Azusa Street Revival

[KWSS1976]

Does anyone have a history of the Pentecostal church before this took place.I know most on here have seen this already..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival

[Revelationist]

A book written by Dr. Marvin Arnold "Church History"

[Sam]

Originally Posted by KWSS1976

Does anyone have a history of the Pentecostal church before this took place.I know most on here have seen this already..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival

I haven't read through the Wikipedia article but it does talk about people receiving the Holy Ghost Baptism in Kansas and Texas prior to Azusa Street.

There is a book called The Phenomenon of Pentecost by Frank Ewart which is distributed by the PPH which talks about some of this.

[Sam]

These are a couple of posts from another forum which talk about the move of the Holy Spirit in India:

Christian and non-Christian activists against the exploitation of women look back for inspiration to the 19th-century Indian social reformer Pandita Ramabai. Ramabai disguised herself as a
sannyasini (female mendicant), determined to rescue destitute women who
were being forced into servitude and sexual degradation. She beheld unspeakable
horrors: hundreds of agents enticing abandoned and helpless child-widows into
institutions where they were shut up or rented out to men. Her initial effort to
rescue seven wretched women nearly cost her life. She returned twice, during a
terrible famine, to rescue and carry away scores of victims in her train of
bullock carts—starving little girls (and on occasion a few boys) clad in filthy
rags—and to give them a new life at her Mukti Mission. Literate and skilled
"graduates" of Mukti went out into the world. Many became teachers or widely
sought-after wives. Some attended colleges in America and became medical
doctors.

Mother Ramabai's mission and orphanage for girls became a "hot bed" for Pentecostal revival in the early days of the 20th Century, and many of
the girls had visions and were baptized in the Holy Ghost with speaking
in other tongues.
-------------------------------------------------
In January 1905 Ramabai encouraged the girls at Mukti to prayerfully seek for revival. Many responded and a revival began on June 29 when one girl was baptized in the Holy Spirit. Some were "slain in the Spirit" under the conviction of sin, and others received a burning sensation said to result from their baptism "in fire" (Matt. 3:11). The participants also experienced glossolalia in 1906. The revival soon spread, and a number of missionaries received Spirit-baptism (e.g. Albert Norton). A Chicago reporter, William Ellis, reports that in 1907 he witnessed evidence of revival going on among the women at the mission. Ramabai told him that meetings were held two times a day and led by "girls who have been baptized wiht the Holy Spirit and with fire."
from page 756 of Dictionary of Pentecostal And Charismatic Movements, copyright 1988

[Revelationist]

It needs to be noted that Azusa Street was a trinitrian revival and that there were One God Pentecostal preachers there that were not allowed to preach at this revival.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by KWSS1976

Does anyone have a history of the Pentecostal church before this took place.I know most on here have seen this already..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azusa_Street_Revival

Over the centuries there have been times when the gifts of the Spirit have been manifested in various church groups. You can find references to this in some Pentecostal books. One problem is that those incidents of manifestation of the gifts have been taken by some and stung together to "prove" that there has always been a group who preached "baptism in Jesus' name and the Holy Ghost with tongues as salvation."

[Sam]

What we now know as the Church of God (Cleveland Tennessee) began in the late 1800's with people gathering and praying. I think there is a book titled "Like A Mighty Army" by Charles Conn which tells about some of this. It has been many years since I read that book but I think it has this information in it.

Attached is a pdf file of some Church of God history.

[Sam]

Some Pentecostal History.
By Pentecostal I am referring to the operation and gifting of the Holy Spirit as He has moved upon and within people.

The following is taken from pages 14-24 of “The Happiest People on Earth” which is a biography of Demos Shakarian (1913-1993) founder of the FGBMFI (Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International). The book has a copyright date of 1974 and tells the story of Demos Shakarian and his family as told to John and Elizabeth Sherrill.
----------------------------

I never knew Grandfather Demos --he died before I was born--but I must have heard the stories about him a thousand times....

