Right Side or Left Side.. Which to choose? Authority!

Pro-life, pro-choice, union, non-union, more tax dollars, less tax dollars. The more choices we have the less appealing those choices seem to become. It is as if human beings have this uncontrollable urge to generalize and label.

I have seen it with my own children, as toddlers they go about stacking blocks from biggest to smallest, lightest to darkest and if there is more than one color, all the blues end up together and the reds with the reds and the whites with the whites. Nothing tends to blend, unless we are talking about playdough which always turns out blah-color.

Jesus consistently had to battle with his disciples on their propensity to label and generalize. Asking "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? " Matt. 17:17 Parable after parable Jesus had to attempt to redefine his disciples ways of thinking.

He went on, "No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don't put your wine in cracked bottles." MATTHEW 9:16-17 (Message)

In other words, if you want to gain great kind of success and do anything new in this world you must begin by new ways of thinking.

So what do we do in a world filled with generalizers and label-centric individuals? Simple, we choose the correct side. Surprisingly not ultra-conservatism, or ultra-liberalism.

Jesus spoke about the correct side. In John 21 there is a very interesting occurrence. The disciples friend Jesus the Messiah, was dead and gone and all of the disciples were saddened. They were at a loss and did not know how to handle themselves. They were searching for a new label, a new generalization- if you will. (Who are we now? Without Jesus, in person?)

 ¹ After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: ² Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, thesons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. ³ Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. ⁴ But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” 
They answered Him, “No.” 

⁶ And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 
⁷ Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. ⁸ But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. (John 21:1-8 NKJV)

I find it very interesting that the disciples immediately went back to their old ways when Jesus was gone. Simon Peter (the rock) himself, says "I am going fishing". Simon was going back to work. Simon wasn't going fishing 'to relax', Simon was going back to his old way of living.

They were out all night, and did not catch a single fish. He was working so hard in the night that he had removed his clothes. Some versions of the Bible say he was naked and stripped. This indicates that he must have been working hard.

For years I thought there must have been something miraculous about the right-side of the boat. I imagined hundreds of fish in a pod avoiding the fisherman's net, like a terrible game of monkey-in-the-middle. When the fisherman threw it on the left, the fish went right. When they threw it on the right the fish went left. 

This year, however I saw something new and had a new way of thinking. While I was meditating on this particular scripture I began to wonder, what if the translation into english didn't mean 'right-side'? What if the Greek word wasn't 'right' but was meant to translate into 'correct'? 

If you have studied the Bible in any length at all, you will find that the original Old Testament or Torah was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. Jesus and his disciples more than likely spoke both Hebrew, and the common language of the day Greek. Scripture says Jesus spoke "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." 

Upon studying the original Greek I found out something very interesting. While we read the english translation and it appears that the fish had all congregated on the right-side of the boat. The Greek word for 'right' in this sentence is actually dexios you might recognize this word as being dexterous, or dexterity. The Oxford dictionary defines it as being 'handy', or demonstrating skill. The Greek word according to The Strong's Concordance, is defined in two ways; 1. The right hand 2. A place of authority.

So imagine if you will Jesus (but you don't know it yet, it seems to you that there is just some stranger on the shore). He is on the shore and you are on the boat, you have been out all night long working your butt off trying to catch fish. They are not biting on anything. As a matter of fact your 'net' comes up empty every time. Now when you were with Jesus you saw blind eyes open, lame walk, thousands be feed and water become wine. But here you are doing what you have always done, and you can't catch a single fish!

That stranger yells from the shore "Hey you! Take authority over those fish! Cast your nets in the water again, but THIS TIME USE what you have learned from your teacher!" Now your thinking, "Really? Can I command as Jesus did? What was it that Jesus was always teaching us about authority? He gave it to us! (Luke 9:1)" Now, upon remembering this and hearing the those words from the shore, in faith and with authority you cast your nets and up come so many fish the net nearly breaks! Your pal Simon Peter jumps off the boat and swims to shore because there is only ONE man who would be able to teach and understand AUTHORITY and it was Jesus!

