29 January 2017

1917 Bradford Convention. (5-6/17)


p. 36


p. 37

by Alexander Alfred Boddy (possibly; unattributed)
Confidence, May-June 1917.

The usual Easter Conference was held this year at Bowland Street Mission, Bradford, Yorkshire, and proved a time of unusual blessing. There was a wonderful outpouring of God’s manifested presence in the midst. This year the work was far deeper than any previous one, proving a spiritual growth in those that had received the baptism, and a deeper work in those ministering.

The meetings proper began on Good Friday morning [6 April] when the convener (Mr. S. Wigglesworth) opened with a word from Acts 1.8, on the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The convention was to stand for subtraction as well as addition, an enlargement in God making the believer extraordinary because of the indwelling presence of the living God, which the new order came to manifest in the world. He voiced the great need of an increasing knowledge of God and a pressing on until the fullness of the possibility was reached, and God’s ministers become a flame of fire. We were all glad to notice the power manifested was in the waiting rooms; also in the large assembly, people receiving the baptism at the same time as the word was being ministered. The preaching of Christ crucified as being the great need of the heathen world, was vividly set before our eyes at the missionary meeting on Monday, the offering amounting to over £90.

• • •

One was very deeply impressed with the singing in the Spirit of the heavenly anthem, which far excelled anything we have had before at Bowland Street Mission. The keynote was “Worthy Is the Lamb.” In nearly every meeting the song was heard, rising in spiritual fervor and revelation, until it was like entering in spirit into the opening of the book of Revelation, with a shout of victory and expectation in it, to herald the events that shall come to pass. The chief message of the song was “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Also the tongues and interpretations were of a very wonderful order, so clear and full of scriptural truth. Truly we are living in wonderful days, when the Holy Ghost so dwells in believers that he tells out divine bible truths. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Much interest has been awakened in other places nearby. This is the way God works.

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22 January 2017

The inspiration of a living faith. (3-4/17)


p. 20


p. 21

by Smith Wigglesworth
Confidence, March-April 1917.
Preached at Bowland Street Mission, February 1917.

The inspiration of a living faith is not on the line of the flesh, but in God’s order. God will never let us move—he is bound up in it—until this faith is perfected. In order that we may merit the quickening of our faith we must lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, remembering not only that earthly, but heavenly witnesses are watching to see faith established on the earth. Thus we live not unto ourselves in this race of faith. God plants faith that we may endure hardships. His hand holds; his hand filled with benevolence holds us. Not a moment’s unrest or trouble, if I keep my mind stayed on God. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.” The enemy may seek to insert a dart of bitterness or hardness, but faith is the only production of that which is well-pleasing unto God. I must get my eye fixed, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

The lawyer said: “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said—this is the principle—“To love God with all thy heart, mind, soul, strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.” It is only possible on the line of faith, “He that cometh from above is above all, and in you all” —the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus our Master is seated in the glory to reach all. There is given us the beatitudes: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers.

Salvation is the greatest and most stupendous work wrought in man. The healing of the body is wonderful, but to be like-minded with him, to think with him—our salvation began in the glory, and it will be finished there. If we are hindered, there is something not yet set aside. Faith in God is a living substance that abides, always working out the divine will in us. There will be hardships, wars, over-surfeitings to crush us and make us heavy at heart, unless our eyes are in the right place. People say, “Tell us how to get out of this, that, and the other. Consider him! when in awful agony as if your feet were almost swept away; all will go as a mist if you will only consider him. Little things, great things, tremendous things—but all went when you considered him. Looking unto Jesus! It is in the glory times I am likely to be switched off. The easy time is the time to look to Jesus.

[“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.” ] Why should sons need correcting? The sons we love need correcting, because all must go that the image of my Lord may be wrought out. The Lord might have chosen such and such! But me! Oh, beloved, if only you could see the dial; he chases all away to perfect us unto himself. As we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. The chastening is to bear the image of the heavenly—a great structure of his loveliness. Our face in the glory is here, as we can bear chastenings. Don’t think, beloved, the work is done when the gravity is removed; only the body is changed then to stand the glories upon glories. We are changed here, and the chastening is for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness —our profit; eternal pleasures. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Isaiah was undone when he was a moment in the glorious presence. Even the back parts left upon the face of Moses an expression so glorious that men could not bear to look upon; and the angels cry “Holy! Holy! Holy!”

Partakers of his holiness, the same holiness—not an earthly invention, but a divine apprehension through the Spirit, and the chastening is through the Spirit that we might know the breadth and length, and depth and height, and the love of God which passeth knowledge, that we might be filled unto all the fulness of God.

It yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby. It bringeth forth a righteousness which holdeth its integrity in the power of God —a blameless life lived in the world—they cannot live it, but they commend it, and it is a power of judgment to those looking on. Feeble knees —this state means a stretched-out hand to the needy. David says, Show me thy salvation, and “the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.”

When we get God’s salvation we are able to help those helpless from natural causes—those hung up to die, with no hand outstretched to help, linked on to his righteousness, able to help and confirm the feeble-kneed—where there is no vision the people perish, and none can see but those anointed with eye-salve. Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. The power of God taking away all criticism and hindrance until we see the need of the people.

