In a message dated 05/01/1999 12:00:57 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Having grown up in a Southern Baptist church, then having spent around 18
years or so as an adult in AOG churches, I've long wished these two groups
could lay aside their differences and embrace their sameness. If a hybrid of
both group's strengths were ever put together we would most likely witness
one of the greatest revivals ever.
I love the Pentecostal style worship and openness to the gifts and outward
manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but I also love the Baptist strong
emphasis on discipleship and in-depth Bible study and memorization, and both
group's emphasis on evangelism. I'm sure Satan must shudder whenever he
thinks about what could happen if these two groups ever got together. Can
you imagine? A whole nationwide group of enthusiastic, Spirit-filled, Bible
studying, disciplined, followers of Christ that spent time reaching out to
others? Instead of squabbling and bickering about what we didn't agree on,
we just emphasized what we did agree on and went after the lost?
Whoooooooooeeeeee! It raises the hair on the back of my neck and gets me all
goose-bumply just thinking about it.
>>
===========================================================================
All,
Having recently done some research into Pentecostal history (specifically
Azusa St.) I'd like to say something about what brother Ed wrote here.
There are three names that stand out at Azusa St./Los Angeles at this time.
William Seymour, Frank Bartleman, and Joseph Smale.
William Seymour- son of former slaves, was the Pastor at Azusa St.
Frank Bartleman - was the visionary intercessor
Joseph Smale - Pastor of the First Baptist Church in LA
Brother Smale had just returned from Wales in June, 1904, having experienced
the Welsh Revival firsthand. He was full of zeal to see such an outpouring of
the Holy Spirit in his church also.
Frank Bartleman, having already gotten the "revival bug" was going around the
area encouraging Christians and churches to seek for an outpouring. He
arrived at Pastor Smale's church on June 17. He was discouraged to see the
people virtually milling around waiting for the pastor to arrive before
beginning to seek God. He encouraged them to press in. Over time they did and
God began to move. Altars were filled for hours. THe spirit of revival began
to seize the city. Meetings were running day and night and into the night.
People were being saved even as the meeting wore on. Conviction began to
cover the area. Dedicated intercessors came in and began to pray for an
outpouring that would change not only LA or California or even America, but
the world This went on every night for 15 weeks........until the "leaders"
of the church became tired and told Smale that either he stopped the revival
or he would have to leave.
He left.
He started a New Testament Church, and although Bartleman expressed his
distaste for such organization, he became a charter member.
Unfortunately, success proved the undoing of Brother Smale and his church.
They became involved in so many secondary "ministries" and activities that
they began to de-emphasize the prayer meetings.
Bartleman tried to warn them but to no avail.
God provided one last opportunity, on April 15, a Sunday morning, a black
sister from a little cottage meeting on Bonnie Brae Street, spoke in tongues
at Pastor Smale's church. People gathered in little groups outside on the
sidewalk asking, "What does this mean?" Just like Pentecost. Unfortunately,
that's as far as it went.
At Bonnie Brae Street, the leader, William Seymour, and his little group had
been in a 10 day fasting and prayer vigil during Holy Week, and the Holy
Spirit had come.
The following is a quote from Rick Joyner's MorningStar Journal article on
"Azusa Street, the Fire That Could Not Die:
Every pioneer who has been used to ignite great spiritual advances has, at
least at first, appeared as reckless and dangerous to the church he is sent
to awaken. Bartleman and Seymour were no exceptions to this. They simply
wanted God so much that they did not care what anyone else thought about it.
They could not live within the existing limits of their times, so they were
used to push those limits back. This spiritual abandon was used to benefit
multiplied millions who would follow.
Defeated by a Secondary Success
It seems that the Lord had ordained Pastor Smale to be the one to ignite the
mighty Pentecostal outpouring of the twentieth century. He would have been
the one forever remembered for the great revival. Yet, instead of leading the
way, he tripped over the same stumbling block that has been the undoing of
countless others: His local congregation became so successful that he lost
his bigger vision. As Harry Truman once said, "We are often defeated by our
secondary successes."
This is not to in any way belittle the importance of the local church. It is
the frontline of what God is doing on the earth, and it needs to be the
primary focus of most leaders. However, when one is called to a larger
purpose, as Smale was, good can be the worst enemy of best. Where would the
church today be if Paul had rejected the apostolic call of God so he could
continue to help the church in Antioch? We probably would be in the same
place, because God would have used someone else; but we probably never would
have heard of Paul.
Smale became a respected pastor of a nice little church, but he could have
been remembered as a father of one of the greatest movements of all time.
That honor now belongs to William J. Seymour. A humble black man who loved
God more than any human honors or riches, Seymour began the movement that
would shake the world and redefine modern Christianity. He deserves a place
among the greatest reformers of the church.
Bartleman was gracious in his analysis of what transpired when Smale rejected
the call to go on, saying: "God found His Moses in the person of Brother
Smale, to lead us to the Jordan crossing. But He chose Brother Seymour for
our Joshua, to lead us over."
=========================================
We began together Brother Ed, as we seek Christ and pray that His Body be one
as He and the Father are One, He will answer.
HE WILL ANSWER!
And we will finish together.
I have seen that fire in the Youth at our church (led by a GMA/Youth Pastor,
and am beginning to see it in our Rangers, all because of prayer. The kind of
prayer seen in Isaiah 62 : 6,7. The kind that takes no rest or gives Him no
rest until He establishes...........
In His Service for the boys,
Gary Rothwell
Sr. Cdr.
Outpost 59, Potomac District
Warwick Assembly of God
Hampton, VA
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