; Luke 8:44; Mark 1:31; Luke 6:10; and Mark 7:34.)

The Lord Jesus transmitted this power to others: to the twelve disciples (see Luke 9:1); to the seventy who were not apostles (see Luke 10:1-9); to believers generally, if they claimed the power (see John 14:12-14); to Peter’s shadow (see Acts 5:14-15).

When a tree is cut down, it is then a dead tree. As long as the sap is in the branches, the leaves and branches will flourish; but as soon as the sap is exhausted, they will wither and dry up. So with our healing—as soon as diseases and sickness are smitten, it is dead; symptoms may remain for a time, but if we believe the work done and cause removed, the symptoms will vanish.

In Christ is all we need. With Him all things are possible; without Him we can do nothing.6

One of the secrets of obtaining these things of the Lord is to see Jesus—looking away from ourselves and see[ing] Him. This connects us to Him; then seeing Him, praise Him and pull down all we need for body and soul.

Cast all doubts, fears, and unbelief on Him, who is the burden bearer; and as you do this, He is responsible for even our believing. Then stand in faith, counting the work as done until health and strength are made manifest in the flesh.7

The prayer of faith through the anointed cloth is based on Acts 19:11-12. It says, “God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” Paul was wonderfully used of God in his ministry. This gave the people great faith in his prayer in their behalf, so that they brought aprons and handkerchiefs for him to bless and pray over. When these were put on the sick and afflicted, they were healed, as they believed, just like the woman was healed when by faith she touched Jesus’ garments.8

In my ministry of about forty-five years, thousands of handkerchiefs have been prayed over and anointed and sent out again. We have received all kinds of wonderful testimonies of healings as a result of this part of the ministry. The cloth is only the medium through which faith is exercised. The woman that came to Jesus said, “If I can only touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole.”9 By faith, she touched Him and received her healing. You can do so, too. You may put the cloth on any part of the body, if not convenient to put it on the diseased part, and leave it on as you feel led, but do not doubt Jesus afterwards. If the woman who touched Jesus had doubted, she would not have been healed. The same way with us today.

This tract is written to help you, dear one. Be of good cheer and have a childlike faith in all that Jesus has promised, and the Lord will do great and marvelous things for you.10

Taken from a tract by the same title.

Endnotes

This sermon was printed as a tract.

1. Matthew 8:17 and 1 Peter 2:24, paraphrased.

2. Mark 11:24, paraphrased.

3. See Numbers 21:8-9.

4. See Romans 4:17.

5. Mark 11:24, paraphrased.

6. See Ephesians 1:3, Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, and John 15:5.

7. See Psalm 55:22 and Ephesians 6:13.

8. See Matthew 9:20-22.

9. Matthew 9:21, paraphrased.

10. The tract continues, “Always send stamp for reply. Many people forget to do this. -Mrs. Woodworth Etter, 2114 Miller St., Indianapolis, Ind.” The address is no longer valid.

The prayer of faith shall save the sick.

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he (has) committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Elijah) was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months.1

James 5:14-17

The apostle James sends this letter out over the world to all churches, ministers, and to every member of the body of Christ. All these teachings and blessings are for every child of God that will accept them. He wants the Church to know that the power to heal the sick and teach divine healing was not confined to the apostles, but elders of each and every church had the gift of healing or the power to heal and that by meeting the conditions given, every one of the followers of Christ would positively be healed.

He delivered this doctrine of divine healing of the body to be taught and practiced in every church, that each member would know their privilege and duty to God. If he or she were sick, instead of sending for a doctor, perhaps an infidel doctor, they should send at once for the elders and let God glorify Himself by manifesting the healing power in raising him up.

Let God Glorify Himself

Some teachers refuse to walk in the God-given light and say this text means “spiritual healing.” I am glad the Word of God is so plain that anyone who wants the light can have it: “The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”2 You see the line between the raising up of the sick one and the forgiving of sin? If they backslid, or sinned in any way that brought on the sickness, the sick ones should have faith in the promises of God in sending for the elders as God had commanded.

The elders come and anoint with oil, a symbol of the Holy Ghost or healing virtue that must come from Jesus, on and through the sick one—soul and body. They pray together the prayer of faith, and having met the conditions, the Lord honors the faith and comes with His mighty power and raises up the sick one to health and restores to him peace and joy in his soul.

The Lord Honors the Faith

“Pray one for another, that you may be healed.”3

You see, the power of the Lord is ever present with His children to heal. The command is given to every child of God. If the elder cannot come, then get a few of God’s children together in the true Spirit of Christ, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Some have gifts of casting out devils and healing by laying on hands. Oh! Let us not forget these blood-bought benefits. He for-giveth all our iniquities, He healeth all our diseases.4 He promises to heal soul and body; the verb is in the present tense. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”5

Unwavering Faith

The Lord shows us that we must have the righteousness of Christ, meet every other condition, and ask the Lord for what we want in faith, without wavering. If we waver, or doubt, we need not expect anything, for God will not hear us.6

The prayer of faith God will answer, if He had to bring all heaven down to prompt us to greater faith to ask the Lord for greater things.

He refers us back to the dark days of dearth^7 and condemnation in which Elijah lived and says, “He was a man, subject to like passion, as we are.” He was not an angel, but a man, with the same human nature and passions as we have. He prayed earnestly, that it might not rain, and the heavens were shut up for three years and six months; he prayed again, and the rain came. He prayed for God to send fire from heaven, that the people might know there was a true God and that he was God’s servant and the Lord was leading him.8

The Lord Wants Us to Ask

The Lord wants us to ask for great signs and wonders. The fire that came from heaven and brought the people down before God was a symbol of the Holy Ghost. The Lord wants to send into our midst signs and wonders in answer to our prayers.

Elijah represents Christ—[Elisha,]9 the Church. When Elijah was taken up to heaven, a double portion of his spirit came upon Elisha, and Elisha did many more signs and wonders than Elijah did.10

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14, paraphrased). “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). You see, Christ’s will and our will come together with the same desire to glorify the Father, the Spirit of Christ prompting us to ask for great things, that the Lord will have a chance to let down His right hand of power and let the people see the visible signs of the Lord of Hosts, that dwelleth in Zion.

Every one of us ought to be anointed with the same power and gifts that God hath set in the Church, that the world may believe that the Father has sent Christ into the world and that the Father hath loved us, as He loved Him—Christ.11 “In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”12

These are the special gifts. I praise the Lord! He hath given these gifts to me, and in His name, through His name, thousands of unclean spirits are cast out. The deaf, dumb, lame, blind, paralytic, and cancer devils have been driven out. Thousands of diseases have fled by laving on my hands, in His name, and they were made whole.

Healing in the Atonement

Divine healing is taught in the Atonement, as much as the salvation of the soul. Isaiah, 53rd chapter, says: “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”13

Matthew 8:17 says: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah [Esaias] the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body . . .Ye are the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13,27^14

God has set some in the Church or body: Firstly, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers.15

For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

Together we have the promise of apostles, prophets, teachers, and evangelists, in the coming Church of Christ.16 What a glorious Church is the real body and bride of our Lord!

The signs were to follow their works: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

You see that God placed all the gifts and working of the Spirit in the Church and they were to remain with the people of God, “till all come in the unity of the faith^17 by the same Spirit ... to every man is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal; but all these worketh the selfsame Spirit—one Lord and one Spirit.18

The Holy Ghost is the agent of Christ sent by God to work through the Church, the body of Christ, and each member is to possess one or more of these gifts as we walk in the light and believe and accept these blessings, or gifts.

Paul says, “Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant, concerning the knowledge of the Son of God, till we all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”19

Dear reader, when will we all come up to this measure? Not until the last one of the little flock is ready to be translated. We must be filled with the fullness of God, with wisdom and power. These signs and gifts must follow until the Church goes out to meet the Lord— the Bridegroom. She will go out to meet Him with the same power that the apostles had after they were filled with the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost. Oh! Praise the Lord, all these signs are with us and are manifested in our meetings.

Taken from Acts of the Holy Ghost.

Endnotes

This is the longer version of “Divine Healing Included in the Atonement.” The subtitles from the shorter version have been inserted here.

1. Words in parentheses are Maria Etter’s emendation.

2. James 5:15

3. James 5:16, paraphrased.

4. See Psalm 103:3.

5. James 5:16.

6. See James 1:6-7.

7. “dearth”—scarcity. This may be a typographical error, and Etter may have said “death.”

8. See 1 Kings 17: land 2 Kings 1.

9. The version of the sermon in Spirit-Filled Sermons adds Elisha’s name here.

10. See 2 Kings 2:9-15.

11. An allusion to John 17:21.

12. Mark 16:17-18, paraphrased.

13. Isaiah 53:5.

14. Etter’s text in at least two versions has 1 Corinthians 12:13 and 12:27 quoted separately without notation, followed by the scripture notation, “1 Cor. 12:12,” which she may have meant as an introductory commentary on the next section.

15. See 1 Corinthians 12:28.

16. See Ephesians 4:11.

17. Ephesians 4:13, paraphrased.

18. See 1 Corinthians 12:7 and 11.

19. 1 Corinthians 12:1 and Ephesians 4:13, paraphrased.

In the last chapter of James, verse fourteen is for the Church. Remember, it is not for sinners.

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the if he have committed sins, Lord shall raise him up; and they shall be forgiven him.1

“Confess your faults one to another.” You have to be pretty straight when you come to God. “Pray one for another, that ye might be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”2

“Elijah was a man like other men, not an angel, and he prayed that it might not rain, and it rained not for three years and six months. He prayed again and God heard him and sent the rain.”3 This chapter is for us; it applies to us. All through the chapter it refers to the days we are living in.

When these things come to pass know that the end draweth near.4 This chapter brings us down to the last days.

Verse 7. In the east they had the early rain to start the grain. They could not tell anything about the harvest until they received the latter rain. If it came abundantly, there would be a good harvest. The apostle says to us, “Wait for the latter rain; be ye also patient unto the coming of the Lord.” When the latter rain is falling, we know the coming of the Lord is near. We are getting the early rain and will get the latter rain before long. He is getting the bride ready.

The apostle is speaking to the Church. If anyone is sick among you, don’t run for the doctor or send him to the hospital, but let the sick ones send for the elders. The elders were supposed to be men endued with the Holy Ghost, who would come and pray over him, anointing him with oil, and he should be raised up. And if he had sinned in any way, he must confess it, and through prayer, be forgiven.

Some people say this is spiritual healing. They are blind because they want to be. Anointing with oil is a symbol of the anointing with the Holy Ghost. A barrel of oil would not heal, but if you are anointing with faith and obedience, you get the blessing.

It is the healing virtue of Jesus—the power of God. After the disease is cast out, the healing power of Jesus comes in. The prayer of faith shall save the sick; the power of God cleanses the soul; and the sick one is raised up, both soul and body.

Any of God’s children, filled with the Holy Ghost, can pray with the sick, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord; and you can rely upon it, the person will be raised up. You can do that without any special gift. Pray for one another. People may die before help can reach them. Call in the neighbors and unite in prayer. If there has been any backbiting, confess it.

The prayer of faith is effectual and availeth much. If you cannot get anyone with a special gift, pray for each other. I know many people who have not had a doctor in the family; parents pray for the children, and children pray for the parents; little ones who can hardly talk will pray and the sick are raised up.

Pray one for another. Wherever you are, Jesus is. He is the healer and also the baptizer. He gives the resurrection life. Many today are wonderfully healed while alone with God. God is moving in a marvelous way. We must exercise faith and obedience.

Elijah had great power with God, and he was a man just like you. Elisha had twice as much power as Elijah.5 Moody^6 says we ought to have much more and do greater things than he did. This was away back (He) in the moonlight of the Church. We, in the sunlight today, ought to do four times as many miracles as they did.

Great miracles ought to be performed; and they are being performed in these days when the bride is getting herself ready to meet the Bridegroom and go up into the air with Him. God will do greater works in the last days.

All the people that are baptized in the Spirit believe that Jesus is coming soon. One-half know it. How? By the Word and signs. God wants to move His people; when the Gospel of the coming King shall be preached to all the world, then the Lord will come.

This Gospel of the coming King is to girdle the earth and give every professing child of God a chance to come into the power of the Holy Ghost. If we do not blow the trumpet and give forth the right sound, the Tribulation will be upon us and their blood will be required at our hands.

We are told to watch and pray as we see the Day approaching.7 What is the signal of danger? The great Day of the Lord is at hand. How could we blow the trumpet, if we did not know the signal? I am glad we do know it.

This chapter shows the power of God in the Church. Every child of God should have power enough to bring down a blessing. There must be faith and obedience. Expect something from the Lord just now and He answers quickly.