Right side or left side... neither! Choose the correct position!  The correct position in a situation is the position that lines up with the freedom and out-of-the-box type of faithful thinking that only the Word of God, can present! It is not labeled or generalized, it is the position that takes authority over the enemy and it is the position that stands for truth, justice, prosperity, sovereignty, nobility, and faithfulness! 

Take authority over your situation today, and begin to watch your circumstances line up!

 

Embracing Suffering- Finding out What We are REALLY Made of

I hit the wall today. It was as if everything that had been held at bay from the last few months- came crashing down on me- like a climactic anxious hail storm in a Midwestern town, on a previously hot summer's day. 

Eerily, today around me- the winds in my spirit changed.

Living in Texas for a season- I have seen those crazy thunderstorms dance along the prairie. I have felt the hot morning sun begin, and beat down- until from out of nowhere, a cold front blows in- and what was once hot and steamy now becomes frigid and cold.

Sweaty flesh turns into clammy goose-pimpled skin. Unless you are a Native Texan, you never get used to this dramatic temperature shock- and maybe sometimes even then, you never will.

 Like the woman stuck on top of her roof, in a flood- you'd think she would have known- when the water was waist high? Or the man who knew to not go in the office- the day that fire blazed down.

What were these people doing? Not to cause the change- why where they caught, in the middle of it?

Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? Matthew 16:24 (Message)

Hmm, so according to The Word of God, we are called to follow Him, and not run from the suffering. In fact according to scripture- we find out who we really are, in times of personal suffering.

Could it then be determined that our suffering is intended for us to realize- our true selves? Whether winners- or whiners, victims- or victors, conquerors- or condemned?

Could it be, that maybe just maybe- God wants us to know what we are truly made of, in HIM?

Let’s look at the drug addict, when they have just lit up again, and gone into the tailspin of seeking self pleasure- do you think that the Lord maybe just maybe- might let them go there- so that they then can see themselves for REAL? So they can see that they ARE someone worth fighting for? Could it be that our God could love us so much that He allows us to get right near the edge and show ourselves our true colors?

What about, all those poor tortured souls that have done horrible things, could they have woke up one morning and saw there true selves, as evil- uncaring- immoral people and either killed themselves, or went and got themselves killed?

Or how about the inner city kid who gets hammered by life- constantly told that they are nothing- them wakes up one day to the fact that he/she is a child of God and ends up wining the Nobel Peace Prize. Could he/she’s suffering in life have revealed to him/her what they were really made of- and chose to see in themselves- the Spirit of a living God?

So when I hit the wall today, and was fighting back tears- burdened with all of the signs of the times- I decided before I went to bed to write this, and rediscover who I really am.

 

I am MORE than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:37

 I am the HEAD and NOT the TAIL. Deut. 28:13

 I am ABOVE and NOT beneath. Duet. 28:13

 I am made in the IMAGE of GOD. Gen. 1:26

 I have DOMINION. Gen.1:26

CHRIST has reversed the curse, in my LIFE. Gal. 3:13

I am GOD'S. John 10:34

The Kingdom of God is within me. Luke 17:21

 I AM BLESSED. Psalm 34:8, Deut. 28:3

 Who are you? At the end of the day- who are you, really? After all the pain of these last few months- theft, unemployment, sickness, poverty, hunger, emotional pains- you know who I am? I am covered by the blood of the lamb- Jesus Christ... and I am, 

 CHOSEN

Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you father, that I have Jesus- the greatest gift, and thank you Lord that you will NEVER let me fall. I may get close- but You always catch me. I may get lost- but you always find me. I may get confused- but you always straighten my path. Praise You Jesus.

Who do you want to be? Chose Christ, and be chosen.

Kirk Franklin - Lovely Day

Have a lovely day!

The Lord Comes to Us!

     One day, as I was meditating on the power of speaking in tongues- the Lord showed me a busy foreign marketplace. Where everyone was bustling around, like a busy mob -shoulder to shoulder- all speaking a foreign language, various different words- all at the same time. Not a tranquil Sunday afternoon marketplace in which you would meander dreamily, but a sweaty Monday marketplace filled with a cacophony of various motions and foreign dialect. In the vision, a father and son- both English speaking, had been separated- and the father was looking, with out-stretched neck- for the son.

