The Azusa Street Project (2006) | Full Movie | Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.

[Music] [Music] [Music] it began there but it spread to the whole world the world had just entered the twentieth century the United States was under the leadership of its 26 President Theodore Roosevelt and Los Angeles was about to experience something it could never have imagined hi my name is Matt Gibson and I have been given the honor and privilege of sharing with you a most remarkable story it is the story of real events real people and a real God it was a warm April day in the spring of 1906 when a group of african-american Christians gathered in a simple home of Bonnie Brae Street in downtown Los Angeles where they prayed and waited on God's Spirit a pastor teacher named William Seymour was with them that night the son of a slave who fought in the Civil War for the Union Army Seymour left his home in Louisiana at an early age and became a committed Christian after smallpox blinded him in one eye the night of April 9th Seymour met with a small gathering of people he preached from the Bible acts 2:4 all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them a man named Edward s Lee was baptized in the spirit and began to speak in tongues soon after a woman named Jenny Moore was also baptized in the spirit it seemed as if a vessel broke within me and water surged up through my being which when it reached my mouth came out in a torrent of speech and languages God had given me Jenny Moore what happened inside that house set on a hill separated father's from sons and mothers from daughters it invited ridicule from the press and divided congregations in Los Angeles and all over the United States at the same time it changed lives forever and forge friendships that crossed racial and economic barriers that endured until death by the end of April the Bible study on Bonnie Brae had grown so rapidly that it moved to new quarters on Azusa Street within a year as many as 1300 people crowded into the hall and gathered out on the dirt street to attend meetings upstairs walls were full of crutches and canes left behind by those who had been healed it spawned a dozen denominations and today roughly 600 million people worldwide trace their spiritual roots to its dirt floors and plain wooden alter history refers to what happened inside the whitewashed wood structure at 3:12 Azusa Street as the Azusa Street revival in the late 1800s and early nineteen hundred's America had one foot in its pioneer past and another in the industrial age sugar was four cents a pound and eggs were a penny apiece but a three-minute phone call from Denver to New York cost eleven dollars more than a week's wages only one in ten Americans had a high school education yet about 1903 the Wright brothers had lifted off from Kitty Hawk in a contraption they call a lighter than airplane thousands of miniature movie theaters known as Nickelodeon's were often Americans a five cent peek at moving pictures and Thomas Edison had already produced a feature film the nation had one foot in the past and the other tentatively placed in the future and so did the church things began to change before the turn of the century when the West land holiness movement that sprang up after the civil war claimed sanctification was a second work of grace and abandoned its attempts to convince the Methodist Church of the doctrine new denominations sprang up around the country and gravitated toward a third work of grace they called the baptism in the holy spirit the first people in the world the first time they heard about Pentecost was from Azusa Street in Europe they always said it started in Azusa Street so as far as I'd say American Pentecost has been started in topeka worldwide Pentecostalism started at de Souza street well as is a street is of course a point which historically the contemporary Pentecostal charismatic movement points back to as perhaps the awakening that spawned so much of what is taking place globally today not just the remarkable nature of speaking with tongues but the ongoing flow of the super natural that is characterized by the gifts or the charisma talk of the holy spirit among those men and women who sought a closer walk with God was a young William J Seymour if you would have to say who was the Luther or the Calvin or the Wesley of the Pentecostal movement you just about have to say Seymour and that the movement really originated in a little black church that became integrated in Los Angeles as near as we can tell he was the child of individuals who had been I think formerly slaves he spent some time trying to find after the end of slavery his relatives his family had some degree of success somewhere along the way he lost the sight as near as we can tell in one of his eyes he became associated with religious circles and ultimately started to associate with individuals who were the precursors of modern-day Pentecostals Seymour and those who were with him knew that the revival wasn't about them they walked in great humility they were people that were from the wrong side of town for the most part and yet their humility was visited by God it allowed for what many have considered some of the greatest harmony in the history of Christianity Seymour's father Simone Simone was a slave and a brick