You see how quickly prayer is answered and different diseases healed; you see it here every day. God says the prayer of faith will save the sick.8 Everyone does not have to anoint with oil; some have gifts; there are different gifts.

Jesus said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”9

One point I want to make clear: It says anoint with oil, but it does not say pray for every sinner; it is for the saints. If they have backslidden, let them confess and they will be forgiven.

Sinners cannot expect to be healed unless they give their hearts to God. Jesus said, “Thy sins are forgiven,”10 then He healed. God expects you to come the same way. I cannot pray for your body unless you give yourself to God. If you want God to heal you, you must stop sinning.

If you promise me you will, God will take your promise through our faith. God did not promise to heal sinners and let them go forth to serve the devil. He said, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”11 You will sin unless you get saved.

They should know in every church what to do: send for the elders. Until recently very few persons would lay hands on the sick without anointing with oil; I have been criticized for this, all the way.

I received my anointing thirty-five years ago when God raised me up from the sickbed. God showed me I must preach healing, and I told the people how God raised me up. After awhile, I was holding a meeting in Indiana and worked nearly to death, sometimes nearly all night.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon me; God was trying to show me He wanted me to preach healing for the sick, but I was afraid it was the enemy; it seemed like presumption. Many souls would be saved through divine healing and the devil knew it.

Healing is the great drawing card in the New Testament. Finally, I settled the question. I knew it was the Lord, and I said, “Whenever you want me to pray for someone, bring them to me, or take me to them, and I will do it.”

The first place I went, we had a wonderful meeting. There was a man who had been a great skeptic; I met a man who asked me to go and visit the man’s daughter, who was dying. Five doctors had given her up. She had been converted a few weeks before in our meeting. I did not see how I could go, but I felt the hand of the Lord was in it, and I said, “If I cannot go, I will pray for her and I believe God will heal her.”

The next morning I was very weak, but felt I must go to her when the Lord said to me, “You pray for her and I will heal her.” A few days later, in another town, word was brought me that He had fulfilled His promise. You talk about hypnotic power or my power; I never saw this woman.

About laying on of hands: I was holding a meeting in Indiana [and] there were few people to pray the power down. Dr. Daggett, a physician, came to the meetings whenever he could and would lead in prayer.

Sometimes he had to go out, he suffered so with pain in his knees. The Lord began to say to me, “That man ought to be healed.” He impressed this upon me so much, I had to go to him and say, “I wish you did not have to go out; I need you here.” He said, “I am very sorry, but I suffer so I have to go.” I asked him if he did not believe God could heal him and told him that I believed God wanted to heal him.

God was working with him in the same way. I called the congregation together and said, “Are there any Christians here who believe God can heal? If you really believe, come and help me. I am going to pray for healing.”

Several came. I did not know what to do any more than a baby. I began to pray; the power of the Lord raised my right arm up until it was over the knee and then stopped, for I did not like to touch it. The power of God was in my hand and He wanted me to lay my hand on the man’s knee. When I understood what God wanted, I laid my hand on the knee and asked God to take the disease out. [The man] sprang to his feet, healed. He had been that way twelve years; everyone knew him and everyone was amazed.

Once when there were thousands of people present, I called out, “Is Dr. Daggett in the congregation?” He was making his way through the crowd, running to a place on the platform. He told how wonderfully he was healed, and I heard of him twelve years afterward.

That was the first one I ever laid hands on. “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”12 That was the way God led me out. I have been criticized all along the line by those who anoint with oil. After Pentecost, you never read of the apostles anointing with oil. They did as Jesus directed, they laid their hands on the sick and they recovered.

God does not lead everyone alike. Anyone He leads to anoint, it is all right, but God did not lead me that way. He led me to pray the prayer of faith and lay hands on and cast out demons in the name of Jesus.

Anyone who has faith to comply with the commission James gives can pray the prayer of faith for the sick and they will be healed.

Taken from Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry of Maria B. Woodworth-Etter

Endnotes

1. James 5:14-15.

2. James 5:16, both quotations.

3. James 5:17-18, paraphrased.

4. See James 5:8.

5. See 2 Kings 2:9.

6. Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) was a well-known American evangelist.

7. See Mark 13:33 and Hebrews 10:25.

8. See James 5:15.

9. Mark 16:17-18.

10. See Matthew 9:2, Mark 2:5, and Luke 5:20.

11. John 5:14, paraphrased.

12. Mark 16:18.

Q. What is divine healing?

A. Divine healing is the act of God’s grace, by the direct power of the Holy Spirit, by which the physical body is delivered from sickness and disease and restored to soundness and health.

Q. Have we any promise in the Bible that divine healing was ever intended to be an attainable blessing to the people of God?

A. Yes. There are many such promises. We find it given to the people of Israel in a special covenant promise.

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

Exodus 15:26

And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

Exodus 23:25

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. . . . And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:15-18

Q. Does the Bible prove that any of the people of God ever enjoyed this blessing?

A. Yes. We read that even before this covenant blessing was promised, the physical condition of the people was perfect, which indicates plainly that God had a special interest in their health. (See Psalm 105:37.) There were at least two and one-half million people in the Exodus from Egypt, “and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.” Moses enjoyed this blessing in a special manner. “And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deuteronomy 34:7). So also did Caleb, in an unusual experience of preservation and health, live to an old age. (See Joshua 14:10-11.) David personally knew of the benefits and blessings of healing. (See Psalm 6:2; 30:2; and 103:1-4.) Whenever Israel lived up to the covenant conditions, they all had the benefits of healing and health. (See Psalm 107:20 and 2 Chronicles 30:20.) Hezekiah had a personal experience of the same. (See 2 Kings 20:1-5.)

Q. Was this blessing ever promised to anyone else than the Jews?

A. Yes. It is given in prophecy as a redemption blessing, which, together with all other gospel blessings through Christ, is offered to both Jew and Gentile. (See Galatians 3:27-29.)

Q. What does prophecy say about divine healing?

A. There is more said about it in prophecy than we have time at present to read, but I will just quote a few verses, and the rest can be read at your leisure. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6). This very prophecy is referred to by Jesus Himself in Matthew 11:5, where it was daily being fulfilled, “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

Another very plain prophecy is found in Isaiah 53:4: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” The fulfillment of this wonderful voice of inspiration is found in Matthew 8:17: “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” It is admitted by all reliable translators and the most eminent Hebrew scholars, such as Barnes, Magee, Young, and Lesser, that Isaiah 53:4 in its literal rendering corresponds exactly with Matthew 8:17. We see, therefore, that the latter is a direct reference to the former. Then the beautiful prophecy of salvation and healing is found in the following verse, viz. Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

These prophecies all point to the redemptive work of Jesus, which finds its center in the Cross. The apostle Peter refers to this verse just quoted in the following language: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose strides ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The following references will enable you to see that more is said in prophecy about healing: Isaiah 42:7; 61:1—fulfilled in Luke 4:18-21. Prophecy in Malachi 4:2—fulfilled in Matthew 4:16 and Luke 1:78-79. These are all fulfilled in redemption.

These promises of God are all fulfilled in this day of grace and Holy-Ghost dispensation. They are all part of God’s glorious redemptive work. It is His holy will to glorify Himself by restoring His children to perfect bodily health, and thus manifesting to all mankind His love, faithfulness, tender mercy, and truth.

The deliverance of the body from the destructive power of Satan and its restoration to health is an integral part of salvation. Were this lacking, God’s glorious perfect salvation would be incomplete and imperfect. The Lord Jesus would have failed to completely deliver us from Satan’s dominion and destructive power; and this marvelous, wonderful, and glorious salvation of the human race, the product of the wisdom, love, and power of the Almighty, would have been a partial failure after all!

Q. Do you believe that the Bible teaches divine healing as a redemption blessing?

A. Yes. Do you not see how plain this is made in the prophecies just quoted and in their fulfillment? Jesus worked in every respect in His life, ministry, death, and resurrection, just according to the redemption plan. His words and deeds are the divine expression of this redemption plan, and we can clearly see that healing for the body is placed upon an equality with healing for the soul. Both are obtained upon the same grounds: obedience and faith.

Q. Can a person possess salvation without healing?

A. Yes, he may. While both are obtained by faith, yet they may not be obtained by the same act of faith. Jesus will be to us just what our faith takes Him for.

Q. Did Jesus heal everybody?

A. Yes, all who came to Him in faith. Read Matthew 4:23-24 and 12:15.

Q. But they did not seem to have faith, did they?

A. Yes. If you read the references just mentioned, you will notice the people “came to him” for healing and “followed him.” At Nazareth, His own town, where He had been brought up, He could do no great work among them, because of their unbelief.1 At Capernaum, where some of the most remarkable healings were wrought, the people were a believing people.2 Out of nineteen of the most prominent individual cases of healing in the ministry of Christ and the apostles, there are twelve of these where their faith is spoken of? The rest are mentioned sufficiently plain to show that faith brought the healing in every case.

Q. Did not Jesus heal arbitrarily, for the sole purpose of establishing His divinity?

A. No. He healed according to the law of redemption and because of His great compassion to suffering humanity. (See Matthew 14:14.)

Q. Did not healing cease when Jesus finished His earthly ministry?

A. No. It was more wonderfully manifested in the ministry of the apostles, after the Day of Pentecost. (See Acts 3:1-16; 5:12-16; 8:6-8; 9:17-18,33-42; 14:8-10,19-20; 19:11-12; 20:8-12; 28:3-6,8.) This proves clearly that divine healing is a redemption blessing for the entire Holy-Spirit dispensation.

Q. But we are taught that it was only for the beginning of the gospel dispensation. How about that?

A. The Bible does not teach any such doctrine.

Q. But it does teach that “when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:10.) How about this?

A. This Scripture has no reference to divine healing or any of the redemption blessings that they shall be done away in this dispensation. If there ever has been a time in this dispensation when it could have been said with reference to the full possession and manifestation of the gospel blessings, that “that which is perfect is come,” it was when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost; but we see after this, mighty works of salvation and healing; and they were in no sense “done away” with, but were greatly increased. So you see the “done away” argument has no scriptural basis whatever. As long as the dispensation of grace shall last, so long shall the benefits of grace be extended to “whomsoever will.”3

Q. Well then, when was divine healing done away?

A. In the design of God it was never done away, nor was it ever taken away, abolished, or withdrawn. There is not a single word in the Bible to that effect. The statement originated from the adversary of mankind in an endeavor to retain his power and deprive mankind of some of the great advantages of the Atonement; and to prevent his victims, bound, oppressed, and tortured by him, from obtaining their freedom.

The Lord Jesus came to set the captives free and to deliver those who are bound, (See Isaiah 61:1), and His work is being continued today by His representatives on earth. He is with them always, even unto the end of the dispensation, or “consummation of the age” (Matthew 28:20 RV^4), working with them, accompanying the proclamation of the Gospel of deliverance and salvation from Satan’s power, with the manifestation of His presence and healing power. “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18).

This great salvation is declared by His messengers and confirmed by “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost” (Hebrews 2:4).

Q. Do you mean to say that it was perpetuated in the primitive Church?

A. Certainly it was. History shows that for several centuries there was no other means of healing practiced in the Church.

Q. But what happened after that?

A. Just what crowded out all other gospel truths—the superstitions and unbelief of the apostasy. But, thank God, the darkness is past and the Son of “righteousness with healing in his wings”5 is shining salvation and health to all who will forsake all their old doctrines, creeds, and superstitions and get back upon the old apostolic foundation, the Word of God.

Q. But how may I know that it is still God’s will to heal?

A. Just as you may know that it is His will to save—by His Word. His Word is His will. Whatever is for God’s glory, that is what He wants to do. It is for His glory to heal His servants. It shows how much He loves them and manifests His power. One case of healing in the name of Jesus, accompanied by the joy of the knowledge of sins forgiven and the peace that passeth all understanding,6 is sufficient to demonstrate the divinity and resurrection of Jesus Christ and therefore convict and convince sinners.

Q. But it may be His will not to heal me.

A. You must go outside of God’s Word to find standing ground for such a conclusion; for there is nothing inside of the Bible about healing but what corresponds with our blessed text: “Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses.” Most people who argue that it might not be God’s will to heal them are at the same time taking medicine and employing every possible human agency to get well. Why be so inconsistent? Why fight against God’s will? If it is His will for you not to get well, then die. Stop fighting against God.

Q. But does not sickness come from God as a blessing?

A. No. It never comes from God, only in a permissive sense, the same as a temptation comes to us; and sickness is never a blessing to us, only as any other temptation or trial may be considered a blessing. The blessing is in the deliverance and healing. Every person who has ever experienced the healing touch of God knows what a blessing to the soul comes with it. Sickness is an abnormal condition of the body and cannot be a blessing from God.