Oddly enough, the father was not shouting- he was listening. It was the son who was doing the shouting, saying; “Father! Father! Here I am!” Even though the boys voice, was fainter than the rest of the indecipherable jargon- the father found him, immediately! Not because he was screaming louder than the rest- but because the boy was speaking English in a crowd of foreign speaking people! The father and son couldn’t see each other- but when the son shouted out to his father, in a language his father could understand- the father immediately found the son, and they were reunited.

“ And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Gal. 4:6 (KJV) The Message Version says, “You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as His own children because God sent the Spirit of His Son into our lives crying out, "Papa! Father!" Doesn't that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you're also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.

How wonderful is that! The Spirit of Jesus- His very Spirit is living in us crying “Abba, Father!” Before the vision from the Lord, I had always read this scripture to mean that we are left to cry out to Him, and go find Him (like it was in our power)- but instead, it is Jesus’ Spirit in us crying out to the Father God, on our behalf! We became God’s very own child when we accepted His Son, and now we through Christ- speak His language! Thank God it’s not up to me to figure out how to get to Him, I’d only get myself more lost!

What is this language? What is this language that is spoken that only God hears? This language that when we are lost in a crowd- He hears, and comes to us immediately? Praise! Oh that sweet sound of praise! It wasn’t until I read Myles Munroe’s book, and the chapter on The Blessing of Judah- that I realized the full meaning of the vision the Lord had given me. The Lord comes to us!

When we are in an intimate relationship with someone, like the little boy in the marketplace- we speak the same language. And though the boy was shouting, “Father! Father!” What he was really saying was “My trusted companion! My provider! My only security! Where are you?!” When we shout out to our Father, in time of need, or hopefully otherwise- we praise Him! And He hears our praise!

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” (Psalm 22:3) When we praise God- He comes to us! Unlike other religions full of ‘trying to get a more heightened sense of spirituality’, when we praise our God- He comes and finds us! How freeing is that? You will never be lost, abandoned, left alone again! And once you are reconnected, and hooked up to the source of His provision- He is more than capable to set you straight again, because He not only loves you and wants to find you, He created you!

“What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” Matthew 6:33 (The Message)

Is America a Christian Nation?

Is America a Christian Nation? NO!

Is America a Blessed Nation? Certainly, YES!

According to Jesus, the only way to God the Father- is though Him. (John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In order for America to be a 'Christian' Nation- the very statement implies that every person must be a Christian. We know however through scripture, this is not possible. For it to be possible- every American would have had to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) 

So is America a Christian Nation? NO! There are many souls left to be saved and much work left to do in this Nation! We are a Nation of Christians- having 75% claim to be so, but unless our government takes the mandate that we all "profess" Christ- we are not a Christian Nation, but a Nation of Christians!

In continuation of this study, I being a naturally positive person- must argue that even though we are not a 'Christian' Nation, we are a 'Blessed' Nation. How can I make this statement, with all certainty? January 20, 2009 was a day of ground breaking history, Barak Obama became President- and our nation became witness to many 'firsts'. This Nation became 'Blessed' once again, during the President's Inauguration Day Prayer- by Rick Warren.

    

"Let us pray. Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made. Now, today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven. Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders. Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ. Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you. We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care. I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus Jesus, who taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."- Rick Warren, Jan. 20 2009 Inauguration day prayer.

    

If you are a follower of Christ and His teachings you know God answers prayer. I do not know what America's 'Blessed' status was before this prayer was prayed, I have only heard random rumors like 'the nation was founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ', but then in the same breath we hear that Benjamin Franklin- one of our Founding Father's- was a 'Free Mason', and acted in a non-Christian like manner. If History lies somewhere in the middle- than we can only look at where the Nation stands right now. 

The scriptures that defend my positive statement of living in a 'Blessed' Nation are as follows: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (Matt. 18:20) and "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (John 14:13)

Whoever it was that invited Rick Warren to pray over our country, was a brave man. I doubt that they would have known that he would pray a prayer in the name of Jesus- over our country, but he did. "...Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story...I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus Jesus, who taught us to pray" 

Over 38 million people watched the President's inauguration. According to scripture, only three had to agree. Only three had to agree in Jesus' name that we are a Nation devoted to God. Only three had to agree that 'History was His story', only three had to agree to 'The Lord's prayer', only three had to agree that Yeshua changes lives. Upon their agreement our President has been blessed, along with our Country. "... Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders. Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us." 

