Apostolic Friends Forum - Swaggart Is Back!

This is from the May 1964 issue of The Voice Of Healing Magazine

Not For Sale
by Jimmy Swaggart

I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. 1 Kings 21:6

When I was eight years old, I left my home in Ferriday, Louisiana, that Saturday afternoon to go to the movies. All the way to town the Spirit of the Lord was dealing with me. As I walked up to the ticket window to purchase a ticket, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Son, do not go in there. Give your heart to Me, that I may set you apart as a chosen vessel to use for My service.” It startled me when I heard this Voice, and I felt the deep conviction of the Holy Spirit. I picked up my quarter, and told the lady, “I don’t want a ticket,” then turned and walked away.

The devil began to talk to me. he told me how foolish I was. I retraced my steps back to the theater. Once more the Spirit of God spoke. In my heart I said, “Lord, I will.” and at that moment, God saved me.

Several weeks later, one Thursday, in a morning prayer meeting, God filled me with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. A great light shown about me. For several days I hardly spoke a word of English as the Spirit of God stayed on me continuously.

Our church started a revival with Evangelist Cecil Janway, of Arkansas. As a child, I remember watching him play the piano. There was only one thought in my mind. “Lord, I want to play the piano.” One night in the meeting, I felt impressed to ask God for the talent to play the piano. I prayed for quite some time sitting there by my dad. I made God a promise that night, about which the devil would tempt me in the future. I promised God that if He would give me that talent, I would never use it in the service for the devil. I held my fingers up before God, and told Him if they were ever used in a night club, He could paralyze them.

After the service, I walked up to the piano and sat down. I had never tried to play before but that night, I began to make chords very easily. God had already begun answering prayer. I was to be offered thousands of dollars in the future to play for the devil, but I could never forget that promise made to God that night, when I was eight years old.

I wish to God that I could omit this next part of my story, for it was the darkest period in my life --the day that I turned my back on God, and went out into the world. I was thirteen years of age. The devil told me I was missing out. That I would really enjoy myself in the world. I never did find those things that the devil told me I would find. Actually, all I got was a broken heart, and wasted years.

I was raised with Jerry Lee Lewis. His mother is my mother’s sister. Since we were first cousins, we spend much time together. Jerry attended the same church I did, and was saved about the time I was. He was later to become one of the teen age idols of the rock and roll crowd.

Jerry Lewis and He Form a Band

We played the piano together incessantly. We actually formed our own band, and began to play jamborees, talent shows, etc. We prepared an arrangement that worked pretty well. I played the bass on the piano and he the treble --simultaneously. We were invited to play at a jamboree in a southern city. It was our first BIG show, and we were very excited about it. When we arrived, we found hundreds of people there. Also, some of the biggest bands in the country were present, and it seemed as if there were over a hundred contestants. Finally, my name was called. I walked to the piano and sat down. My fingers rippled across the ivories, and I began to feel the beat run through my hands and feet.

For the first time in my life, I felt the anointing of the devil run all through me. I heard the screaming of the crowd, as the music began to flow from my fingers into the piano When I finished, the crowd went wild, and clamored for more. Jerry Lee then played his song and we concluded with our double routine. I was still in a daze when we left with the prize money.

All the way home, Jerry and his parents were laughing, and saying, “We’ve got it made now! Something big will break now!” I was laughing too, but on the inside I was hurting, for I remembered my promise to God.

Offered A Job In A Night Club

Several days later a man walked into my grandfather’s grocery business and introduced himself. I had a job there every Saturday. This man told me he owned a night club not very far away, and asked me how much money I made on a Saturday. When I told him, he laughed. He replied, “I can give you more money for playing for me four hours each Saturday night, than you make here in a month.” I opened my mouth to accept, when God spoke to me concerning the promise I had made to Him. I checked myself and said, “No sir, I’m sorry. I can’t do it.” He looked at me rather startled, but I offered no explanation. I walked behind the meat counters, and bowed my head. The conviction of the Holy Spirit settled over me. For the first time in four years, I prayed. I knew I was backslidden, but I still feared God. God tried to bring me back then, but I continued to fight.

Time and again, Jerry and I would sit on a piano stool and make plans to leave --for Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans. “We can make it there...” And I guess we could have, for Jerry later did go, and made it to the top.

However, every time I was ready to leave, I wouldn’t be able to find Jerry, or when he was ready to leave, he couldn’t find me. I didn’t understand the continuous mixup in our plans at the time. Nevertheless, I know now what it was. My mother and dad were constantly praying for me. God only knows the tears that mom shed. It was only her prayers that kept me from being eternally lost to the powers of darkness.

As a backslidden teenager, I hated the thought of church. Dad had to make me go. I had big plans --plans that didn’t include God. Dad was preaching at that time in Louisiana, where he has built four Assembly of God churches. Nonetheless, it seemed as if force couldn’t keep me in church, nor even judgment from God. However, God had another way.

I met a girl. She attended dad’s church in Wisner, LA. I guess you might call it, “Love at first sight.” At any rate, I didn’t miss church anymore. Several months later, we were married. And a few months after that, we both gave our hearts to the Lord. It was the answer to mother’s prayers. The prodigal had come home. Brother Vincent Roccaforte was preaching that night, and incidentally, he was the same man who preached the night that my dad and grandfather were saved, years before. It was so good to be back in the Father’s house. Once again, I felt the joys of sins forgiven, My wife and I prayed through to the Holy Spirit. It was heaven on earth for God had restored me!

to be continued in part 2

continued from part 1

His Cousin Goes To The Top Of The Entertainment World

I then heard that Jerry Lee had come back to God. It was true. Jerry Lee also felt the call of God, and preached for over a year. God did have His hand on him. But the devil wants that which belongs to God, and Jerry left the ministry to go back into the entertainment world. He and his dad went to Memphis, TN to see Sam Philllips, the man that started Elvis Presley on his road to success. They recorded Jerry’s first song. It was in the top forty in just a few days. His next song went to the Number One Spot in the nation. He was a guest on the Steve Allen Show, over a nationwide hookup. It seemed that he went to the top very fast. His next song was to be a two and a half million seller.