Q. If it does not come from God, then where does it come from?

A. It comes from the devil and was always dealt with by Jesus in His earthly ministry as a work of the devil. The Word of God plainly teaches us that the devil is the author of disease. (Read Job 2:7; Luke 13:16; and Acts 10:38.)

Q. But are there not some other scriptures that teach us that sickness comes from God?

A. Only in a permissive sense.

Q. Does the Bible teach us that God intends to be the healer of His people without the use of medicine?

A. Yes. It nowhere recommends or commands the use of medicine with prayer and faith. [See note below.]

Q. But how about Hezekiah’s figs, the blind man’s clay, and Timothy’s wine?

A. It is true Isaiah told Hezekiah to take a lump of figs, but this has nothing to do with the New Testament means of healing. Also it is very evident that the figs did not heal him; but God said, “I will heal thee.”7

Jesus did not use the clay on the eyes of the blind man for any curative power, for He commanded the man at once to go and wash it off. No one has heard of blindness from birth being healed by the use of clay as a medicine since then, or ever before. It is evident that the spittle and clay were used by Jesus as a requirement of submission and obedience from the blind man. The thought must have been repulsive and humiliating to him as the clay was applied to his eyes, but, like Naaman, he submitted and obeyed and received the blessing unspeakable, of healing.8

The juice of the grape was recommended to Timothy as an article of diet, and would not be objectionable today, in its proper use, under similar circumstances.9

Q. Are not medicines recognized in the Word of God?

A. Yes. Let us read how it recognizes them. “Thou hast no healing medicines” (Jeremiah 30:13). “In vain shalt thou use many medicines” (Jeremiah 46:11). “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” (margin, “to a medicine,” showing that the merry heart is better than the medicine, Proverbs 17:22). “And the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine” (Ezekiel 47:12). This latter reference does not mean any material remedy but is prophetical of the Tree of Life and divine healing. (See Revelation 22:2.) Thus we see the Word of God places no intrinsic value upon medicine.

Q. Is not the ministry of physicians for the body designed of God, the same as the ministry of the Gospel for the soul?

A. No. The greater portion of the physicians of the land are ungodly people, many of them professed infidels, and were never designed of God to administer drugs and poisons to anyone; much less to the people of God, whose bodies are the sacred temples of the Holy Spirit. “The Lord [is] for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:13). The ministers of the Gospel are the ministers for soul and body. “And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where” (Luke 9:6). “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20).

Q. But is not the ministry of physicians recognized in the Bible?

A. Yes. Let us read how it recognizes them. “But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value” (Job 13:4). “And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers” (2 Chronicles 16:12-13).

He died.

[Here is another scripture that refers to physicians:] ”And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). These scriptures show that the Bible gives no very favorable recognition of physicians.

Q. Was not the anointing with oil the mode of doctoring in Bible times?

A. No. While some kinds of oil may have some medical value for some kinds of disease, it was not at all designed for any such use in connection with the prayer of faith in healing the sick. If anointing was the mode of doctoring, the Church would have had no need of instruction in this respect; for it would have been a common practice everywhere by the doctors. Had this been the mind of the apostle, then he would have assigned the work of anointing to the doctors; and his instructions would have to have been given something after the following ridiculous manner, which ought to make every divine-healing-fighter hide his face with shame. “Is any sick among you? Let him send for the doctor and let him anoint him, and the anointing shall save the sick. The effectual fervent use of such anointing availeth much.”

It would be wisdom for professed ministers of the Gospel to take an attitude toward God’s Word which would harmonize with it. It would be more honest to declare outright that they do not believe the Bible than to try to cover up their unbelief by perverting it. God has assigned this sacred ministry of anointing and praying the prayer of faith for healing the sick to the elders of His Church.

Q. But do you not think we ought to employ a physician and then ask God to bless the medicine?

A. No. That is not God’s way of healing; and furthermore, it is a question to many intelligent and scientific people as to whether good or evil results from the use of poisonous drugs and medicines which are so generally used today.

Q. What! Do you mean to say there is no healing virtue in medicines and drugs?

A. According to many of the medical authorities there is not. Whatever benefit there may be in them, there is evidently much more harm done by their use than there is good. Dr. J. B. of Boston, an eminent physician and believer in divine healing, in writing about the blind faith of people in the use of patent medicines, says: “But to be faithful, I must also warn you against the use of drugs by physicians. Narcotics, sedatives, stimulants, tonics, quinine, antipyrine, and hundreds of others are injuring brains and nerves, stomachs, and livers, bringing on heart failure, and doing far more harm than good.”

[Editor’s note: During Maria Etter’s time, medicine was a young science and medicines were not regulated. This meant that some medicines were often poisonous mixtures sold to unwitting buyers. Her natural distrust of medicine at this period of time is understandable. Healing evangelists like Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, or Kenneth Hagin all advocate staying on medication until the healing manifests. This means a diabetic should stay on insulin until the blood sugar levels show an improvement that allows a reduction or elimination of the medication.]

Where is Koch’s Tuberculosis Lymph^10 that was to cure that disease? Dr. Talmage^11 preached a sermon about the salvation of humanity from tuberculosis by Dr. Koch. The Emperor of Germany ennobled him, and they gave him a large sum of money for his wonderful discovery. But Professor Virchow, the greatest pathologist in Germany, dissected more than a score of bodies of persons who had died after taking Koch’s lymph and found that the effect of the lymph was to drive the parasites out of the tubercles which they had formed, increase their number, drive them into the healthy tissues, and quickly destroy life. Dr. Virchow demonstrated that Koch’s lymph was a creator of tuberculosis (consumption) and not a destroyer. You would not find a doctor in Chicago today that would give a drop of it, and yet they nearly all praised it at first as a wonderful discovery. The last I read of Professor Koch was that he was dying of tuberculosis.

Dr. W. H. said that if all the drugs were cast into the sea, it would be better for humanity but worse for the fishes. Dr. Bell said: “I believe that if the advice of Dr. H. were followed and physicians would confine themselves to giving good advice, and mechanical and surgical aid when needed, the mortality would improve four or five percent; or in other words, there would be a savings of about three thousand lives (annually) in New England alone, and probably much more than that.” In speaking of the belief of some who would take medicine and then ask God to bless it, he says, “If what Dr. H. says is true, it would require a miracle to save the fishes, and how much more to save the people; how much more divine power, so to speak, to overcome both the disease and the ill effect of the drug?” Many testimonials of noted and honored men who have spent their lives in the study and practice of medicine can be given, which show the danger and uncertainty of drugs. Watson,12 a renowned author of London, says: “After all, it is God that healeth our diseases and redeemeth our life from destruction.”13

Q. Would you advise every child of God to trust God alone for healing and health?

A. Certainly, for this is God’s way. It is what He desires us to do. “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8). It honors Him to get in line with His divine plan, and it is a great spiritual benefit to everyone.

Q. But would not such a position, if every child of God take it, affect the practice of many Christian physicians?

A. Well, yes, it might affect it somewhat, but we are not responsible for that. And then there will always be plenty of sinners and unbelieving Christian professors who will always furnish employment to every reliable and worthy physician; and we shall always feel grateful if there does prove to be a worthy physician who may be a blessing to those who know not the way of the Lord.

Q. What attitude do physicians generally take toward divine healing?

A. We will let Dr. B. answer. He says: “I would say, . . . there can be no antagonism between the medical profession and divine healing. (Of course, he must have reference to good, conscientious people of the profession.) First, because of the vast number of incurable cases for which medical or surgical treatment can do little or nothing. New England has 4,600,000 inhabitants, of whom 1,500 die every year of cancer, 15,000 of consumption, and about 80,000 from all causes. Can you believe that the medical profession would not welcome the incoming of a measure of divine power which should save all this suffering and prolong all these lives, or, at least, of the useful and saved ones, till threescore years and ten? Or if only a few should have the faith to grasp this blessing, what physician can there be found who would not rejoice? It is not the MDs but the DDs^14 who oppose this teaching.

Q. Why do the DDs oppose it?

A. Because of their shameful cowardice. Many of them, if not all, cannot but see the precious doctrine in the Bible; but there are very few, if any, of these men who are preaching for salary, who have the moral or Christian courage to preach the full Gospel. Their salary and reputation are at stake, and they are very careful to preach nothing that will offend their worldly supporters. This is a great wrong and every man who thus keeps back the truth from the people will have to answer for it at the great Day of reckoning. Because they are afraid to preach the truth they try to make themselves disbelieve it; and to justify themselves they must oppose it.

Q. Was not Luke spoken of as the beloved physician?

A. Yes (in Colossians 4:14) but this does not signify that he was practicing after he went into the gospel work. There is no record, nor the slightest intimation, that he did. It was evident that he was present with Paul at Troas where the young man Eutychus was restored to life^15. However, there is nothing said about Luke interfering with any medical suggestions. He was called the physician in this reference, very likely because of his former profession.

Q. If healing is for us all, how can we ever die?

A. The same as the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, the saints of the first three centuries, and many of them in the nineteenth century. Without disease, “like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.”16 There were many also whose lives were cut short by martyrdom. There is not the slightest shadow of intimation in the Bible that we must die with disease.

Q. Why is it then that so many of our fathers and mothers have died with disease?

A. Because divine healing has been so little taught. Many never heard anything about it, only that it could not be obtained in this life.

Q. Why are there some who believe in healing and seemingly fail to obtain it?

A. There are many reasons why. Many people do not give God a fair chance to heal them, because they will not meet all the conditions of His Word. There are thousands of secret sins, each one of them enough to hinder their faith from laying hold upon God. The apostle says, “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:21-22). It means much to live in God’s sight where our hearts condemn us not.

Some also who come to God for healing come only to “try healing” as they would try some new doctor. They would be glad to buy it with money; but when they find that it costs every sin and requires a holy walk with God, they become offended and get nothing from God. Jesus said in connection with healing (Matthew 11:6): “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Others, whose faith is not sufficient at the time to grasp the promises and get the blessing, become discouraged and give up; whereas they should keep upon believing ground until the blessing comes.

Q. But are there not a few who seem to have met every condition and still fail to get the blessing?

A. Yes, apparently so. Yet it is evident that some of the conditions have not been met. It may be no fault on the part of the individual, only that it may be the lack of determined faith; but whatever it may be, there is a lack on the part of the individual somewhere; for God’s part is complete; and when ours is, the work must be done. As the Church advances in spiritual light and power, there will be a better understanding of some of these cases.

Q. What are the conditions on which God promises to heal us?

A. We must forsake all our sins and then claim the virtue of the atoning blood, by faith, till we come to know that the free and unmerited divine favor and promises are ours.

We must have away down (sic) in our hearts a settled resolve to serve God better than we ever have before.

We should be willing to minister to the saints as opportunity offers and cooperate with them in God’s work. God’s work is the turning of sinners from sin unto holiness. We should have compassion for all men and a desire to help them. We should be seeking to know God’s will better and be zealous in carrying it out in our lives.

We should search the Scriptures and study and meditate on them till we know it is God’s will to heal us and believe, when prayers are offered on our behalf, that God hears and answers them.

Q. Should a person who cannot seem to get the blessing then go to taking medicine?

A. No. He should get nearer to God and wait upon Him in importunity until his faith brings the blessing.17

Q. How about innocent children and persons whose afflictions render them incapable of exercising faith?

A. In such cases intercessory faith will bring the blessing for them.

Q. What is intercessory faith?

A. It is the exercise of faith by one person for another. Parents can exercise faith for the healing of their children, or any child of God can help another.

Q. Can intercessory faith bring healing to another person who is responsible to obey and believe for himself?

A. Yes, there may be cases where this is done for the time; but in every case each responsible person must, sooner or later, come to the place where his individual responsibility must be acted upon and perfect obedience rendered to God.

Q. What steps must be taken to obtain healing?

A. Obedience and faith. People seeking healing should come forsaking all their sins forever; claiming the atonement of the blood of Christ on their behalf, believing the Word of God and His promises, and with determination to serve God better than before and to walk in all the light from His Word.

Q. What means must be used?

A. There are different scriptural means.

1. Anointing with oil and the prayer of faith. James 5:14.

2. Laying on of hands of them that believe. Mark 16:18.

3. The prayer of faith individually. John 15:7 and 2 Kings 20:1,5.

4. The prayer of faith through one or more intercessors. John. 4:49, Matthew 8:5-13; 9:2-8.

Q. Is Christian Science the same as divine healing?

A. No. It is vastly different. In its origin it differs as widely as night from day. Christian Science is less than forty years old; while the first mention of divine healing dates back to Abraham when he prayed for Abimelech.18 Christian Science was conceived and given birth to by Mrs. Mary B. G. Eddy of Boston, Massachusetts. Divine healing is given to man by the God of heaven.