worker by trade who fought in the Civil War with the core Africa Simone died from diseases he contracted in the Louisiana swamps while serving with the Union Army and his passion left his family destitute his son William left behind his home in Senate Leo but he straddled the fence between Baptists and Catholic traditions and migrated north to Indianapolis there he joined an all-black congregation and worked as a waiter to support himself from Indianapolis seymour moved to Cincinnati where he experienced the second work of grace known as sanctification to the people in the holiness movement sanctified means getting certain things out of your life that are destructive that are sinful and that's sanctifying oneself I think sanctification is the second work as a process that because once you're born again you are set apart and God begins to deal with you you hate the things you once loved you love new things you know you love things you never thought you would love I think that's the process of sanctification during that time Seymour associated himself with the evening light Saints also known as the Church of God Anderson Indiana Daniel Warren of small denomination was known for its teachings on sanctification and on Christian unity members lived austere lives patterned after the first century Saints they did not drink coffee nor did they weren't sure it or attend popular entertainment by 1904 Seymour had traveled south and west to Jackson Mississippi where he was discipled by Charles Pete Jones a co-founder of the Church of God in Christ in 1905 Seymour moved to Houston where a Holiness preacher named Lucy Farrell introduced him to Charles F power parem was the leader of the Topeka outpouring of 1901 and was a recognized full gospel preacher there's been a lot of discussion between historians as to where the Pentecostal movement started you have to say that the doctrine and the experience was pioneered by Charles Fox poem in 1901 in Topeka Kansas that's the beginning of the movement as distinct theological movement with a distinct experience they called it the touch spell around the world and then his disciple Seymour comes to Los Angeles and the great Azusa Street revival takes place but it did become a worldwide movement until Azusa Street so what I see is that you had two major founders of the movement Parmen Seymour and you had to have both Seymour studied under the Apostolic Faith evangelist who taught three separate works of the Holy Spirit salvation sanctification and the baptism in the spirit based on the second work of grace the sanctifying aspect is is quite key because it was in the aspect of being sanctified that the group in Topeka Kansas and other parts of the country seriously sought God they sought God because now when you start talking about living a certain life order in your life a certain way now you understand that your energies aren't sufficient for that salvation when a person receives Jesus Christ into their heart the power of God is now living within them sanctification is the cleansing up of the old person into this new person because of the power of God operating in their life curiously palms Brian Hall Bible School was racially segregated and Seymour was obliged to listen to parms lessons from the hallway he was not allowed to sit with his white brothers and sisters in class nor was he allowed to tarry with them at the altar those humbling circumstances did not make William Seymour bitter instead they focused his attention on God years later parem would call Seymour the most humble man I ever met while God humbled Seymour in Houston the prayers of thousands and the work of many hands prepared Los Angeles for revival it would be a great mistake to attribute the Pentecostal beginning in Los Angeles to any one man either in prayer or preaching Pentecost did not drop suddenly out of heaven Frank Bartlett this was especially true during 1905 when a physically infirmed Bartle Minh worked the streets of Los Angeles and called for revival wherever he went like a modern-day John the Baptist baruman and itinerant pastor spent most of his nights in prayer his days preaching distributing tracts and promised in Los Angeles that revival was coming Frank Parliament is a funny funny guy he has an odd pedigree in a sense he's reared in Pennsylvania his father's a Roman Catholic his mother is a Quaker it's an odd mix he is converted as a young man I think through Temple Baptist Church in Philadelphia and it feels like he's called into ministry Frank Bart Ehrman was not involved with the Topeka revival he he had come to Los Angeles from the East but there was no connection between him and Charles Paul before he came and met William Seymour Bartle Minh used to come in and see my father and I remember he was [Music] tall stiff Magnum carried a little black bag oh I was probably seven or eight nine bottle Minh wasn't alone Josef smell pastor of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles sought more of God and traveled to Wales to meet Evan Roberts leader of the great Welsh revival of 1904 that revival so changed the complexion of Welsh society that news pullin coal loads out of the mines had to be retrained because the Teamsters who urged them on now did so without anger or cursing when Smail returned to Los Angeles energized by the