Barna states that 1/3 of US is Pent./Charis.

[Falla39]

When Mercy's River (River of Life) reached our family:

My great grandmother was a charter member of the Methodist Church for 48 yrs.
Her daughter, my paternal grandmother was a member for 21 yrs and her son, our
late father, was going to be a Methodist because of family tradition.

Back track to the year 1926. The family doctor came to the Blakey household and
had told my grandfather, "Tom, Lizzie's dying! See the blue on her feet and legs. My
dad, who was eight years old at the time, heard those words. His beloved Methodist
mother who lay dying, breathed a prayer, "Lord, if you would see fit, let me live to
raise my three children". My dad, the oldest was 8 yrs. old, the middle child, a son,
was 5 and the baby, a girl, was 2 1/2 yrs. old.

Grandma breathed the prayer and lasped into a coma from the typhoid fever that
threatened to take her life. She awoke the next afternoon, her fever had broke and
she was hungry, asking for food. God had heard this young Methodist mother and her
eight yr. old son's prayer.

Fast forward six years when an old white haired preacher came to their small town,
preaching on the street corner and started a revival behind the line of stores on main
street. He was preaching a message they had never heard before and Grandma, who
had read her Bible as a good Methodist, went home to search the scriptures to prove
that preacher wrong. And if she could have, she would have, because she had the
tenacity to do so. But she found in the scriptures what her Methodist pastor had never
addressed. Long story short, she and our father who by now was 14 yrs., were both
baptized in Jesus Name for the remission of their sins and received the Holy Ghost,
evidenced by speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Grandma's family at first thought she had lost her mind, but in the years that followed,
many of them also received this glorious experience. It has been received by the 5th
generation. ready to go into the 6th when we become great grandparents. None on the
way as only one grandson is married (4 yrs.) But Grandma lived to see our oldest grand-
son (24 yrs.) born. Fifth generation from the time the good doctor said she was dying.

Many of our family have received this glorious experience and received Power to be-
come sons and daughters of the Almighty! There were many friends and neighbors who
did not choose to believe the message of Pentecost back then. It was their choice. We
each have a choice to believe or not believe.

Through the years it seems that the ones who could tell you how awful this thing
others had received was, were the ones who had not received it. That reminds me
of those who can tell you all about children when they've never had any. Or that can
tell you about those things they have only heard about. whether it be positive or
negative. Hey, it's the living, brothers and sisters. It's the living. If we haven't lived
it why don't we wait until we have, so we will know what we are talking about.

When we are born again, we are a baby. Just as we have to grow in the natural,
we have to grow in the spiritual. And you have to be "nurtured and trained" and
learn to feed your own self and learn many things before you are able to teach
others. Paul taught that men should first be able to take care of their own house
before they could take care of the things of God.

How wants a president who has just graduated from college with no experience.
Who wants a doctor to do surgery on you who has just completed med school.
And who wants to place their soul into the hands of a man who has just graduated
from Bible School. We need more schools of Knee-logy and godly training
up in the way one should go.

In the Bible Paul was teaching the younger to look to the elder. Those who had
some experience and knowledge from the years. Especially those of the faithful,
The household of faith.

Some words from a senior sister who has been down the road of life a few miles.

Blessings,

Falla39