As a science, Christian Science is a conglomeration of illogical, ridiculous, and impractical theories, which no Christian Scientist (so-called) has ever yet, nor ever will be able to demonstrate. It claims that there is no sickness, pain, sin, evil, devil, nor death— all these things are but delusions and can be overcome by intelligence and understanding. It is known also as a mind cure, mental medicine, and metaphysical healing. If it made no other claim than scientific, there would be little danger of it doing any harm, but its doctrines as a religion make it a dangerous and Christ-dishonoring foe. It perverts the sacred Word of God and assails the plan of redemption, ignoring the blood of Christ and denying the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. A few points only can be noticed here. It denies the depravity of man and teaches that every man is the reflection of God and possesses inherent divinity regardless of regeneration. It rejects the second and third chapters of Genesis, the history of the fall of man. It teaches that man has never fallen and needs no redemption, only in the sense that he must be brought to an understanding of Christian Science. It totally ignores the doctrine of vicarious atonement and therefore is of the devil. Its doctrines are based upon such skillfully perverted and misapplied texts of Scripture that many souls are led astray by its delusions.

Q. How about spiritualism?19

A. Spiritualism is closely allied to Christian Science. It is another of the antichrist doctrines that denies the [redemption] plan, being direct counterfeits of divine healing.

Q. Is it possible that people may be healed through satanic power?

A. Yes. The devil has power to work miracles (see Revelation 16:13-14) and when souls can be the easier deceived by them, he will give the deception. He is the author of disease and has the power to remove it, if by so doing he can more easily hold his subjects in darkness. Every professed healer or teacher of healing and everyone who claims healing, who denies the blood of Christ as the sacrifice for sin, is antichrist and of the devil; no matter what miraculous manifestations of healing, or otherwise, they may claim to produce. (See Galatians 1:8-9.)

Q. Can any be healed by animal magnetism?20

A. There may be some material results upon disease through this power, but this is not divine healing. It is but a natural cause producing a natural effect and can be practiced by any person who may possess it, regardless of any scriptural or true spiritual condition. In many cases these professed healers have proved to be hypocrites and frauds, claiming to possess divine power to heal, deceiving souls for advantage and gain and reproaching the cause of Christ.

Q. How may we know the difference between these counterfeits and the teachers of divine healing?

A. Every true minister of the Gospel preaches divine healing to a greater or less extent, depending upon the light received, and always demands the Bible requirements of every sinner—”repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ”21— and never claims to heal anyone, but simply prays the prayer of faith and attributes all healing power to God through Jesus Christ.

Q. Does not God give the “gifts of healing” to some?

A. Yes. This is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:9,30), which is given to such persons in the Church of God as can glorify Him therewith. The gifts of healing are the various spiritual means designed of God to be used in cases of emergency by every true minister and child of God; but as an individual endowment, it is given to certain ones who are called and qualified by the Holy Spirit to the ministry of healing in casting out devils and laying on hands.

Q. What is the grace of healing?

A. It is our redemption right to healing, the same as justification and sanctification, purchased for us through the Atonement and offered to all who will meet the Bible conditions.

People seeking healing should believe it is God’s time to heal them and have faith enough to believe He hears the prayers offered on their behalf. When they are prayed for, they should believe the disease is gone and try to act their faith. The cause is gone and the effects of the disease sometimes do not go till later.

If you say, “If it is God’s will He will save me,” you could pray till the judgment trumpet sounds and you would not get salvation. So it is with healing. You should be convinced all disease is from Satan and that it is God’s will to heal you; if you are unsaved, when you forsake all your sins; if you are saved, when you are prepared to keep all your vows to the Most High and to walk in all the light He gives you.

You never get faith to be healed till you surrender. Give up your own will and way and mode of life and yield yourself to Christ, carrying out the directions of His Word and Spirit and desiring Him to work through you to establish His kingdom amongst men.

Do not say, “I will be healed if it is His will.” “If” implies doubt. Let not him that doubteth think that he shall receive anything from the Lord. When we waver and doubt, it is like the waves of the sea casting up filth in the face of the Almighty.22

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). We should abide in Him, in His service, having His mind, filled with His Spirit.

Whatever is for God’s glory, that is what He wants to do. It is for His glory to heal His saints; it shows how much He loves them and manifests His power. One case of healing in the name of Jesus, accompanied by the joy of the knowledge of sins forgiven, is sufficient to demonstrate the divinity and resurrection of Jesus, and therefore convince sinners.

“If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). This is not merely making mention of His name, it means anything that is for the good of His kingdom.

If a clerk obtains anything in the name of the firm he represents, it is understood it is for the glory and upbuilding of the firm and to be used to carry on their business. He would not be allowed to obtain things in the name of the firm and then use them for his individual private use. The firm we work for is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Some ask in the name of Christ, but He is not going to get any good out of it, because they do it from a selfish motive. God cannot be deceived, and He does the healing. Is He going to get anything out of your healing? Is His kingdom and mankind going to be benefited?

Q. Is it right then for us always to pray for each other’s healing and health?

A. Yes. “Beloved, I wish (pray) above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2 [addition Etter’s]). “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16).

Intercession

Q. Do the intercessions of Jesus mean much to us?

A. The most pathetic aspect of the redemptive methods is the intercession of the Lord Jesus—our Great High Priest gone into the heavenly place; hidden behind the veil; reappearing at the high court of the majesty on high as the advocate of man, suing for mercy and reconciliation; the eternal God listening to His plea for sinners who, coming in their own name, would be refused audience, would be consumed by the divine indignation. Had any common Jew appeared in the presence of Ahasuerus to ask the revocation of the royal edict, he would have been slain in the courts of the palace; but to Esther the queen, clad in her royal attire (the insignia of state), the king could hold out the golden scepter.23

The Most High God of holiness and truth, at the head of His universe, framed in purity and fashioned for righteousness, could not treat^24 face to face in His open court in presence of His holy and law-abiding angels, with rebels and conspirators; with creatures who had denied His name and joined hand and cause with an invading traitor. The first effect of sin was to suspend communication between God and man. The Almighty could not listen to His enemies in arms or to any being spotted by disloyalty.

Q. But is not the heavenly Father eternally and infinitely pitiful?25

A. Yes, and eternally just, as well. And if a holy Sovereign would have a loyal universe, He must rule the moral races in exact equipoise of divine attributes. His scepter must be held in the clasped hands of justice and mercy. To make mercy “a darling attribute” would unsettle the integrity of the divine administration. To have condoned the offense of the first pair, and through them, of the whole race by a great act of amnesty, would have set a premium on rebellion—a bestowment of special favor because of treason. A finite ruler can rarely do this with safety with finite subjects; and infinite Sovereign with finite rebels, never. Justice must not waver in the hands of One who demands the allegiance of all worlds.

There must be no compromise with evil in a perfect jurisprudence. This, we may believe, is the reason why the offended Lord did not call the faithless twain^26 to repentance and pardon directly, without the intervention of a third person. For some will not cease to make light of the doctrine of Christ’s expiation in vicarious suffering for the race and ridicule the necessity of a mediator between a loving God and penitent offenders. But the necessity of an intercessor at the court of heaven is as clearly taught in both Testaments as of a sin-bearer—a Savior. Even pardoned and renewed men, while in a state of probation, have no privilege of access to the Father save through the mediation of another, even Jesus the Lamb of God: “Wherefore also he is able to save to the uttermost them who draw near unto God through him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25 RV^27).

Q. Just what do the Scriptures mean by “Intercession,” “Intercessor,” “Advocate”?

A. Intercession—To meet with, to come between, to intercede, as in our text, Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:27, 8:38[-39], and 11:2. Intercessor—One who intercedes, or comes between parties who are unable to meet in their own name, for some reason. Advocate—One called in, a helper, as in 1 John 2:1. “If any man sin, we have an advocate (at the throne^28) . . . Jesus Christ the righteous.” He pleads our cause, presents our case.

Q. On what ground does Jesus undertake and maintain our case?

A. Not merely in suppliance for mercy or pleading for clemency; but His plea is righteousness, not in His client, but in Himself. “We have an advocate . . . Jesus Christ the righteous.” He presents not our merits but His own. Wherein our cause is weak, He covers it with His own virtue. The claims of justice against us He meets and cancels by the merit of His suffering in our stead. To the record of our sins, He pleads that He “bore them in his own body on the tree.”29 If justice flaunts its death warrant against us, running forever, He nullifies it by the testimony that “He tasted death for every man.”30 If some angel, jealous for the dignity of the throne, insists that the holy Lord cannot treat with sinners, He enjoins that it is not sinners who are speaking, but Himself in the sinner’s stead; and He “knew no sin.” He is “righteous.”31

We may be reminded that it is said in the Book that the Spirit intercedes for us.32 True. And a glorious truth it is, for the exposed and hunted people of God, surrounded by evil and pursued by devils, need special divine attention in both worlds, not only advocacy at the throne but also defense and guidance in their struggle to maintain, against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places, vital and vigorous relations with Him who represents them before the Father. Someone has beautifully said, “Christ pleads for us above, and the Spirit pleads in us here below.” —Selected^33

Facts Worth Remembering

God in Person Does the Healing—Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” and He has ever been revealed to His people in all the ages by the covenant name, Jehovah-Rophi,34 or “I am Jehovah that healeth thee.” (See John 14:6 and Exodus 15:26.) The Lord Jesus, the Christ, Is Still the Healer—He cannot change, for “Jesus, the Christ, is the same yesterday and today, yea and forever;’” and He is still with us, for He said: “Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the consummation of the age.”3S (See Hebrews 13:8 and Matthew 28:20.) Because He is unchangeable and because He is present, in spirit, just as when in the flesh, He is the healer of His people.

Disease Can Never Be God’s Will—It is the devil’s work, consequent upon sin, and it is impossible for the work of the devil ever to be the will of God. The Christ came to “destroy the works of the devil,” and when He was here on earth He healed “all manner of disease and all manner of sickness,” and all these sufferers are expressly declared to have been “oppressed of the devil.” (See 1 John 3:8, Matthew 4:23, and Acts 10:38.)

The Gifts of Healing Are Permanent—It is expressly declared that the “gifts and calling of God are without repentance,” and the gifts of healings are amongst the nine gifts of the Spirit to the Church. (See Romans 11:29 and 1 Corinthians 12:8-11.)

Partaking Worthily of the Lord’s Supper Should Ensure Health—We can also see that divine healing was included in the Atonement because it is shown in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30, that those who eat the Lord’s Supper worthily will not die premature death or be sick.

Some of God’s Promises

Will we trust God or flee to man?

Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.

Jeremiah 17:5

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Matthew 4:23

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Matthew 10:1

Our pastors tell us to follow Christ. I ask, “Are they doing it?” “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you” (Luke 10:9). This command is to all that preach Christ today. “And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:2). Are they doing it now?

And they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils . . . and he healed them.

Matthew 4:24

He is the same yesterday and to day and for ever.36

Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

Luke 4:40

And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Luke 6:19

Christ is no respecter of persons; the same faith brings the same power today.

And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

John 6:2

And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

Matthew 14:36

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.

Psalm 103:2-3

If the Lord heals all, there is none left for the doctors. God can and will do these things without man’s ways, for He says, “My ways are not man’s ways.37 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 30:17).

The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

Ezekiel 34:4

This is to the minister; God help them to heed it. They were commanded to heal the sick as well as preach the Gospel, and that command is on all until the Gospel is preached to all the world and every creature.38

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

Luke 4:18

And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Luke 5:17

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Malachi 4:2

In vain shalt thou use many medicines.

Jeremiah 46:11

And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father.

Genesis 50:2

The only place in the Bible where the doctors are called is to the dead.

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Luke 9:1

Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

Acts 5:15

Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. . . . Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Psalm 107:17,19-20

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

John 14:12

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33

Recapitulation

Man was created in perfect health and it was God’s will for him so to remain. God loved him and as long as he was grateful and obedient kept him from suffering and disease. (See Genesis 1:31.)

Sickness, infirmity, and disease are all the work of the devil, either directly or through the agency of his subordinate devils. (See Luke 13:16 and Acts. 10:38.)

When Eve and Adam yielded to the temptation of Satan and disobeyed God, sin entered into the world, and they became subjects of Satan. (See Romans 5:19.) He deceived them. Instead of being “as gods, knowing good and evil,”39 they laid themselves open to the punishment which God inflicted upon them by permitting the devil to have power over them and afflict their bodies with pains and aches, with disease and sickness and premature death. (See Hebrews 2:14, 1 Corinthians 11:29-30, and Psalm 55:23.)