Who is Yeshua? Yeshua is "yeh·ho·shü'·ah" - 'Jehovah our Salvation'. Through the prayer of this man- Rick Warren- this country has been blessed, prayed for and repentant. We know though our own walk, that God answers prayer. We have prayed for healing, and received it. We have prayed for finances, and had our bills payed. We have prayed for salvation, and been saved. On January 20, 2009- our country, and President were blessed, and asked in Christ's name for forgiveness. The REAL question then becomes- Can you be 'Blessed' and not be a 'Christian'? 

Inspirational Footage: Walter Hawkins Marvelous

Enjoy this moment of praise and worship...

Speaking in Tongues

Where Did Those Tongue Things Come From? 

Azusa Street Revival and The Holy Ghost

Being filled with the Holy Ghost, with evidence of speaking in tongues at four-years old, doesn't make a kid very popular in the natural. As a matter of fact, unless that said kid knows where those tongue things come from- she won't use them. She won't speak in them. 

Who's that kid? Me! I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1981 and I was in Sunday school, wearing my best white dress. A little lacy white dress, that we had gotten at the Thrift Shop. I can remember this dress especially well- because it was the one I wore to church- all the time, any old Sunday.

The Sunday I received Christ wasn't any old Sunday however- when the youth teacher asked us to "accept Christ" and join in the sinners prayer, I did! And I was gifted with the evidence of speaking in tongues! Though I was only 4, I can still remember the Spirit falling, resulting in my personal evidence of speaking in tongues. 

Speaking in tongues is a very common practice among Charismatic/Pentecostals today. It hasn't always been this way- as a matter of fact back in 1981 while others were readily speaking in tongues, I didn't know what they were used for. Speaking in tongues was made available, but not expanded upon. After all what are you going to teach a 4 year-old to do? 

It took me 26 years to understand why speaking in tongues was necessary. "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For 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" (1 Cor. 14:1, 2). 

Charismatics aren't the first followers and believers of speaking in other tongues. The first time that we see the gifting of tongues was back on the day of Pentecost: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)

As described by scripture, the Holy Spirit "sat" on the believers of the Early Church, and in response they were filled with The Holy Ghost- they began to speak in other tongues. It is my belief that over the years, through the faulty leadership of legalistic Christ-deprecating men- the leaders of the Church fell out of 'Love' with its people; with its Christ and with its God. The Church leaders veered far from what the Holy Spirit had originally intended. 

The First Church was so full of 'Love' (1 John 4:8 "God is love" ) that lying could not survive in its presence. "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." (Acts 5:3-5) 

Once Ananias lied he dropped down dead. He and his wife also. They lied in the presence of the Holy Spirit and their lives were consumed. If God is all love how can this be? Imagine with me if you will the old 'rotten apple' analogy. What do they always say? If you put a rotten apple in the barrel- it won't be long until all the apples have gone bad. Let's reverse this for a minute in the case of The Holy Spirit. There was so much Love in the Early Church that the darkened hearts of Ananias and Sapphira could not survive in its presence! It would be like a mealy-rotten apple stuck at the bottom of tens of thousands of perfectly pristine apples! The rotten apple, became void and squished under the immense pressure of all of God's goodness! The First Church was so engulfed in God's Love- that the lie, (in addition to the liars) were killed telling the first lie that was spoken in the Spirits presence! This wasn't "barrel-full" love- this was "Agape" Love! Perfect unblemished fruit stays whole, no matter how much of it is gathered up!

What happened to this Love? To this compassion of the Early Church? Through the years it became fruitless. Men began acting like men again- and chose to live in ways that were de-edifying to the church. The men started seeking notoriety and fame. They started wanting to take credit for the power of The Holy Ghost- instead of allowing God to use them, refusing to give God all of the Glory. It is my belief that tongues started to die out- as it is prophesied by Paul, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." (1 Cor 13:1-10 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul directs us that without 'Love', it all amounts to nothing and that speaking in tongues in specific will cease! There seemed to be a great amount of time in history that tongues ceased from the traditionally organized church. While speaking in tongues never completely died away, organized religion wouldn't partake in them like in the early days again, until one great and brave man decided it would be fitting to begin to love, again.