So, Jerry Lee was right at the top of the entertainment crowd, and one day at a church dinner, his dad came to me and said, “Jim, I want you to go with me to Memphis. Sam Phillips has sent for you.” Sam Phillips owned Sun Records. As I said he’s the man that launched Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and others and thousands of young people all over the nation were clamoring for his attention. To be sent for by him was tantamount to success! I stood there looking at my uncle, and opened my mouth to accept, when the Holy Spirit checked me. I had already told my uncle that I would not play anything but religious music. He answered. “That’s all right.” But the Holy Ghost said, “NO!” I remember telling him I couldn’t go, that he was saying, “But Jimmy you can buy you a new car which you need so badly.” The Holy Spirit then revealed to me, if I signed a contract and played only religious music, the world would dance to that just as well as anything else. So I declined.

The Backslider Is Never Happy

One Sunday morning, I saw a big black Cadillac drive up in front of the house and Jerry got out. I hadn’t seen him in some time, and we had much to say. I was asking him about his recording and TV appearances, but he seemed to want to talk about God. I have found through experience, that a backslider is never happy. He can never really get away from the things of God that he used to have. He knows that he just doesn’t belong to the devil’s crowd. He told me that he wanted to go to church with me that morning, and he did go. I preached for my dad, and the Lord was really dealing with Jerry. He wept the entire service, but continued to say no to God.

After the service, we walked to the front steps, with my mother still talking to Jerry about his soul. He looked at us and said, “Aunt Bell, do you see that Cadillac there? All of my life I’ve wanted one, and now I have it. I’m making $2,500 a day and I’m just getting started. I know you are right, and I’m coming back to God, some day.” He turned and asked me when my next revival would start. I had just quit my job to enter into full time evangelistic work. I told him, “Next week.” He got into his Cadillac and left.

I began my first revival meeting the following Sunday night in Sterlington, LA. For three nights I preached and God wonderfully blessed. The fourth day, I took sick with pneumonia --the sickest I have ever been in my life. For three days, I lay in a coma in the hospital, not knowing I was even in this world. When I was finally allowed to go home, there was a doctor standing over my bed.

I had to cancel my meetings, being too weak even to walk. It seemed as if the world had dropped out from under me. When I was well enough to leave alone, my parents, wife and small son went to prayer meeting.

Throughout the day, the radio had been on, and it seemed as if every few minutes they would play one of Jerry’s records. Then too, I had another cousin with whom I was raised --Mickey Gilly. A recording company was predicting big things for him.

Likewise, Carl Mcvoy is my first cousin. Carl had just put out his first record, and it went to the top forty and made him $10,000 overnight. At the present time, he plays with the Bill Black Combo.

In The Valley Of Decision

All that day, I had heard the songs of these young men --cousins of mine, and boys that had all known God. Lying there that night I began to think about it, and all of a sudden, I felt a terrible oppressing spirit enter the room. It seemed as if all the powers of hell had assembled there. The devil began to talk to me. He asked me. “If God loves you, why did He allow you to get sick? Why doesn’t He heal you? Look at your cousins; they used to be Christians, but they turned their backs on all this foolishness of Christianity. Look what it has gained them. They have money to burn and big cars to drive. Their names are in neon lights, thousands are clamoring for their autographs. How are you going to pay your bills? Why don’t you come with me?”

By this time, I was trembling all over, weeping like a child. I seemed to be able to hear the devil laughing at me. My heart was breaking... I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what answer to give. I laid my arm to the side of the bed, and it fell on my Bible. Like a drowning man clutching to a straw, I grabbed it. As I pulled it to me, my eyes fell on Joshua 1:9: “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” These words seemed to literally burn from the page.

Instantly, I felt the powers of darkness dispelled. I began to shout. I sat up in bed, put my feet to the floor, and began to dance in the Spirit. Oh, the joys of heaven that flooded my soul. God had spoken. He had not forgotten. I promised God that night, that I would preach His Gospel, no matter what. That my talent would not be used for the devil. God healed me right then and there, and gave me the assurance that He would take the weak things and confound the mighty.

Just a few months ago, we rented the Sun Studios in Memphis, to make a recording for the Lord. This is the one owned by Sam Phillips. There were no strings attached. No contract. We were recording the song, “Reach Out And Touch The Lord” as Sam Phillips walked in the engineering room. He stood there for a long time, and looked through the plate glass window, not knowing I was the same one that he had sent for six years earlier.

During these last six years, I have been in continuous revival campaigns. I’ve witnessed the hand of God move in great ways. I’ve seen many hundreds saved and filled with the Holy Ghost in our meetings. But I’ve also seen my popular cousins beg me to pray with them in an hour of great need. I’ve seen the devil break their hearts and their homes, and their lives. I’ve seen the broken promises and bitter disappointments the devil has given them. I’m so glad that I said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

My final testimony is the chorus:
Never failed me yet, never failed me yet.
Jesus has never failed me yet.
This one thing I know, that wherever I go,
Jesus has never failed me yet.