The blessed Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, undertook the fight for the redemption of our race. He overcame and is today crowned victor, but only after He hung lifted up on the cross between earth and sky, proof and manifestation of divine love and mercy triumphant over hell, for e’er. He breathed His last and declared, “It is finished.”40

The devil has been deceiving and imposing on mankind to a great extent ever since that it is not finished as far as the healing of the body is concerned, but that you must bear your diseases and sicknesses and bodily pains and suffering (though perhaps your sins may be remitted) unless doctors and medicines can heal or help you.

Those who are free from condemnation, who have passed from death unto life can say, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). The law of sin and death produced disease and sickness and bodily afflictions and infirmities, which all belong to the kingdom of Satan and are the consequences and effects of his supremacy over his subjects. Let us renounce him, his works, together with all subjective-ness^41 and submission to his power, and claim our blood-bought privileges and immunity.

Jesus declared He has come to set the captives free and to open the prison to them that are bound. (See Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 61:1.) We have been translated from the dominion of Satan into the kingdom of Christ (see Colossians 1:13), who has conquered, defeated, judged, and bound Satan and all the hosts of hell (who are the authors of all disease) on behalf of all who will believe and claim it. (See John 16:11 and 12:31.)

As far as God’s children are concerned, Satan is a deceiver, usurping power over their bodies, taking advantage of their ignorance and unbelief in God’s love and power and His Word and promises. Claim the freedom of your bodies from his power to inflict disease; resist his encroachments; repudiate his work; and fight his power, calling on God for faith, strength, and healing. Act as though you trusted God for health and as though you had confidence in His ability and willingness to heal you; that is, if you are walking in all the light He gives you.

God claims and desires to demonstrate to an unbelieving world, “I am the Lord that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26). If you have recourse to doctors, medicines, and remedies, is it not giving this statement the lie? For the unsaved will surely believe it is the doctor and his medicines that healeth thee. Take God as your Savior for the body. (See 1 Corinthians 6:13, Ephesians 5:23, and Romans 12:1.) The Lord Jesus is the great healer who delivers us from the oppressor, Satan.

It is said that there was an old Negro, for many years a slave in one of the southern states of America, living on a plantation remote from railways and means of communication. Many months after President Lincoln had signed the proclamation, freeing all slaves in America, a traveler chanced that way and asked the old slave why he chose to work in bondage and forego his rights to freedom and liberty under the proclamation. He found the old man had never heard and did not know that he was free. But was he free? He was a slave!

Dear reader, sick and ailing in body, if you can read your title clear to mansions in the skies, you are in the same class as the Negro, a free man legally in God’s sight if you claim it, yet at present in unnecessary bondage. The Lord Jesus has the rule, the dominion, and the power. He has purchased your freedom. He has proclaimed the acceptable day of the Lord, the day of redemption, when you can be healed in your body and go free from disease. If hitherto you have been in ignorance, hear the Lord say: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Claim it and go free. Amen. God grant it. “He that believeth . . . hath the witness” (1 John 5:10).

“Note: In his book on Etter, Wayne Warner makes a convincing argument that the question-and-answer section of Questions and Answers on Divine Healing (1919) was borrowed from chapter 9 of a book published in serial form in 1898 and in book form in 1899 by J. W. Byers. Notwithstanding issues of plagiarism (which Warner believes may have been committed by her editors without Etter’s knowledge), the booklet has been included here because Etter herself believed it faithfully represented her teachings on healing. (See Wayne Warner, The Woman Evangelist: The Life and Times of Charismatic Evangelist Maria B. Woodworth-Etter (Studies in Evangelicalism, No. 8),(Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1986) pp.194-199.).

Endnotes

1. See Matthew 13:54-58.

2. See Matthew 8, Mark 2-3,5, and Luke 4:31-43.

3. See Matthew 8:10; 9:2,29; and 15:28; Mark 2:5; 5:34; and 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:48; 17:19; and 18:42.

4. “RV”— RV stands for Revised Version, which denotes a Bible translation that came out between 1881-1884. A group of English and American scholars translated this version using manuscripts that hadn’t been available to the King James Version translators. (Frank Charles Thompson, editor and compiler, The New Chain Reference Bible [Indianapolis: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., Inc., 1964] p. 181.)

5. Malachi 4:2, paraphrased.

6. See Philippians 4:6-7.

7. See Isaiah 38.

8. See John 9:1-11 and 2 Kings 5.

9. See 1 Timothv 5:23.

10. Koch’s Tuberculosis Lymph”—Robert Koch (1843-1910) discovered something called tuberculin in the late nineteenth century, which he thought would be a cure for tuberculosis and also a vaccine against it. After his announcement in l896, he was famous for having found the cure for tuberculosis. Soon after it became apparent that tuberculin didn’t work for either a cure or a vaccine. Koch didn’t die of tuberculosis, but went on to make many other discoveries. This comment, probably written in 1899, occurs at a time when public disappointment was high.

11. Thomas Dewitt Talmage (1832-1902), a well-known New York preacher and evangelist.

12. “Watson”—A 17th-century puritan, Thomas Watson, rector of Saint Stephen’s Walbrook, London, who was known for his sermons and books, such as A Divine Cordial, The Ten Commandments, and The Lord’s Prayer.

13. See Psalm 103:3-4.

14. “MDs” and “DDs”—Medical doctors and doctors of divinity, i. e. educated pastors and theologians.

15. See Acts 20:4-12.

16. Job 5:26.

17. Other healing evangelists disagree with this stand and have suggested that many times until believers have enough faith to be healed, they should remain under the care of a physician.

18. See Genesis 20:17-18.

19. “spiritualism”—The belief that the dead still live and communicate to the living through mediums. It was a popular fad in the nineteenth century, arising from a crisis of faith in Europe and America.

20. “animal magnetism”—A concept developed and popularized by Anton Mesmer, who believed that the forces of life in living things could be transferred. He advocated healing by laying the fingers or hands in certain positions to transfer the force to the ailing person or to free the flow of their own life for use. (Robert H. Wozniak “Trance and Trauma; Functional Nervous Disorders and the Subconscious Mind” Webpage. Accessed: 22 May 2000, Web address: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/mind/trance.html).

21. Acts 20:21.

22. See James 1:6-8.

23. See Esther 5:1-2.

24. “treat”—negotiate.

25. “pitiful”—fall of pity for others.

26. “twain”—two, i. e. Adam and Eve.

27. RV stands for Revised Version, which denotes a Bible translation that came out between 1881-1884. (Frank Charles Thompson, editor and compiler, The New Chain Reference Bible (Indianapolis: B.B. Kirkbride Bible Co., Inc., 1964) p. 181.)

28. Addition Etter’s.

29. 1 Peter 2:24, paraphrased.

30. Hebrews 2:9, paraphrased.

31. 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 John 2:1.

32. See Romans 8:26.

33. Source unknown.

34. “Rophi”—Rapha.

35. Possibly taken from the RV version.

36. Hebrews 13:8, paraphrased.

37. See Isaiah 55:8. 3

38. See Mark 16:15-18.

39. Genesis 3:5.

40. John 19:30.

41. “subjectiveness”—Here Etter means the act of being subject to Satan’s power. She does not mean being subjective and determining truth from our individual experience.

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.

Acts 2:17 & Joel 2:28-29^1 [emphasis Etter’s]

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:2-4 [emphasis Etter’s]

There was a wonderful excitement; the people came rushing in great multitudes from the city to see what was the matter. They saw these men and women, with their faces shining with the glory of God, all preaching at once, all anxious to tell what God had done for them and a dying world. Conviction went like daggers to their hearts. And, just as it is today when the power of God is manifest, instead of yielding, they cried out, “too much excitement,” and began to fight against God. They said, “These people are mad, are drunken with new wine,” and mocked them.2

Peter gets up to defend the cause of Christ. He refers to Joel 2:28-29:

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.

In Acts 2:17-18, 1 Corinthians 14:22-26, and 1 Corinthians 1-5), Paul speaks as if it were very common for women to preach and prophesy. “Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head” (1 Corinthians 11:5). “The same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy” (Acts 21:9, see Ephesians 4:11).

Paul worked with the women in the Gospel more than any of the apostles. Priscilla and Phebe traveled with Paul preaching and building up the churches. (Acts 18:2,18,25; Romans 16.)

He and Phebe had been holding revivals together; now she is called to the city of Rome. Paul cannot go with her, but he is very careful of her reputation and that she is treated with respect. He writes a letter of recommendation: “I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church (which signifies a minister of the church)... at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also” (Romans 16:1, parenthetical statement Etter’s addition).

This shows that she had authority to do business in the churches and that she had been successful in winning souls to Christ. He is not ashamed to say she had encouraged him; he speaks in the highest praise of a number of sisters who had been faithful workers in the work of the Lord, who had risked their lives in the effort to save souls; and not he alone, but all the churches of the Gentiles sent their thanks.

Paul said, “Let your women keep silence in the churches.” So saith the law. We are not under law but under grace. “And learn of their husbands at home.”3 What will those do who have no husbands? Do you suppose they will remain in ignorance and be lost? And if some women had to depend on their husbands for knowledge, they would die in ignorance.

Paul referred to contentions in the churches. Paul [also] says you had better not marry. How many agree with Paul? How many obey? He is referring to contentions in the churches, that it is a shame to bring up questions and have jangling in the house of God. He writes to the brethren, “I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it” (1 Corinthians 11:18). “Help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3). There were also several women who were prophetesses. (Luke 2:36,2 Kings 22:13-15.) Huldah, the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, dwelt in Jerusalem, in the college, and they communed with her, and she said unto them, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel.”4 Exodus 15:20; [also] Micah 6:4 says, “I sent before thee, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”

And in Judges 4:4, it says, “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapi-doth, she judged Israel at that time.” See the responsible position that God gave her, to sit and judge the hosts of the children of Israel. The children of Israel had sinned and God would not fight their battles, and for twenty years the nations arose against them and defied them to come out to battle. Barak dared not meet the enemy unless Deborah led the van. This brave woman, ever ready to defend the cause of God, said, “I will surely go.” God’s people must not be taken by the enemies. Oh, no; call our the armies of the Lord. Sisera’s mighty host is gathering. Every soldier to his post. See the brave woman riding with Barak, the commander, at the head of the army, cheering on the hosts to victory, shouting victory as she led on the armies, sweeping through the enemies’ ranks, carrying death and destruction till the king leaped from his chariot and fled for his life, but was captured and killed by a woman. Every man was put to the sword; not one was left to tell of the defeat.5

The mother of Sisera looked out of the window for the return of the king, her son, from the battle and cried, “Oh, why does he not come, why is his chariot so long in coming? Why, oh, why does he tarry so long?” While she is weeping for her son’s return, he is lying cold in death in the tent where he has been captured and killed by a woman.6

Queen Esther intercedes at the king’s court, and the sad decree of the king is reversed so that her life and the life of the Jewish nation are saved.

Paul says there is no difference, but that male and female are one in Christ Jesus. (See Galatians 3:28.) Let us take Jesus for our pattern and example and see no man, save Jesus only.

Women were called and commissioned by the angel sent from heaven, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, to preach the Gospel. (See Matthew 28:5-10.)

The cowardly disciples had forsaken the Savior and fled. Peter denied the Savior and swore he never knew Him, but many women followed him and stood by the cross and went to the sepulcher and saw the body laid away. The great stone was rolled against the door. (See Matthew 27:55-61.) These women went home sad and brokenhearted, but they returned to pay a last tribute to their dear friend. They spent the night in preparing spices to embalm the body of their Lord. They came to the sepulcher as it was coming day. The grave was empty. The Lord was not there. As they stood weeping, two angels stood by them and said:

“Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said, Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.”7

They started at once with joy and rejoicing. They could not walk fast enough; they ran to hunt up the brothers, to tell the Good News. As they were going, Jesus met them, and they fell at His feet and worshipped Him. He said: “Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”8

It was not only the twelve that were to tell the Good News. There were several hundred brethren; yes, thousands of followers at this time. They never thought of bloodthirsty soldiers who had put their master to death and were seeking for His friends who would dare to defend Him.

Observe the wonderful mission that Jesus had entrusted to these weak women to preach the first resurrection sermon; to risk their lives in gathering together the followers of Christ, where the wonderful meeting was to be held. But just like many today, they would not believe. Peter said, “I will not believe your report.”9 Thomas said, “I will not believe except I see the prints in His hands and feet.”10

In the midst of all these discouragements, they went on with the work and had grand success. Jesus met with and preached to them; they were all made to rejoice. They were called by angels, and the Lord from glory, and sent to preach the Gospel. The names of four women were given and there were many others.11

God is calling the Marys and the Marthas today all over our land to work in various places in the vineyard of the Lord; God grant that they may respond and say, “Lord, here am I; send me.”12 This call was made after Christ had risen. (Turn also to John 4:10-29,39-42.)