His name was William J. Seymour. He was an African American man who was born a child of freed slaves. In 1905 William became a Bible student and began studying the 'Holiness Movement', including the thoughts of speaking in tongues as confirmation of being gifted by The Holy Spirit. He desired the ability to speak in tongues according to 1 Cor 12:31 "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."

I can not begin to imagine the Love that William J. Seymour must have had for his flock- and for His Lord. The Love that he must have felt in order to desire so strongly to be filled with the Holy Spirit- and speaking in other tongues. How much Love must it have taken him, in order to continue preach on being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues- with no results! It is said he preached for 5 weeks plus on the evidence of speaking in tongues as the confirming gift of being filled with the Holy Ghost- without he himself being able to do it! 

It was after these multiple weeks of preaching and prayer- and into a 10 day fast that on April 9, 1906, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. A few days later William himself, was given the gift. This period in history April 9, 1906- 1915 became known as "The start of Pentecostalism in the 20th Century." You would think that Pentecostalism would have started in a tent, or in a field- away from society. It didn't however, it all began in a little house- on a little street in Los Angeles. After the Spirit fell, the little house became so packed that the meetings had to be moved outside- but once outside the house porch became so packed that it eventually collapsed!

"Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not..." 1 Cor 14:22

People came from miles around to watch God be manifested. In an instant hungry believers would approach- listen to the Message and be filled with The Holy Ghost. They would speak in tongues and fall to the ground- they would succumb to the presence of the Holy Ghost and never be the same again. Eventually, this little church house had to be moved.

On April 14, 1906 only 5 days after the initial outpouring of the Spirit began, a new location was secured. At the price of 8$ a month, 312 Azusa Street- a run down old building had been acquired and named "The Apostolic Faith Mission". This church on Azusa Street would become regarded as the birthplace of the greatest revival of the church in the 20th century. It has become regarded as the birthplace of modern day 'Pentecostalism'. Today there are over 500 million Pentecostal/Charismatic believers continually growing to this day. William J. Seymour's desire to see the Holy Spirit manifest to himself- as in the days of the first church, has brought us back to a spiritual enlightenment- that was intended for us to walk in all along. (Not just in tongues, but in healing as well) 

I chose to write my term paper on The Azusa Street Revival, because it spoke to me. Being a kid who stepped so easily into speaking in tongues- I have taken for granted the hard work and effort it must have taken someone to believe against the 'norm'. I never thought someone had to read the Word- and act on what God said. Until this class, I had always believed speaking in tongues and biblical evidence of the Spirit had always been here. 

When we walk in His gifts- others become drawn to us. People were drawn to Azusa Street to 'see' what the Lord was doing there. They wanted to 'see' God and His works- whether black or white, rich or poor- the Holy Spirit met them, embraced them- and changed them forever! "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal 3:28

Where do those 'tongue' things come from? They come from The Holy Ghost! They are an outward manifestation of the Holy Ghost drawing other men unto His Spirit! They are the wonderful gift that He gives us to edify us! In 1906, on Azusa Street tongues were made readily available to us through the Love of The Holy Spirit- and we can now begin to understand what He is up to!

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." 1 John 2:20

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: 

but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you,

 ye shall abide in him." 1 John 2:27

Footnote: Smith Wiggelsworth beautifully elaborates his personal view on speaking in tongues- in his profound work Ever-Increasing Faith  (circa 1929): "... I want you to see that he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself or builds himself up. We must be edified before we can edify the church. I cannot estimate what I, personally, owe to the Holy Ghost method of spiritual edification. I am here before you as one of the biggest conundrums in the world. There never was a weaker man on the platform. Language? None. Inability -- full of it. All natural things in my life point exactly opposite to my being able to stand on the platform and preach the gospel. The secret is that the Holy Ghost came and brought this wonderful edification of the Spirit."