experience in Wales he was instrumental in the birth of a revival that went on for four months Smail promised his congregation Pentecost has not come but it is coming after 15 weeks of non-stop revival meetings that taxed his congregations patience and tested their commitment the pastoral committee of the First Baptist Church of Los Angeles voted to dismiss Smail a disappointed Frank bottom and commented what an awful position for a church to take to throw God out while attendant Bible School in Houston in 1905 William Seymore pastored Lucy Pharaoh's small Holiness Church while she traveled to Kansas with the parlance a visitor from Los Angeles named Neely Terry attended services and came away impressed with Seymour when she returned to Los Angeles she recommended Seymour to a small group of believers pastored by Julia Hutchins they sent Seymour train fare and invited him to come West although palm did not feel Seymour was ready Seymour felt differently it was divine call that brought me from Houston Texas to long Angeles the Lord put it into heart I'm one of the Saints in Los Angeles to write to me that she felt the Lord would have me come over there and do a work when I came I felt it was the leading of the Lord the Lord sent the means and I came to take charge of a mission on Santa Fe Street Seymore crossed in America in which two out of three citizens lived rural II there were 8,000 cars in the United States but only 144 miles of paved roads there were no skyscrapers in the Los Angeles of that day even though the traffic was quite modern Los Angeles had 256 churches or one Church for every 1000 people by February 1906 the hearts of many believers in those churches were on fire stirred up by the Holy Spirit they felt that God himself was standing in the doorway the Pentecostal manifestation did not come like a huge prairie fire for years there had been a necessary time of preparation as God ready the hearts of his people at Reverend Smales New Testament church believers joined hands one afternoon in February after a service and prayed that God would pour out his spirit speedily with signs following Frank Bartlett as Smales congregation prayed Julia Hutchins and the eight families that had sent Seymour train fare left the Bonnie Brae home of widget and Ruth Asbury and leased a building on Santa Fe there they waited for the arrival of William Joseph Seymour as Simos train chirped westward across the Arizona desert there were 46 states in the Union and 46 million dollars in the Treasury construction on the Titanic had not yet begun and the tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower Babe Ruth was 11 Seymour arrived at the Santa Fe railways the grand station on February 22nd on that platform a traveler was just as likely to hear Spanish German Chinese a Russian as it was English even though some claim Hutchins wanted to turn over a small flock to see more his emphasis on tongues and his premillennialists views alarmed her after seymour preached enough sermons to clarify his doctrinal position she locked him out of the facility after only a week in Los Angeles the holiness man from Houston had worn out his welcome unemployed and discouraged Seymour accepted an invitation to break bread at the home of Edward s Lee of the pineal mission the graciously newest guest had nowhere to go so he invited Seymour to remain at his home except to offer him hospitality Lee did not know what to do with seagulls and Seymour did not know where to turn next together the two men turned to prayer sometimes they prayed all night and in the morning Lee would get off his knees and leave his job at a local bank while Seymour remained behind praying and reading God's Word as the days went by other believers heard of Seymour's devotion to prayer and came to the Lee home and joined soon Seymour increased his daily prayer time from five hours to seven hours a day Richard and Ruth Asbury invited him to hold a prayer meeting at their home after their invitation Seymour sent to Houston for two helpers Joseph a Warren and Lucy F Farrell and entered into a season of prayer at the home on Bonnie Brae on April 6th the humble pastor proposed a 10-day fast to his small band of believers Edward s Lee and his wife signed on as did Emma cotton the as berries and a woman who later became Seymour's wife Jenny Warren on the evening of April 9th Lee and Seymour walked to the Asbury home after singing and lots of Prayer Seymour preached on acts 2:4 all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the infilling of God operating in that person and when God is operating in such a way there are manifestations speaking in tongues is when we aren't able to articulate the way we are accustomed to because it's not cognitive it becomes a spiritual experience speaking in tongues is a spiritual communication connecting us directly with God the infinite of the Holy Spirit we believe is the initial physical evidence and the proof of that is down through the years those who have received this experience have spoken and do speak in other tongues as the Spirit gives enabling so not only is a biblical Bible based but it is historical because of the subsequent experiences by those who have received the in front of the Holy Spirit your spirit joins in with the Holy Spirit as you pray in tongues