Jesus always saw the need; the disciples did not always see, but Jesus did. Let it be healed. Follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Blessed are ye if ye can endure; these people could not endure. Ye are come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, and to an innumerable company of angels. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Oh, this wonderful inheritance—the fullness of the Spirit. Mount Zion is not far from us, the angels are close to us; we live in heavenly places close to all might, where we can change strength covered with almighty power, so glorified in God that you do not know that you have a body. Your name is written in heaven, clothed with God. His holiness is power, written in heaven—this assembly we are in. God’s voice speaking from heaven; verily we are in a holy place. God’s word, the efficacy of the atoning blood has power to take away this morning everything that cannot stand the judgment (if we will allow it) that that which cannot be shaken may remain.

The removing of those things that are shaken, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. So wholly for God that when the shaking in fervent heat comes (when that which can be shaken will be), that which is of God through the eternal working of the Spirit shall remain. For our God is a consuming fire. Oh, how lovely, beautiful, quickening, reviving, nourishing; and we are now in the place, if we will! If we desire, we can. None shall take our crown. The Lord himself began the work—purposing, hastening, perfecting, and no wind or storm can move us from the rock.

[Tongues and interpretation. “The Lord hath exalted his people, purging the floor, fanning with his fan, taking away the first to establish the second for ever, perfecting in holiness and righteousness (that no flesh should glory in his presence), from grace to grace, spirit to spirit, until the whole church is one solid block in the Lord, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. To this end as a choice vessel keep thine house in order, filled with oil, waiting for the consummation.”]

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15 January 2017

Like precious faith. (10/14/22)


p. 1


p. 2

by Smith Wigglesworth
The Pentecostal Evangel, 14 October 1922.
Preached at Glad Tidings Assembly, San Francisco.
Faith That Prevails, chapter 2.

Read 2 Peter 1.1-8.

We are dull of comprehension because we so often let the cares of this world blind our eyes, but if we can be open to God we shall see that he has a greater plan for us in the future than we have ever seen or dreamed of in the past. It is God’s delight to make possible to us that which seems impossible, and when we reach a place where he alone has right of way, then all the things that have been misty and misunderstood are cleared up.

Continued…

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08 January 2017

The Whitsuntide Convention: Some further notes. (8/16)


p. 127


p. 128

by Alexander Alfred Boddy (possibly; unattributed)
Confidence, August 1916.

Mrs. Walshaw on Prayer.

On the Monday evening there was a great gathering, when Mrs. [Lydia A.] Walshaw, of Halifax, spoke with great power. Here are some notes of her address:

  • “God longs to bring man back into heart-fellowship with himself.”
  • “The prayer life brings us back into communion with God.”
  • “It must be a life of prayer; we must go on until we even become a prayer.”
  • “God is waiting for our prayer, that he may give us a mighty revival.”
  • “The Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us in prayer.”
Continued…

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01 January 2017

The place of power. (6/16)


p. 102


p. 103


p. 104


p. 105


p. 106
by Smith Wigglesworth
Confidence, June 1916.

The thought that has been pressing upon my mind for some time is the thought of “abiding,” and the joy of being at that place where I can always count upon being in the presence of power, where I know God’s presence is with me, leading to a place where victory is assured. Let us get hold of this thought—that if we keep in a certain place with God wonderful things may happen, for we shall then be in a place where we reach such spiritual attainment that marvels may be wrought because we are there. Then God will have his own way through us.

The anointed Jesus. In the fourth chapter of Luke, first verse, we read: “And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Mark speaks about being “driven” by the Spirit. Whatever Mark means or Luke means, there is one thing certain, and that is this—we see a power, a majesty, falling on the Lord Jesus. He is no longer the same man. He has received a mighty anointing power of God, and in this place he realizes that the only thing for him to do is to submit to God, and as he submits he is more and more covered with power and led by the Spirit.

Continued…

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Apostle of Faith

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Ever Increasing Faith

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Faith That Prevails

  1. The faith that comes from God. (9/22)
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I started this site ’cause I took a Pentecostal history class in grad school, used several Wigglesworth articles for a paper, and rather than just throw away my source materials, I stuck ’em on the internet. I’ve been adding to them since. Thanks for the encouraging feedback!

Yes, the Wigglesworth articles are edited for spelling, punctuation, paragraph breaks, and verse references. But that’s all. Most of the source materials are transcripts of what he spoke aloud, so I believe such alterations are justifiable. I’ve included scans of the original publications in case you wish to compare. Any further typos are because the OCR software made them and I didn’t catch them. Sorry.

If you come across another version of these articles with significant differences (including in print!) it’s because their editor decided to take further liberties with Wigglesworth than I would. There comes a point when such editing becomes less about Wigglesworth’s own words, and more about editors wishing to reshape Wigglesworth to suit them. Or the times. There are certain things Wigglesworth said and taught where I personally can’t agree, and honestly don’t believe the scriptures back him up. (You want my view, visit Christ Almighty.) But as an historian I’m posting what he said, disagreements or not. I wouldn’t appreciate it if people bent my words in like manner, and I’m not editing him for anyone’s theological sensibilities—neither mine nor yours.

You have my permission to link to this blog, and make fair-use quotations of it. But as for republication, the rights don’t belong to me. Thanks to Disney’s continued lobbying for copyright extensions, they won’t be out of copyright in the United States till 2042—if ever. So the copyrights belong to Wigglesworth, the respective publications, and their successors. All rights reserved.

Bible links go to good old Bible Gateway. Wigglesworth used the Authorized (King James) Version, and any discrepancies are because he impressively quoted from memory.

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—K.W. Leslie

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