“I will pour out in the last days of my Spirit”—that refers in a special manner to these last days in which we are now living. God is promising great blessings and power to qualify His handmaidens for the last great harvest, just before the notable Day of the Lord comes. We must first be baptized into Christ by the one Spirit, that is, to be born of the Spirit; then we ought to be anointed with power and wisdom. The Spirit ought to be poured out like oil on our heads, to give us knowledge of the deep things of God. The Lord says we shall prophesy.

Paul says, “Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:1). It makes no difference how many gifts we have, if we have not the gift of talking and teaching, it will not avail us much. The Lord has promised this greatest gift to His handmaidens and daughters. In the third verse, Paul explains what it is to prophesy. “He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification and exhortation, and comfort.” He that prophesieth edifieth the Church. No one can talk for God, only by the enlightening power of the Holy Ghost. Moses said, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29).

While Jesus sat at Jacob’s well to rest, there was a poor woman, one who was living in sin, who came to the well to get water; although she had fallen very low and was despised by her friends so that she had no one to lift her up and tell her of a better way, Jesus came to seek the lost, to lift up the fallen.

God help us to follow His example; if they feel that their feet are slipping into the pit of hell, Jesus is a mighty Savior. He can lift them up and make them children of a King.

Jesus preached salvation; the woman was converted; she left her pitcher and took the well of salvation with her, and running to the city, went up one street and down another, with her face shining with the glory of God. Perhaps the people would have scorned her an hour before; now they saw and felt the change.

“Look what he has done for me. He will do the same for you.”

The people left their stores, their places of business, left their parlors and kitchens and came out in great multitudes to see the Savior of the world. There was a great revival there at the well. Jesus went into the city and stayed two days. The wave of salvation went on and on. This was the result of one sermon by a weak woman. Many were converted and made to rejoice in a Savior’s love by the preaching of the woman who said, “He told me all the things that ever I did.”13

They came to her and said, “We know now for ourselves,” and, like the Queen of Sheba, said “The half was not told.”14

My dear sister in Christ, as you hear these words, may the Spirit of God come upon you and make you willing to do the work the Lord has assigned to you. It is high time for women to let their lights shine; to bring out their talents that have been hidden away rusting and use them for the glory of God, and do with their might what their hands find to do, trusting God for strength, who has said, “I will never leave you.”15

Oh, the fields are white, for the harvest is great and ripe, and it is ready for the gospel sickle; oh, where are the laborers to gather the golden grain into the Master’s garner?16

The world is dying, the grave is filling, hell is boasting; it will all be over soon.

God left the glorious work of saving souls in the hands of the Church. What is the Church composed of? Men, women, and children. We are putting up a building of God. Everyone has a part in this building. If we cannot be a pillar or cornerstone, let us be a spike or a nail or a brick; let us not despise the day of small things.17 Whatever we do for Jesus, with the right motive, is precious in His sight. God’s Church is a workshop—no idlers allowed there. There should be bills posted, “To work, to work. Everyone at his post.” You and I should say when Satan tempts us, like Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. I am commissioned by the King of heaven to work for Him.”18 The work is great and the time is short. He offers a great reward. Like the blind man, we will tell what God has done for us. “Once I was blind, now I can see.”19

The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come . . . And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.20

If we have been, like David, taken away from that horrible pit, over which we were hanging by the thread of life; if our feet have been taken out of the mire and clay; if the chains of Satan which were around us, like brass and iron, have been broken; if our feet have been set on solid rock, and a new song put into our mouths; if we have been adopted into the family of God, of which part are in heaven and part on earth; if our names are written in the Book of Life—then we have the gift of eternal life. We are heirs to the bank of heaven, to an eternal inheritance, to a mansion in the golden city, to a robe and a crown. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. Should we not honor our high calling and do all we can to save those who sit in the valley and shadow of death?

Let us not plead weakness; God will use the weak things of this world for His glory. When He wanted to introduce His glorious Gospel to a dying world, He did not go to the Jewish Sanhedrin and select the wise and mighty. He went along the sea of Galilee and chose twelve ignorant men and said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”21 They started in the strength of God, setting up the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. They were led on by the mighty conqueror and today He sways His scepter from the rivers to the ends of the earth.

Oh, hear the Master calling for soldiers! He says He will lead us on to victory. Oh, who will respond to the call? Who will place his name on the heavenly roll? Who will enlist in the war and help to conquer the mighty foe? Who will help to beat back the powers of darkness? He does not ask you to die, but to live forever. He will give a glorious bounty—eternal life.

Let us work for rewards. We shall be rewarded according to our work. “They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars, forever and ever.”22 We do not want to have starless crowns. Oh, let us win stars for the Master’s glory.23

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”24 If we weep and mourn now on account of poor sinners, we shall laugh through all eternity. Oh, let us work now, and by and by our weeping will be over. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.25 We can say, “Here am I, Father, and the children Thou hast given me.”26

A child was dying. “Father,” said she, “I have come to the river and am waiting for the ferrymen to take me over.”

“Does it seem dark and cold, my child?”

“Oh, no, there is no darkness here. The river is covered with solid silver. The boats, they are solid light. I am not afraid of the ferrymen. Oh, I see over the river! There is a great and beautiful city, all filled with light. The angels are making music. Oh, I see the most beautiful form! He beckons me to come. Oh! I know who it is—it is blessed Jesus. He has taken me in His bosom.” And thus she passes over the river of death, made like a silver stream by the presence of her Redeemer.

Taken from A Diary of Signs and Wonders: A Classic (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, [Original printing by Maria Woodworth-Etter, 1916]), pp. 210-216.

Endnotes

1. The passage quotes Acts 2:17, which is a paraphrase of Joel 2:28-29.

2. Acts 2:12-13.

3. See 1 Corinthians 14:34-35.

4. See 2 Kings 22:14-15 or 2 Chronicles 34:22-23.

5. Judges 4:4-16

6. See Judges 4:17-22; 5:28-30.

7. Matthew 28:5-7.

8. Matthew 28:10.

9. Luke 24:11.

10. See John 20:25.

11. See Luke 24:10 and Mark 16:1; Mary Magdalene, Mary The Mother of James, Joanna, and Salome are named specifically and Luke states there were others also.

12. Isaiah 6:8.

13. See John 4:1-30.

14. See John 4:39-42, 1 Kings 10:1-13, and 2 Chronicles 9:6-12.

15. See Hebrews 13:5.

16. See John 4:35-38, Matthew 9:37-38, and Luke 10:2.

17. SeeZechariah 4:10.

18. See Nehemiah 6:1-4.

19. See John 9:25.

20. Revelation 22:17.

21. Matthew 4:19.

22. Daniel 12:3.

23. In another version of this sermon a six-stanza poem, “The Starless Crown” is included in which the narrator dreams of going to heaven and being asked about a crown:

And then in solemn tone He said, “Where is the diadem

that ought to sparkle on thy brow, adorned with many a gem?

I know thou hast believed on Me, and life through Me is thine.

But where are all those radiant stars that in thy crown should shine,

Yonder thou see’st a glorious throng, and stars on every brow;

For every soul they led to Me they wear a jewel now;

And such thy bright reward had been, if such had been thy deed,

If thou hadst sought some wondering feet in paths of peace to lead.

(Poet unknown, stanza 4, Acts of the Holy Ghost, Maria Woodworth-Etter [Indianapolis: Maria Woodworth-Etter, 1912],” p.486).

24. See Psalm 126:6.

25. See John 27:9,11.

26. Matthew 5:4

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.

Psalm 87:3

The whole of this text refers literally to the ancient city of David, yet is undoubtedly an epitome of the glory and privileges of the Christian Church, of which Jerusalem was a type. Jerusalem was exalted and fortified by its situation, but much more so by the favor and protection of Jehovah.

His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.1

What Jerusalem was, that the Christian Church now is—built by God, “Upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God” (Ephesians 2:20-22).

God loved His Church beyond the kingdoms and empires of the earth, which rise and fall only to subserve His purposes concerning her.

Its Literal Meaning

Jerusalem was truly the “city of God,” the city which He particularly chose, and the one to which He paid especial regard. It was the capital of the kingdom of Judah and the scene of the most extraordinary event in which men and angels have, and must forever have, the deepest interest. This was the place selected by the Almighty for His dwelling and here His glory was rendered visible. Of this place David speaks, saying: “Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following” (Psalm 48:12-13).

He says further, that the city is “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion.”2 It was indeed, at one time, “the perfection of beauty and the glory of the land.”3 Here David sat and tuned his harp and sang the praises of Jehovah. Hither the tribes came up to worship. Here enraptured prophets saw bright visions of the world above and received messages from on high for guilty man. Hither our Lord and Savior came in the form of a servant and groaned and bled and wept and poured out His soul unto death to redeem us from sin and save us from the pains of hell. This ancient city was the emporium of Jewish commerce and the seat of oriental learning.

Above all others, these glorious things were spoken of this city. There was the seat of the civil government. There were the splendid courts of the kings of Judah. “There,” says the psalmist, “are set thrones of judgment.”4 There the princes and nobles resided and from thence issued the mandates by which the people were governed.

There the divine ordinances were celebrated. There were the ark, the altar, the sacrifices, and stupendous temple of Solomon. There was the testimony of Jehovah. There were the visible symbols of the divine glory of the King of heaven dwelling in the midst of His people. “I have chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.”5 David said, “God is known in her palaces for a refuge.”6

There was held the general assemblage of all the Israelitish (sic) tribes. Three times a year, all the males from all the Jewish dominion, came up to Jerusalem to worship. How interesting it must have been to see such multitudes all assembled to praise God in the beauty of holiness,7 playing on sacred instruments, singing beautiful songs, and making solemn processions.

It was honored with the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was and still is “The Prince of Peace.”8

Its Typical Application to the Church of Christ

“Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26); that is, all believers. Hence Christians are represented (Ephesians 2:19) as fellow citizens of this spiritual Jerusalem. Now of this spiritual city, glorious things are spoken.

She has been gloriously founded by the living God. She is built upon Jesus Christ, the sure foundation and precious cornerstone. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”9

“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock (Christ) I will build my church.”10 The general Church then is built by God and securely founded on Jesus Christ.

He purchased the Church with His own blood:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me.11

He quickens every member by His own Spirit, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”12

God protects and supports her by His own power. He has all power in heaven and on earth. He says, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against” His Church.13 He who is an inhabitant of the spiritual Jerusalem is safe. The Church will live when her enemies are all dead and their names have perished from the annals of human events.

She possesses glorious privileges. All ancient enfranchised cities had various immunities and privileges, but none ever had such as are enjoyed in the spiritual Jerusalem.

We enjoy in the Church spiritual illumination. Christ says,

I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive.14

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.15”

We have peace with God. “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.”16 But the apostle says, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.”17

“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”18

Solomon says, “Let the children of Zion (the Church) be joyful in their King.”19 The apostle says, “We joy and rejoice greatly.”20

Peter says, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”21

We are protected from danger:

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.22

We enjoy the constant presence and favor of Christ. He says, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”23 Again, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”24 “And where I am, there shall also my servant be.”25

The spiritual Jerusalem contains glorious inhabitants. They are all free. Paul says, “We are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”26

Being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.27

They are a heavenly race, suitable to the dignity of the founder of the city. They are born of God. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.”28 And, “Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world.”29

They are sons of God. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”30 John further says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.”31

Paul says they are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.”32

They are a holy people. “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”33 “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”34 “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.”35 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.”36 It is written, “Ye are an holy nation.”37 Their robes have all been washed in the blood of the Lamb.38

They are priests and kings. The apostle Peter says, referring to the inhabitants of the spiritual Jerusalem, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.”39 The revelator says of Christ, “[He] hath made us kings and priests unto God.”40 They shall see the Great White Throne and have crowns on their heads and palms in their hands and reign forever and ever.41

Considered in Reference to Heaven Itself

Heaven is emphatically the city of God; the city of the great king;42 a city which hath foundations, which is come; the city which the ancient patriarchs sought,43 and the city which John saw in a vision^44 and afterwards described; the future home of the saints, as represented by various figures, calculated to convey the sublimest ideas of durability and perfection—such as, a house, mansion, city, and inheritance.45

It is a located place, a city within bounds. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”46

That place is heaven, and glorious things are spoken of it in the oracles of God. It is surpassingly grand in magnificence. There the throne of supreme glory is erected and there manifestations of God are witnessed.

The sun is a splendid object here; the radiance of the stars and the beauty of the firmament impress our senses strongly; but these and all other resplendent objects which glitter in mortal eyes have no glory by reason of that which excelleth them.

