Baptism of the Holy Spirit 6/1 Friday Faith

There is no truth that needs to be more emphasized in this age of smartness and human self-sufficiency than the imperative necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as the condition of all effective Christian work.


No man is fitted for the humblest service in the church of God until he receives the divine baptism of the Holy Spirit. The mother needs it in the nursery, the Sunday school teacher in his class, the preacher in his pulpit, the soul winner in his dealings with the inquirer and the saint in his ministry of prayer in the secret closet.

-- A. B. Simpson

I will be on vacation and will not be posting again until the middle of next week.

Signs Following 5/31 Thursday Thoughts

What right have we to go to the unbelieving world and demand their acceptance of our message without these signs following? . . . No, Christ did give them, and they did follow as long as Christians continued to 'believe' and expect them. . . . The signs shall correspond to the extent of their faith.


The signs of healing do not follow all believers, but they follow those who believe for the signs.

-- A. B. Simpson

Supernatural Gifts 5/30 Wednesday Wisdom

Were these [supernatural gifts] meant merely to be transitory and special and temporary signs in connection with the introduction of Christianity into the world? Or were they part of the permanent enduement of the church? Does not the apostle tell us that these gifts and ministries were bestowed 'till we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ'? Certainly the church has not yet reached that maturity and if these gifts were needed then they are needed still.


-- A.B. Simpson

Yesterday, Today, Forever 5/29 Tuesday Truth

In every age it ought still to be true, God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. If the Christ of Christianity is the same yesterday, today and forever, the Christianity of Christ ought also to be the same yesterday, today, and forever.
-- A.B. Simpson

C&MA Pioneers: an intro 5/28 Monday meditation

We're going to take another break from Smith Wigglesworth for a few weeks to focus on quotes from pioneers and early leaders of The Christian and Missionary Alliance. I recently attended Rekindle the Flame, the annual Alliance charismatic conference that is dedicated to "refreshing the memory" of the C&MA as to its para-Pentecostal and early Word of Faith roots. I am going to share quotations from Dr. Paul King's book Nuggets of Genuine Gold, which is a book of quotes from early Spirit-filled Alliance leaders. (I got to talk to him a couple times at the conference.) I think that fellow members of the Alliance will be amazed in the weeks ahead to learn about the original theology of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.  These are great quotes regardless of your particular stream of Christianity.


Christ's last promise in Mark embraces much more than healing; but if you claim one, you must claim all. If you expect healing of the sick, you must include the gift of tongues and the power to overcome malignant poisons; and if the gift of tongues has ceased, so in the same way has the power over disease. We cheerfully accept the severe logic, we cannot afford to give up one of the promises. We admit our belief in the presence of the Healer in all the charismata of the Pentecostal church.

-- A. B. Simpson, founder of The Christian and Missionary Alliance.

This Sunday is PENTECOST, celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit to be among us and within us. 
When the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, why did the believers break out into ecstatic language? Simply, it was because they were rightly worshiping God for the first time. Intensive worship unexpectedly leaped out of their hearts. It was nothing planned or perpetuated by some 'worship leader.' God was in their midst. Whenever there is a move of the Holy Spirit, it is always a call for God's people to be worshipers of the Most High God above everything else.

-- A. W. Tozer

The Great Secret 5/24 Thursday Thoughts

The great secret of the plan of God for us . . . is to see our covering. To those which are in. Oh, the covering, oh, the enfolding, oh, those eyes, those lovely eyes, that lovely Jesus, that blessed assurance of entrenchment, that knowledge of the Rock of Ages cleft for me, that place where I know I am in. And that joy unbounding where I know there are neither devils nor angels nor principalities nor powers to interfere with that life in Christ. Wonderful! No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper -- evil report or good report -- God makes us devil-proof.


-- Smith Wigglesworth