I’ve heard it described so often that I could actually see the little village of Kara Kala sitting solidly in the rocky foothills of Mount Ararat --the mountain, so the Bible tells us, where Noah’s ark came to rest. Closing my eyes I saw the stone buildings, the sheds and barns, and the one-room farmhouse where my Grandfather Demos lived. In that house Grandfather's five daughters had been born --but no son--and that was a disgrace among the Armenians, as much a disgrace as it was among the ancient Israelites.

I could picture Grandfather walking to the house-church each Sunday morning with his five little girls. Although most armenians were Orthodox, Grandfather and many others in Kara Kala were Presbyterians. I could see him marching through the village to the house where church was meeting that particular Sunday, his head held high in the face of the silent reproach.

In view of his great need, it has always seemed surprising to me that Grandfather did not accept right away the strange message that had been trickling over the mountains for nearly fifty years. The message was brought by the Russians. Grandfather liked the Russians all right, he was just too levelheaded to accept their tales of miracles. The Russians came in long caravans of covered wagons. They were dressed as our people were, in long, high-collared tunics tied at the waist with tasseled cords, the married men in full beards. The Armenians had no difficulty understanding them as most of our people spoke Russian too. They listened to the tales of what the Russians called “the outpouring of the Holy Spirit” upon hundreds of thousands of Russian Orthodox Christians. The Russians came as people bringing gifts: the Gifts of the Spirit, which they wanted to share. I could just hear Grandfather and Grandmother talking late into the night after these visits. One had to admit, Grandfather would have said, that everything the Russians were talking about was Scriptural.

“I mean, healing is in the Bible. So is speaking in tongues. So is prophecy. It’s just that the whole thing doesn’t sound ...Armenian.” By which he would have meant trustworthy. Down-to-earth. Practical.

And Grandmother, her heart forever heavy, might have said, “you know, when you talk about prophecy and healing, you’re talking about miracles.”

“Yes.”

“If we were ever to ‘receive the Holy Spirit’ in this way, do you think we could ask for a miracle?”

“You mean like having a son?”

And then Grandmother might have started to cry. I know for a fact that on a certain sunny morning in May, 1891, Grandmother was weeping.

Over the years several families living in Kara Kala had begun to accept the message of the Russian Pentecostals. Grandfather’s brother-in-law, Magardich Mushegan, was one of these. He received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and on his frequent visits to the Shakarian farm would talk about the newfound joy in his life.

On this particular day --May 25, 1891-- Grandmother and several other women were sewing in the corner of the one-room farm house. That is, Grandmother was trying to sew, but tears kept falling on the material in her lap.

Across the room, next to the window where the light was god, Magardich Mushegan sat with his Bible open on his knee, reading.

Suddenly, Magardich snapped his Bible shut, got up and walked across the room. He stood in front of Grandmother, his heavy black beard bobbing up an own in his excitement.

“Goolisar,” Magardich said. “...the Lord has just spoken to me!”

Grandmother’s back straightened “Yes, Magardich?”

“He’s given me a message for you,” Magardich said “Goolisar, exactly one year from today, you will give birth to a son.”

When Grandfather came in from the fields Grandmother met him at the door with the news of the wondrous prophecy. Pleased, wanting to believe yet skeptical, Grandfather said nothing. He only smiled and shrugged his shoulders --and marked the date on the calendar.

The months passed and Grandmother became pregnant again. By this time everyone in Kara Kala knew of the prophecy, and the whole village waited in suspense. Then, on May 25, 1892, exactly year from the day the prophecy was given, Grandmother gave birth to a baby boy.

It was the first time our family had encountered the Holy Spirit in this personal way. Everyone in Kara Kala agreed that the choice for the little boy’s name was perfect: He was called Isaac, for he was, like Abraham's’ own long-awaited son, the child of promise.

I’m sure it was a proud and happy man who paraded his family to church each Sunday after Isaac was born. But Grandfather had a stubborn streak in him --all Armenians do. he considered himself too tough-minded to accept without reservation that he had witnessed a supernatural prophecy of the sort mentioned in the Bible.. Maybe Magardich’s prediction had been merely a lucky chance.

to be continued in part 2

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by Revelationist

It needs to be noted that Azusa Street was a trinitrian revival and that there were One God Pentecostal preachers there that were not allowed to preach at this revival.