so that you're brought into the presence of God in a no way I think a lot of people have lack of knowledge and they don't bother to study and to learn about the gifts of the Spirit so I would really encourage anyone that doesn't know much about the gifts of the Spirit or has been taught against speaking in tongues doesn't speak in tongues but would like to speak in tongues don't know if they want to speak in tongues I encourage them to be open and to study and to read and to pray about it and to ask God to do a full work in their life with everything that he wants them to have around 6:00 p.m. see more prayed for lady and his friend began speaking in tongues at the same time Jenny Moore fell from her stool the power of God failed and I was baptized and the Holy Ghost and fire with the evidence of speaking in tongues as I looked at God it seemed as if a vessel broke within me and water surged up through my being which when it reach my mouth came out and a torrent of speech and the languages God had given me the message came with power so quit that but few words would have been recognized interpretation of each message followed in English I sang under the power of the Spirit in many languages and in the home where the meeting was held the spirit led me to the piano where I played and sang under inspiration although I had not learned to play acts 2:4 said that they were all filled with the spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance I think you have to do some things in faith you begin you open your mouth you move your lip you move your tongue but he gives the shape of that beautiful sound we and he knows what he's praying through you and this goes beyond your mind if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit praying but my understanding is unfruitful that means my mind is carefully for if I pray yes if I do this if I pray in an unknown tongue my spirit prays first Corinthians 14 I think it's the first verse is he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men but unto God for no man understandeth him howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries so that means God's gonna let me speak to him in the spirit and it's not gonna let you God is not a respecter of persons everybody should want to speak directly to God so that's one of the few scriptures that tell you you can speak directly to God and then Jude 20 says building up yourselves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Spirit everybody should want to do that several other believers were knocked to the ground by the power of the Spirit their shouts of joy could be heard throughout the neighborhood curious neighbors gathered and when the faithful moved to the front porch they spoke in tongues and praised God and the word spread rapidly by the next morning the crowd of witnesses had grown so great that it was difficult to approach the house standing on a slight rise the structures placement made the porch a natural pulpit for three days and nights the prayer group worshiped God continued hundreds came to Christ and that forward the morning on the third day brother Seymour was baptized in the Holy Ghost you see if I am NOT desirous of the infilling of the Holy Spirit of them by the Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity is not going to force himself upon a person it's a result of desire they that hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled then in February of 1976 I was crying out to God I'll never forget it and I was on my way to work and I just said God there's got to be more than this something's wrong in my life you have to do something I can't go on like this anymore and that day in my automobile I was filled with the Holy Spirit I just had a phenomenal touch from God and you know different people experienced a touch from God and express it in different ways for me I felt like someone took my head off filled me full of liquid love and put my head back on and turned me loose and I know in the book of Acts the early disciples were accused of being drunk because they were acting very unusual well I felt like I was drunk but in a different way I felt like for about three weeks I was drunk on the love of God many strange things that happened in Los Angeles in the name of religion and AG Osterberg pastor of The Full Gospel Assembly felt it was his duty to protect his flock from fanaticism and to lead them in the paths of righteousness he decided to secretly attend the bonny brave prayer meeting my idea going alone was a lost cause when three of my deacons brothers worthington weaver and dodged announced they were going to the prayer meeting that meeting on Bonnie Brae convinced me not not because of the speaking in tongues or the pattern of the meeting but because I could since they were spiritual people there was no nonsense going on although I didn't quite understand the the matter of speaking in tongues I was convinced these people were sincere that night as I drove home I asked myself Arthur what are you gonna do Agee Osterberg Full Gospel Business man's voice may 1966 Austen Berg's response was to gather his church together and study the book of Acts take pause and read the book of Acts chapters 1 & 2 oh wait the issue of speaking with tongues unfortunately has been so categorically discussed for so