The Revelator says, or rather God through him,

Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. . . . and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. . . . And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.

Revelation 4:1-6

The Revelator further says,

He . . . shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as a crystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels. . . . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations. . . . And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth. ... In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month. . . . And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 21:10-22:5

Such is the description of heaven, the saints’ future home. Is it not surpassingly grand and magnificent. It is complete in its enjoyments. This will appear when we consider it perfectly excludes all evil.

Those holy gates forever bar Pollution, sin, and shame, And none shall gain admittance there, But followers of the Lamb.47

The inhabitants have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The question has been asked, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” The answer is, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.”48 “The pure in heart shall see God.”49

We will enjoy the utmost perfection of soul and body. These bodies, no longer subject to aches, pains, and diseases, will be free and light-winged as thought itself; and our enraptured spirits will drink in the glory of the celestial world; and our enraptured souls will be filled with the glory of the King of Kings and dwell with the ransomed hosts of heaven. We will sing through all eternity, “I’ve been redeemed, been washed in the blood of the Lamb.”50 Glory to God.

Glorious visions! We shall see God, Christ, angels, and our brethren and friends that have gone before. “They shall be like him, for they shall see him as he is.”51 “The pure in heart shall see God.”52 “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.”53 “They shall see the King of beauty.”54

The most glorious and amicable society will be enjoyed in heaven, and the most pleasing engagements will be enjoyed by the blood-washed throng, for the marriage supper of the Lamb has come.

Glory to God, the city is almost in sight. Dear friends, travelers to the judgment bar^55 of God, will you not go with us? God is calling you today. Oh, come and be a soldier for Jesus, that you may enjoy a better country and walk the gold-paved streets with Christ the Redeemer and the saints of light.

The city above is eternal in its duration. Built in Jehovah, it rests on His goodness, power, and truth; an immovable basis, “The saints shall reign forever and ever.”56 “Believers shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”57

There is a city mine eyes doth see,

In visions of enraptured thought;

So bright! That all which spreads between,

Is with its radiant glory fraught.

A land upon whose blissful shore, There rests no shadow, falls no stain, There those who meet shall part no more, And those long parted shall meet again.58

“Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.”59

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun.”60

Taken from Acts of the Holy Ghost.

Endnotes

1. Psalm 87:1-2.

2. Psalm 48:2.

3. See Psalm 50:2 and Lamentations 2:15.

4. Psalm 122:5.

5. See 2 Chronicles 7:16.

6. Psalm 48:3.

7. See Psalm 29:2 and 96:9.

8. Isaiah 9:6.

9. 1 Corinthians 3:11.

10. Matthew 16:18, parenthetical addition by Maria Etter.

11. Isaiah 63:1-3.

12. Ephesians 2:1.

13. Matthew 16:18.

14. John 14:16-17.

15. John 14:26.

16. Isaiah 48:22.

17. Romans 5:1.

18. Romans 5:5.

19. Psalm 149:2.

20. 1 Thessalonians 3:9, paraphrased.

21. 1 Peter 1:8.

22. Psalm 91:3-7.

23. Hebrews 13:5. 24. Matthew 28:20.

25. John 12:26.

26. Galatians 4:31.

27. Romans 6:22.

28. 1 John 3:9.

29. 1 John 5:4.

30. 1 John 3:1.

31. 1 John 3:2.

32. Romans 8:17.

33. 1 John 3:3.

34. 1 John 1:7.

35. 1 John 3:6.

36. 1 John 3:9.

37. 1 Peter 2:9, paraphrased.

38. See Revelation 7:14.

39. 1 Peter 2:9.

40. Revelation 1:6.

41. See Revelation 7:9-17.

42. See Psalm 48:2.

43. See Hebrew 11:10.

44. See Revelation 21:2.

45. See Ephesians 2:19, John 14:2, Hebrews 11:10, and Ephesians 1:11.

46. John 14:2-3.

47. Source of verse unknown.

48. Psalm 24:3-4.

49. Matthew 5:8, paraphrased.

50. Allusion to “Redeemed,” Lyrics: Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915), Music: William Kirkpatrick (1838-1921).

51. 1 John 3:2, paraphrased.

52. Matthew 5:8, paraphrased.

53. 1 Corinthians 13:12.

54. Isaiah 33:17, paraphrased.

55. “bar”—court of law.

56. Revelation 22:5, paraphrased.

57. John 3:16 and John 6:40, paraphrased.

58. Source and title of hymn unknown.

59. Psalm 87:3.

60. “Amazing Grace” (1779), seventh verse, John Newton (1725-1807).

Instructions to Ministers and Christian Worker

“Note—One of the most deeply solemn meetings was that in which seventy elders, evangelists, and helpers had hands laid on them that they might receive a fresh anointing of the Spirit and have more power in their ministry. A holy hush fell on all, and the slaying power of the Lord was strongly manifested.

One after another they were prostrated under the power until the large platform looked like a battlefield.

“Then came a cry from those who worked in hospitals and visited the sick, that they might have more power to bring blessings to the suffering; and Sister Etter and several of the brethren prayed for nearly fifty. Again, as other ministers and workers came in at the close of the month’s meetings, there was another service of this nature on Sunday, July 27th, in which fifty more were prayed for. All present were deeply affected by seeing the mighty power of God resting upon His workers. The faces of many were wet with tears as they looked upon the scene.

“On July 17th, before giving a talk to the ministers and Christian workers, Sister Etter made a few introductory remarks in which she said she was not sending them out with license to preach but that she did believe in many there were gifts lying dormant and that she felt part of her mission was to stir up the gifts in her brethren. She said: ‘I have no authority to send you out. My prayer is that God will give you authority. We can be of the same mind and same spirit though separated a thousand miles. God has wonderfully blessed me by imparting gifts and many have received the baptism when I laid hands on them. You are going out with a courage you never had before. We don’t want to be a hissing and a byword. We don’t want to run ahead of the Lord nor lag behind. Let us get deep in the Spirit, so the power will come on us this morning.’

“Brother Argue spoke of the fresh anointing that had come to many at the Los Angeles camp meeting through a similar service and also emphasized the fact that these ministers who were about to be prayed for with the laying on of hands were not being sent out by Sister Etter or to claim any authority from her or the Stone Church, but that they might go away from this service with more power, a new courage, and a stronger faith. He spoke of the great need of wisdom, that some had not exercised wisdom and had gone out claiming authority from certain missions because hands were laid on them in that place. Everyone was committed to God and made to feel his responsibility to God. Many other valuable instructions were given fitting the hour, but lack of space forbids us recording them further. We give below the address given by Mrs. Etter. All felt the hush of the presence of the Lord, and it was a time of real solemnity to many hearts.”

And this gospel. . . shall be preached unto all the world for a witness . . . and then shall the end come.1

The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.2

They had been called and were working, but now they were to be set apart in a special way. The Holy Ghost has to call you, qualify you. Jesus Christ has to send you forth: “And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed.”3

Has God sent you? The Holy Ghost has to qualify you. Our laying on of hands would do no good unless the Holy Ghost comes in to work mightily. The Holy Ghost said, “Separate.” These men had been called and chosen—chosen for the special work to which they had already been called.

Now in the tenth chapter of Luke we read that the Lord appointed the seventy and sent them forth two and two before His face. He said, “Behold, I send you forth as lambs”—let us remain lambs and not become wolves to bite and snatch and tear and antagonize everybody. “Behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves”—but remember the wolves won’t devour you. “Carry neither purse nor scrip.” Don’t be over anxious about anything.4

Verse 19: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”5

Then He tells them not to rejoice that the spirits are subject unto them, but rather rejoice that they are children of God.6 Don’t be puffed up by the miracles; don’t get your eyes on them, but keep your eyes on Jesus. You are not saved by miracles. You are saved and kept by the power of God. The miracles are the works of the Holy Ghost. You will get a reward for the works of the Holy Ghost that are wrought through you; they are going to make your crown, but they will never save you. If a hundred thousand were healed through my prayer today, I could not pin my salvation to that. We are not saved by works, but through faith in Jesus,7 through living, constant faith and prayer. We are kept by the power of God. The works are thrown in, and there will be a great reward for them; our crown will be the brighter.

Now in Moses’ day the work was great as it is now, and the time came when the force of workers had to be enlarged. The Lord told Moses to select seventy men of good report, elders of the people, and bring them together to the tent of meeting that He might take of the Spirit that was upon Moses and put it on them. He said that they should be used in the same way as Moses; and so it was, the Spirit that rested on Moses came upon the seventy, and they all began to prophesy. Then they were sent out to work.8

When the Spirit of God comes on you, you are not going to sit around idle and do nothing. And the Spirit fell upon two men who had stayed in the camp. They had not been brought into the tent by Moses, yet the Spirit fell upon them.9 That made some feel jealous, and you will find the same spirit today—jealousy of those who are being blessed. Are you jealous for the cause or jealous for yourself? It wasn’t for God’s glory that Joshua asked Moses to forbid the prophesying of these men. Thank God for Moses’ answer, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets.”10

You must have the Spirit resting upon you if you are to do anything for God, either at home or abroad. You are not fit for work unless you have it, and those who serve at home must have it the same as those who go to China or Africa. God is not calling everyone to the foreign field, but God is calling everyone in some way. Many make the mistake of going out whom God has not called, and many spend all their time running around to camp meetings. Let us make every place a tent of meeting with the Lord and the Spirit may fall on us as on Eldad and Medad, who were not called to the tent of meeting.

And if you are not called to the foreign field, get to work in the place in which God does call you to labor. If you cannot get victory for God, you are not called. The hardest place God sends you is just the place where He is going to give the greatest victory. But if you have not the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost to energize you, you will be stranded. God expects us to be qualified by the Spirit resting upon us even more in these last days than in the time of Moses. The seventy that Christ sent out had power, and how much more should we have power now that Christ is glorified? So we are expected to do all these great things set forth in the last chapter of Mark.

Now in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew it says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all nations as a witness and then shall the end come.”11 Friends, you and I cannot go out and preach as we used to do. Many sermons that God wonderfully blessed in the past I cannot preach now. I used to preach hellfire, so you could nearly see the fire, and it took effect then; but the call today is for a different ministry. It is not so much in the might of preaching, but in the demonstration of the Spirit. Sinners are more hard-hearted than they used to be. You can preach hell until they see the blaze, and yet they will stand and look you calmly in the face; but let them see the mighty power of God manifested, and they are convicted. The disciples came to Jesus privately and asked Him what should be the sign of His coming and of the end of the world, and He answered these questions.12 The same questions are being asked today. “How will people know when You are coming back again?” And then, “What will be the sign of the end when the Tribulation is over?” Now we are given signs that we may know Jesus is coming soon. He goes on to tell many things that will happen by which we may know. He says this Gospel must be preached all over the world as a witness, and then shall the end come. This is our business, to sound the midnight cry, to herald the King. It is our mission to blow the trumpet in Zion among the saints,13 for the day of the Lord is at hand. It is near, even at the door.

Jesus says in the same chapter, “Now from the fig tree learn her parable; when the branch putteth forth its leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh; even so ye also when ye see all these things, know that He is nigh, even at the doors.”14

He had just been saying that the Lord would send forth His angels with the great sound of the trumpet to gather together the elect from the four winds.15 These are not actual angels but God’s servants. The Greek word translated “angel” means “messenger.” You see the heralds going forth giving this last message of the kingdom, having power in the Holy Ghost, signs and wonders following; then know that the coming of the Lord is near at hand.

The Lord has given me a special mission to bring about a spirit of unity and love, and God is raising up people in every land who are reaching out after more of God and saying, “Come and help us. We want the spirit of love. We want the signs and wonders.” The Lord showed me last night as I lay awake most of the night, to gather together the ministers as far as I could that we might see eye to eye, preach the same Gospel, and have the same signs following. The Word is going forth and the multitude is going to take it up and publish it everywhere—this Gospel of the kingdom, our last commission. So you see the saints going out to give this last message, telling the people that Jesus is coming soon.

Our Lord told us [that] as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in our day.16 While the great mass of people are busy with the affairs of this life, a little band like Noah and his family are preparing to be hidden away in Christ from the disaster that will come upon the world. And we are told that in the time of the end, the book of Daniel will be read and understood. Daniel had called upon God to show him the future, and he was given a vision of great things taking place; but the Lord said, “It is not for this people, Daniel. It is for the people you ask about in the time of the end. Seal up the book; they won’t know anything about it now.”17

The book of Daniel is for our time, and God is now opening His Word. The light of heaven is shining upon it; God is unveiling it to us. He is giving us light on these things as never before. He says positively, “They that be wise shall understand.”18 We are going to know before Jesus comes. Nearly everyone that is carried away in a vision gets the message, “Jesus is coming soon. Tell the people to be ready.”