Source?

[Sam]

continued from part 1

And then --all in one day--Grandfather’s doubts disappeared once and for all.

In the year 1900, when Isaac was eight and his younger sister, Hamas, was four, the news arrived that a hundred Russian Christians were coming over the mountains in their covered wagons. Everyone was pleased. It was the custom in Kara Kala to hold a feast for the visiting Christians whenever they arrived. In spite of the fact that he didn't agree with the "full Gospel" preached by the Russians, Grandfather considered their visits as times set apart for God, and insisted that the welcoming feast be held on the large level plot of ground in front of his own home.

Now, Grandfather was proud of his fine cattle. With the news that the Russians were on their way, he went out to his herd and looked them over. He would choose the very finest, fattest steer for this special meal.

Unfortunately, however, the fattest steer in the herd turned out, on inspection, to have a flaw. The animal was blind in one eye.

What should he do? Grandfather knew his Bible well: He knew he should not offer an imperfect animal to the Lord, for didn't it say in the 22nd chapter of Leviticus, verse 20, "But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable..."?

What a dilemma! No other animal in the herd was large enough to feed 100 guests. Grandfather looked around. No one was watching. Suppose he slaughtered the big steer and simply hid the blemished head? Yes, that was what he would do! Grandfather led the half-blind steer into the barn, butchered it himself, and quickly placed the head in a sack which he hid beneath a pile of threshed wheat in a dark corner.

Grandfather was just in time, for as he finished dressing the beef, he heard the rumble of wagons coming into Kara Kala. What a welcome sight! Coming down the dusty road was the familiar caravan of wagons, each pulled by four perspiring horses. Beside the driver of the first team, erect and commanding as ever, sat the white-haired patriarch who was leader and prophet of the group. Grandfather and little Isaac ran up the road to greet their guests.

All over town preparations for the feast were underway. Soon the big steer was roasting on a spit over a huge bed of charcoal. That evening everyone gathered, expectant and hungry, around the long plank tables. Before the meal could begin, however, the food must be blessed.

These old Russian Christians would not say any prayer --even grace over meals--until they had received what they called the anointing. They would wait before the Lord until, in their phrase, the Spirit fell upon them. They claimed (a little to Grandfather's amusement), that they could literally feel His Presence descend. When this occurred they would raise their arms and dance with joy.

On this occasion as always, the Russians waited for the anointing of the Spirit. Sure enough, as everyone watched, first one and then another began to dance in place. Everything was going as usual. Soon would come the blessing of the food, and the feast could begin.

But to Grandfather's dismay, the patriarch suddenly raised his hand --not in sign of blessing-- but as a signal that everything was to stop. Giving Grandfather a strange penetrating look, the tall white-haired man walked from the table without a word.

Grandfather's eyes followed the old man's every movement as the prophet strode across the yard into the barn. After a moment he reappeared. In his hand he held the sack which Grandfather had hidden beneath the pile of wheat.

Grandfather began to shake. How could the man have known! No one had seen him. The Russians had not even reached the village when he had hidden that head. Now the patriarch placed the telltale sack before Grandfather and let it fall open, revealing to everyone the head with the milk-white eye..

“Have you anything to confess, Brother Demos?” the Russian asked.

‘Yes I have,” said Grandfather, still shaking. “But how did you know?”

“God told me,” the old man said simply. “You still do not believe that He speaks to His people today as in the past. The Spirit gave me this word of knowledge for a special reason: that you and your family might believe. You have been resisting the power of the Spirit. Today is the day you will resist no longer.”

Before his neighbors and guests that evening Grandfather confessed the deception he had attempted. With tears rolling down his face into his bristly beard, he asked their forgiveness. “Show me,” he said to the prophet, “how I, too, can receive the Spirit of God.”

Grandfather knelt and the old Russian laid his work-gnarled hands on his head. Immediately, Grandfather burst into joyous prayer in a language neither he nor anyone present could understand. The Russians called this kind of ecstatic utterance “tongues” and regarded it as a sign that the Holy Spirit was present with the speaker. That night Grandmother, too, received this “Baptism in the Spirit'”.

to be continued in part 3