long as a proof or a sign that I think the real purpose of tongues is completely in many circles overlooked the real purpose of the spiritual language for every believer not the gift of tongues that operates with interpretation is in a prophetic sense in a congregation but this the spiritual language that abounds in the life of the private worship and prayer life of a believer who opens to that manifestation you know the Bible says that the doctrines of men can steal the power of God from the gospel and so we need to all make sure we're reading our Bibles and finding out for ourselves what God has to say about the power of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives I would say one of the primary factors in terms of being a foundation a pillar of the Pentecostal movement well it's not the one a strong belief in the truth legitimacy of the Word of God the thing that caused them to began to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit was that they read about it taking place in the Word of God this book is inspired by the Holy Spirit so the more of the Holy Spirit you have the more inspiration you're going to get out of the book he inspired because he leads us to truth his major major mission of the Holy Spirit is to lead you to truth while Osterberg congregations studied the word the little group on Bonnie Brae had grown so large their weight calls the front porch to collapse so they found a small building east of the city center on a dirt street not far from the Los Angeles River marked for sale and rented for $8 a month it had served as a staple a storage building with apartments upstairs and as a church numbers above the door marked it as 312 of Zeus's Street suit from a fire still coated the inside walls and a replacement roof for the flat asphalt design topped the structure it had a dirt floor downstairs the upstairs was divided into apartments by rough wood board e AG Osterberg was asked to help get the building into shape since he was the paymaster for JV McNeil construction company men willing to pick up extra work would easy to 5a sent three men over and the ladies working there started their day with a prayer meeting and promptly had one of my workers down on his knees getting converted the best of my knowledge the first convert at Azusa Street mission was a Roman Catholic construction worker in fact many who were converted at Azusa Street were Catholics I asked one Catholic man who'd been converted converted I understand I know it's one day Jesus jumping to my heart's AG Osterberg Full Gospel business man's voice may 1966 Osterberg used some wood to build an altar and lay out benches in a square design with wooden crates at its center that served as a poor pit on Saturday April 14 the day before Easter a handful of believers crowded into Azusa Street for the first service you Bonnie Brae and Azusa Street caused such a commotion that the Los Angeles Daily Times sent a reporter to the Azusa Street mission on April 17th he wrote a highly critical article that appeared the next day under the title weird Babel of tongues breathing strange utterances and mouthing a Creed which no sane mortal could understand a new religious sect has started in Los Angeles meetings are held in a tumbledown Shack on the Sousa Street and devotees of the weird doctrine practiced the most fanatical rites preached the wildest theories and worked themselves into a state of mad excitement in their peculiar zeal colored people and a sprinkling of whites composed a congregation and worshippers spent hours swaying forth and back in a nerve-racking attitude of prayer and supplication they claimed to have the gift of tongues and to be able to comprehend the babble the newspapers had all kind of depictions and all kind of funny caricatures as it related to what he was doing and he had to be thin thick skinned in fact he had to have his mind made up that he was going to do the will of God in the midst of of of all of the opposition it still spread in fact I think the opposition helped to spread what were these people doing they were speaking in other tongues many times totally could not be understood it looked like confusion from from the outside and and even from Christians they couldn't understand what was going on no one had ever seen anything quite like this in that day and really the whole world was asking the same question that was asked on the day of Pentecost and the King James Version says all those that had gathered in Jerusalem for that day when they heard the Apostles and the hundred and twenty speaking in other tongues they said what means this or what does this mean man is always trying to shut down things that they don't understand but God will always find a remnant to work through he'll always find somebody whose heart is fully open to him and he'll move through them whether it's one person or a small roomful there's always people praying seeking more of God and God knows where they're at and he'll move through them as a muse Los Angeles residents read the times doubting account the unexpected happened San Francisco was hammered by a powerful earthquake that destroyed the city thousands died when fires devastated the cities mostly wooden construction news of the disaster spread over the wires to Los Angeles as people gathered to discuss San