God expects us as ambassadors, as teachers, as messengers of His kingdom to blow the trumpet that sounds the alarm to those who are not ready for His coming. He expects us to prove by His Word and by the signs and wonders following our ministry, make it plain that Jesus is coming soon. His ambassadors must stop all contention; all hair-splitting theories must be dropped; this hobby and that hobby with continual harping on finished work or sanctification^19 that antagonizes the saints must be put away. We are to go out and lift up Jesus.

Not many sinners come in by our preaching red-hot judgment these days. Paul says preaching has to be with demonstration of the Spirit and of power.20 The Holy Ghost bears witness with signs and miracles; unless these attend our ministry, we cannot succeed. There are scores and hundreds getting saved. They come from all parts of the country to get healed. The ministry of healing brings people more than anything else; and if you can lay hands on the sick and they recover, you won’t have to preach to empty seats. You produce the goods of heaven and people want the goods. Let the Word go forth in demonstration and power, so people can see what God has for them. There will be no failure in your ministry when they see the power of the Lord present to heal.

The main thing to keep before the people is the near coming of Jesus. We are not to set the day—God forbid—but the saints will know as the day draws nigh. We can tell by the signs that it is near. God expects you to preach as one having authority. This is a generation that will go up without dying. Christ looked down the ages to our day and saw the whole world in unbelief, men fainting and their hearts failing them with fear of the things that were coming upon the earth, and Daniel prophesied and said the wicked should grow worse and worse and none of the wicked should understand; but the wise shall understand.21

Then the Lord gave Daniel^22 another picture. He saw on the land and on the sea, here and there, messengers blowing the trumpet, hailing each other as they pass along. For years back whenever I met a child of God, my greeting has been, “Watchman, what of the night?” and from those who have much of the Spirit of God the answer comes, “The morning cometh.”23 But the night is here, too. We have to preach that. We know the darkness of hell is spreading over this earth and it will soon be a fearful scene, a regular deluge of blood. We have to sound the alarm and give the message that the King is coming. Some will be accounted worthy to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man.

There is loving unity here. So far as I can see, there is not a dissentient voice. There is not much wildfire. God will not permit it, and no one dares to chime in saying, “I am a dove,” when he is a raven. No one dares to join us but to magnify God. Those just starting in the life of the Spirit will run off in the flesh more or less; but if they are honest, they will recover themselves and fall into their places. There is room for everything in a meeting but the devil. We don’t want to give him a place. I haven’t heard any hobby aired here. Christ finished the work on Calvary, the wonderful plan of salvation; but I do not consider the great work of the baptism was finished until after He went to glory because the Holy Ghost could not be poured forth until after His ascension. That brings us into the heavenly places and leads us on in the way. There are powers and gifts and greater gifts; we are to go on from glory to glory. God didn’t send us out to ride hobbies,24 to hold up this term or that term, but to hold up Jesus. He didn’t send us out to tear down churches.

When Christ sent out His workers He said, “If you go to a city, don’t be gadding about. Abide in one place and be much in prayer; and don’t be worried about the money not coming in, for the laborer is worthy of his hire.”25 Give yourself wholly to your ministry. If you are in the will of God, He will provide for you. And eat such things as are set before you; don’t have some fad about diet. Don’t say, “I don’t eat this,” and “I don’t eat that.” If you don’t eat it, let it alone; but don’t air your opinion about it. The Lord says, “He that receiveth you in My name receiveth Me,” and we want to represent Him worthily.26

As for forbidding to marry or having spiritual affinities—shun such things as you would a deadly viper. But you don’t need to talk about these things. Just hold up Jesus. God doesn’t want you to be personal about these sins. Let Jesus have the preeminence. The more He is held up, the deeper people get in love with Him, the quicker they will drop everything else. So let us hold up Jesus and herald the coming of the King. Show them the great danger of the Tribulation. Preach Jesus and hold on to God until the signs follow. There is something wrong unless they do follow. Don’t wait until you have any special gifts. Believe you can do it, and it will be done. Not only send forth the prayer, but look to God for courage; command the devil to go and you will see victory perched on your banner. People are affected every day by seeing the wonderful miracles. There are different degrees in heavenly places; there are the moon and the sun and the stars. The time has come when we have to be something more than the moon. We have to be as the sun. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.”27

Don’t denounce churches. Don’t denounce the Catholics. Catholics won’t come in for fear you will denounce them. I never mention Catholics. I never denounce any particular church. We can show the signs of the formalist in a general way, and they see they have been fed on chaff; and they know they are frozen to death and will want to get alive. Let us hold up Jesus; and if we do that, these antagonistic spirits will get ashamed. They will find themselves lacking. If you blow the trumpet, show the people a supernatural God, and give them the light on what is coming in the millennial age—that they will be kings and priests—they will realize that the King is in our midst in power and might and glory.

Anyone that will call upon God in the right way shall be saved. He is pouring out His Spirit upon the sons and daughters. There is a special ministry for the women in these days. The sign that brought the people together when the five thousand were converted was healing, and there would have probably been ten thousand if they hadn’t broken up the meeting. Five thousand as a result of this one man healed, and from that healing the disciples preached the mighty works of God.28

So the great revivals all through the New Testament were the result of somebody getting healed. Eneas was eight years afflicted, like the man the other day, only this man was probably in a worse condition than Eneas; he could not bend himself, could not open his mouth, could not even move his eyes or his head. Soon he was able to stand on his feet; he had been carried in and while we were singing, he ran down the aisle and down the stairs without taking hold of the banisters, and down the street. And all that saw him glorified God as the people did when Eneas was healed.29 There are scores to get saved and healed, so you will always have the miraculous, if the signs follow. God is going to draw in such as can be saved to see the mighty works.

Paul said to Timothy, “Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee.”30 If there is any gift God is showing you [that] you ought to have, you can receive it by the laying on of hands. It is not so much what you say about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but what they see you have. We can talk until we are hoarse and they won’t be convinced, but the power of God convinces them. Don’t wait for manifestations before you go forth and do something. When you are weakest, then you are strong.31 Let us go out and work miracles. Then the people will glorify God.

In the Stone Church, July 17, 1913

Taken from The Latter-Rain Evangel, August 1913.

Endnotes

1. Matthew 24:14, paraphrased.

2. Acts 13:2.

3. Acts 13:3-4.

4. See Luke 10:1-4 and Philippians 4:6.

5. Luke 10:19.

6. See Luke 10:20.

7. See Ephesians 2:8-9.

8. See Numbers 11:16-25.

9. See Numbers 11:26-28.

10. Numbers 11:29.

11. Matthew 24:14, paraphrased.

12. See Matthew 24:3.

13. See Joel 2:1.

14. Matthew 24:32-33, paraphrased.

15. See Matthew 24:31.

16. See Matthew 24:37.

17. See Daniel 12:9.

18. Daniel 12:10, paraphrased.

19. “finished work or sanctification”—During Maria Etter’s ministry, the discussion among Christians concerning the stages of spiritual growth and how power over sin could be achieved was often divisive. Sanctification was considered by John Wesley to be a second stage or “the second blessing” in which the Christian obtained power to live a righteous life.

20. See 1 Corinthians 2:4.

21. See Luke 21:26 and Daniel 12:10.

22. Maria Etter is thinking of Isaiah here.

23. See Isaiah 21:11-12.

24. “ride hobbies”—to pursue favorite interests obsessively.

25. See Luke 10:4-9.

26. See Mark 9:37, Luke 9:48, and John 13:20.

27. Daniel 12:3.

28. See Acts 3 and 4:4.

29. See Acts 9:32-35.

30. 2 Timothy 1:6.

31. See 2 Corinthians 12:10.

Faith, Prayer, and Love

What a valuable combination! Faith without prayer is worthless; and faith and prayer without love would be profitless. (See 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.) Prayer without faith is a nullity.

Love presupposes both prayer and faith: for both of these latter are means to love as an end. Prayer and faith establish love. The prayer of faith brings in the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:2), and enthrones Christ in the heart (Ephesians 3:17); and when Christ becomes the real King of one’s heart, love becomes the dominant power therein. (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). When perfect love or the Christ-like nature, controls one’s whole being, then prayer—the prayer of faith—will be spontaneous; for in this event, the Holy Spirit will breathe into the love-dominated being every prayer the Father wishes to answer and with the prayer will give the faith also to receive an answer.

True prayer, then, in its higher aspects is but the out-breathing of love, whether unuttered or expressed, accompanied by the faith that accepts the answer; or deeper still, the true prayer of faith is the outworking of the life of Christ in the soul; the petition proceeding from the Father through the Son and by the Holy Spirit. Such prayer is the voice of God echoing in the spirit of one who is being developed unto the stature of Christ, through the mighty inwork-ings of the Holy Trinity.

What wonderful possibilities open to us along this line! Were we so pliable in the hands of God, as that the Spirit could awaken in us every prayer that the Father is willing to answer—imparting along with the prayer the faith to receive what we ask for—what could God not accomplish in us and through us! Surely, in this event, we would ultimately reach God’s highest thought for us and be at our best as instruments in His hands. (See John 14:12 and John 7:38.)

O Father, inbreathe the spirit of prayer into each one of Thy dear children who is seeking to belong to the small company of full overcomers; giving to each the faith that will appropriate the full answer to every petition issuing from Thee through Thy Son and by the Spirit’. Then speedily the bride will be made ready, and all things will soon mature for the coming of the Bridegroom’. O blessed Christ, speed the time!

Taken from Life & Experience of Maria B. Woodworth-Etter.

A Diary of Signs & Wonders, M.B. Woodworth, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter (Tulsa: Harrison House, Inc., 1981).

Holy Ghost Sermons: Timeless Spirit-Filled Messages for the Last Days, Maria Woodworth-Etter (Tulsa: Harrison House, Inc., 1997).

Holy Ghost Sermons: A Living Classic Book, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter (Tulsa: Harrison House; 1997).

The Holy Spirit, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1998).

The Lessons of Maria Woodworth-Etter On Miracles, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter, Larry Keefauver, Ed. (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House Press, 1997).

Maria Woodworth-Etter: A Complete Collection of Her Life Teachings, Roberts Liardon (Tulsa: Albury Publishing Company, 2000).

The Original Maria Woodworth-Etter Devotional (Charisma Classic), Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter, Larry Keefauver, Ed. (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House,1997).

Signs and Wonders, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 1997).

The Spirit-Filled Woman’s Devotional: Alyse Lounsberry, Alyse A. Lounsberry (Editor), J. W. Martin, Ed. (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 1997).

The Woman Evangelist: The Life and Times of Charismatic Evangelist Maria B. Woodworth-Etter (Studies in Evangelicalism, No 8), Wayne E. Warner (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1986).

Readers may also wish to visit the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, which has a valuable collection of materials regarding Maria Woodworth-Etter (Address: 1445 Boonville Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65802, E-mail: Archives@ag.org).

Table of Contents

Introduction

A Love Affair

Author's Note

Note from the Editor:

Part 1: The Great Commission

Chapter 1 The Great Commission

Part II: Acts of the Holy Spirit

Chapter 2 The Glory of the Lord Abode Upon Mount Sinai

Chapter 3 The Fire and Glory of God Filling the Temple

Chapter 4 Christ's Great Revival on the Plains: Our Example

Chapter 5 The Promise of the Father

Chapter 6 The Two Greatest Religious Movements in History

Chapter 7 The Great Revival in Jerusalem

Chapter 8 Divine Healing and Signs and Wonders

Chapter 9 Miracle-Working Faith

Chapter 10 Work of the Holy Ghost

Chapter 11 The Spirit Reveals the Deep Things of God

Chapter 12 Try the Spirits

Chapter 13 The Wonderful Power of the Word of God

Chapter 14 Will Ye Also Go Away? or, The Great Decision

Chapter 15 God's Work, His Acts, His Strange Acts

Chapter 16 Dancing in the Spirit is Victory

Part III Visions

Chapter 17 Visions and Trances

Chapter 18 A Vision of the Coming of the Lord

Part IV Divine Healing

Chapter 19 Divine Healing: Health for Body, Soul, and Spirit

Chapter 20 Prayer of Faith Shall Save the Sick

Chapter 21 James' Commission to the Church

Chapter 22 Questions and Answers on Divine Healing

Part V Women in Ministry

Chapter 23 Women's Rights in the Gospel

Part VI Miscellaneous

Chapter 24 The City of God

Chapter 25 Neglect Not the Gift That Is in Thee

Chapter 26 Gospel Witness

Books For Further Study