Mon., Aug. 2 Intro. to Smith Wigglesworth

I am beginning a series of quotes from Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947). Wigglesworth had one of the greatest healing ministries of all time. Various accounts state that between 9 and 20 people were raised from the dead in his ministry. He was an illiterate plumber from England whose wife taught him to read. He read nothing but the Bible, and he had absolute faith that God would do what He said.

Brothers and sisters, do you want the Holy Ghost? . . . We read that "Jesus breathed upon them," and they received the unction in the breathing. As people breath in the Holy Ghost they become so possessed with the power of God that they have no possessions in themselves; they simply fall into God, and God takes possession of everything -- hands and feet and body and tongue for the glory of God. My heart yearns for you to be so filled with the divine power of the Holy Ghost that you will go back from these meetings into your own meetings and assemblies in the order of God -- not taking notice of your fullness, but having the fact remaining in you that you have power, and letting the Word of God so act upon the power that God will let it flow through you to others. By what? His way. You cannot baptize people, but His way can do it. How? Receive ye the Holy Ghost; let Him have His way.

-- Smith Wigglesworth, 1916