Francisco's destruction two aftershocks shook Los Angeles just before noon and Angelenos began to wonder if they were next first in a trickle but been in a flood men began to fear God and this paved the way for revival the newspapers ridiculed and abused the meetings but they gave us free advertising what people don't realize is that outside persecution never hurt the work instead it brings crowds if you ask me the devil overdid himself Frank bottling in a city of 230,000 40,000 tracks about the earthquake were distributed in a week and the mission on Azusa Street began to fill up within a short time to use Sousa Street mission was crowded almost a suffocation many were seated in the windows and scores who could not enter crowded around the lobby and struggled for a view Los Angeles Daily Times the first day on the Sousa Street about a hundred people crowded inside after the earthquake meetings were held every night in the crowd doubled each day until by the end of April they were 800 people inside and 500 outside services on Sunday lasted from morning until late into the night Agee Osterberg those who came weren't all believers all seekers of a closer walk with God I was preached in a tent at 7th and spring streets when somebody told me about the Azusa Street mission as I'd been preaching many years I went there along with many teachers and preachers and gospel workers to straighten out their doctrine and content with brother Seymour but the contention was all ours because brother Seymour had complete control over a spirit the scripture says great peace have they who loved thy law and nothing shall offend them no mana strife or accusation disturb done he sat behind that packing case and smiled at us and who were all condemned by our activities we admired a sanctified life and it was as humility and his character that attracted people to the mission Glenn a cook Apostolic Faith November 1906 sometimes at the oldest Sousa mission they rang a bell when the time came for preaching so that those who were upstairs praying could come downstairs for the services a teenaged girl named Katherine Scott was in the Upper Room when the bell sounded but instead of going downstairs moved of the Spirit she rose and pointed at a man who had just entered the stairway and she spoke to him in a language other than her own trembling the man took Katharine by the arm and went downstairs and spoke to those assembled he said I am a Jew then I came to the city to investigate this speaking in tongues that I might use what I found in my lectures against the Christian religion this girl just spoke to me in the Hebrew language and told me my first and last names my occupation and my business in the city and she called upon me to repent and the man dropped to his knees and cried and prayed as though his heart would break they speak with other tongues John Cheryl some persons attending the meeting in those early days of revival were not seekers of truth but came to mock them and find fault and they do so presently but this is true of every mighty work of the Spirit it would be unlike Satan not to stir up opposition indiscretions in counterfeiting because he is an expert at such things yes he has as many counterfeits among the Pentecostals as he does among the Methodists aww org if for example in one of our services someone with just common logic charismatic Pentecostal churches but if someone just started just running up and down the aisles I mean just run in the aisles yeah you know I feel the Lord I always feel a little bit conflicted because in the one hand if that's the Lord I don't want to turn that down on the other hand I wonder but does that just that person respond to the Holy Spirit and kind of getting a little bit out of order the balance between the move of the Spirit and what Paul says doing things decently in an order which you wrote to a charismatic church that's always a tough balance on the other hand I believe sometimes God can give us even eccentric people and God gave them to us not so much for us to settle them down now maybe they need to learn to be more mature but he also gives us people like that to raise our spiritual temperature so even when I correct things when something to me gets a little bit out of whack I always ask myself but is God still saying something through this three times a day seven days a week for three years the services went on led by the spirit not by the will of men one of the brothers would open in prayer and commit the meeting to God to keep us from emotionalism and crooked spirits Epis taluk faith 1908 if someone would pound the seat with their hand brother Seymour would go to them gently and tap them on the shoulder and say brother that is the flesh and the holy hush and quietness would settled down upon those tarrying there at times someone or some teacher would get up in the audience to read a scripture or preach a sermon or give a long testimony and brother Seymour would say dear loved one these meetings are different from any you have ever seen these are Holy Ghost meetings and no flesh can glory in the presence of our God Rachel sighs love a word concerning brother Seymour who is the leader of the movement under God he is the meekest man I have ever met he walks and talks with God his power is in his weakness he seems to maintain a helpless dependence on God and is as simple hearted as a little child and at the same time so filled with God that you feel the love and power every time you get near him Apostolic Faith February March 1907 testimony of William Durham pastor of the North Avenue Mission in Chicago brother see more generally sat behind two empty shoe boxes one on top of the other he usually kept his head inside the top one during the meeting in prayer there was no pride there the services ran almost continuously and the place was never closed and it was never empty the meetings did not depend on a human leader but God's presence became more and more wonderful in that old building with its low rafters and bare floors God broke strong men and women and then put them together again for his glory pride and self-assertion self-importance and self-esteem did not survive for long in that place Frank barlen no collections were taken no bills were posted to advertise the meetings no church or organization was back of it all who are in touch with God realized as soon as they entered the meetings that the Holy Ghost lettis Apostolic Faith November 1906 no subjects or sermons were announced ahead of time and there were no special speakers all was spontaneous ordered of the Spirit we wanted to hear from God through whomever he might choose to have speak Frank bartlein don't leave this meeting and talk about tongues instead try to get people saved but when you go remember apostolic power will bring apostolic persecution if God for Christ's sake has forgiven your sins you know it and if you do not know it better than you know anything in this world you are still in your sins if he has given you a clean heart and sanctified your soul you know it if you do not know it the work is not done when you are sanctified people can see it in your life but when he baptizes you in the Holy Ghost it brings a holy boldness to stand up before the world without fear man may say it is of the devil and you are drunk but glory to God there is a power behind you that men and women cannot deny the enchanting strains of the heavenly choir that sang hymns under the evident direction of the Holy Spirit both as to words and tune thrilled my whole being it was not something that could be repeated at will but was supernaturally given for each special occasion and was one of the most indisputable evidences of the presence of God's power the singing inspired a holy awe a feeling of indescribable wonder in hearers with a devout attitude aw org the weekly Evangel March 18th April 8th 1916 no instruments of music are used none are needed no choir but bands of angels have been heard by some in the spirit and there is a heavenly singing that is inspired by the holy ghost Apostolic Faith November 1906 when about 20 persons joined in singing the heavenly chorus it was the most ravishing and unearthly music that ever fell on mortal ears it seemed to me then and still does that I did not belong in that chorus for it came directly from heaven William Durham I was a boy and had accompanied my mother a devout Catholic woman before she came to Azusa as we moved to an open spot on a near bench I suddenly felt chill and they here are my arms legs and head stood on end it felt as if I was surrounded by God I was trembling and so was my mother and everybody else in most churches children would be twisting in their seats and running up and down the aisles but not at Azusa everyone was quiet even babies in their mother's arms it was not their parents who kept them quiet because nobody said a word not even a whisper as my hands shook and the hair on my arms stood up people suddenly rose to their feet and their hands shot towards heaven my hands went up with theirs though I hadn't tried to raise them even the hands of babes in arms shot towards heaven strong men began to cry out loud and then the women followed as I looked over the congregation another chill ran down my spine It was as if ocean waves move from one end of the congregation to the other wave after wave of the spirit rippled through the hall like a breeze passing over a cornfield when they hear on my arms settled down so did the people they settled back into their seats and prayers buzzed through the hall then tongues of fire suddenly appeared over the heads of some of them in a black man the shiny face began to speak in tongues as he spoke a blind white woman came off the bench like a jack-in-the-box and she cried out oh my blessed Jesus I can see I can see praise for the precious blood of Jesus sprang to our mouth the crowd seemed to have forgotten how to sing in English and another Mouse came new languages in a heavily harmony that no human being could have learned I cannot describe it and no human being could ever duplicate it we sang heavenly choruses and in between each chorus our eyes filled with tears a civil death fire at Azusa many lives were changed at Azusa Street and through them thousands came to experience the baptism with the holy spirit and through those thousands tens of thousands and then millions more [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] those that hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled you

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Length: 54min 41sec (3281 seconds)

Published: Thu May 14 2020