Liebe Geschwister

 

Diesmal sende ich euch einen Augenzeugenbericht aus der Azusastreet-Erweckung am Anfang des vorigen Jahrhunderts.

 

Ich wünsche Euch viel Segen -

Euer Bruder im Herrn,

Stefan - JIL-Homepage: www.christusjesus.info -

 

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Spontaneity In The Azusa Street Revival

 

Quoting Frank Bartleman:

 

"In the beginning in the revival we had no musical instruments. In fact we felt no need of them. There was no place for them in our worship. All was spontaneous. We did not even sing from hymn books. All the old well-known hymns were sung from memory, quickened by the Spirit of God. "The Comforter has come," was possibly the one most sung. We sang it from fresh, powerful heart experience. Oh, how the power of God filled and thrilled us.

 

"Then the "blood" songs were very popular. "The life is in the blood." Sinai, Calvary and Pentecost, all had their rightful place in the Azusa work. But the "new song" was altogether different, not of human composition. It cannot be counterfeited. The crown cannot imitate the dove....

 

"The spirit of song given from God in the beginning of Azusa was like the Aeolian harp, in its spontaneity and sweetness. In fact it was the very breath of God, playing on human heart strings, or human vocal cords. The notes were wonderful in sweetness, volume and duration. In fact they were oftimes humanly impossible. It was "singing in the Spirit."

 

It was a gift from God of higher order, and appeared among us soon after the Azusa work began. No one had preached it. The Lord had sovereignly bestowed it, with the outpouring of the "residue of oil," the "Latter rain" baptism of the Spirit. It was exercised, as the Spirit moved the possessors, either in solo fashion, or by the company. It was sometimes without words, other times in "tongues." The effect was wonderful on the people. It brought a heavenly atmosphere, as though the angels themselves were present and joining with us. And possibly they were. Some one has said that every fresh revival brings in its own hymnology. And this one surely did.

 

"The services ran almost continuously. Seeking souls could be found under the power almost any hour, night and day. The place was never closed nor empty. The people came to meet God. He was always there. Hence the continuous meeting. The meeting did not depend on the human leader. God's presence became more and more wonderful. In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors, God took strong men and women to pieces, and put them together again, for His glory. It was a tremendous overhauling process. Pride and self-assertion, self-importance and self-esteem, could not survive there. The religious ego preached its own funeral quickly.

 

"No subjects or sermons were announced ahead of time, an no special speakers for such an hour. No one knew what might be coming, what God would do. All was spontaneous, ordered of the Spirit. We wanted to hear from God, through whoever he might speak.

 

"We were delivered right there from ecclesiastical hierarchism and abuse. We wanted God. When we first reached the meeting we avoided as much as possible human contact and greeting. We wanted to meet God first. We got our head under some bench in the corner in prayer, and met men only in the Spirit...

 

"The meetings started themselves, spontaneously, in testimony, praise and worship. The testimonies were never hurried by a call for "popcorn." We had NO prearranged programme to be jammed through on time. Our time was the Lord's. We had real testimonies, from fresh heart-experience. Otherwise, the shorter the testimonies, the better. A dozen might be on their feet at once, trembling under the mighty power of God. We did not have to get our cue (Hinweis - Wink - Fingerzeig) from some leader. And we were free from lawlessness. We were shut up to God in prayer in the meetings, our minds on Him. ... The Lord was able to burst through anyone.We prayed for this continually. Some one would finally get up anointed for the message. All seemed to recognised this and gave way. It might be a child, a woman, or a man. It might be from the back seat, or from the front. It made no difference. We rejoiced that God as working. No one wished to show himself. We thought only of obeying God. In fact there was an atmosphere of God there that forbade any one but a fool attempting to put himself forward without the real anointing. And such did not last long! The meetings were controlled by the Spirit, from the throne...

 

"Some one might be speaking. Suddenly the Spirit would fall upon the congregation. God Himself would give the altar call. Men would fall all over the house, like the slain in battle, or rush for the altar enmasse, to seek God. The scene often resembled a forest of fallen trees. Such a scene cannot be imitated. I never saw an altar call given in those early days. God Himself would call them.

 

"And the preacher knew when to quit. When God spoke we all obeyed. it seemed a fearful thing to hinder or grieve the Spirit. The whole place was steeped in prayer . God was in His holy temple. it was for man to keep silent. The shekinah glory rested there. In fact some claim to have seen the glory by night over the building. I do not doubt it. I have stopped more than once within two blocks of the place and prayed for strength before I dared go on. The presence of the Lord was so real.

 

"We saw some wonderful things in those days. Even very good men came to abhor (geringachten - verabscheuen) themselves in the clearer light of God. The preachers and leaders died the hardest. They had so much to die to. So much reputation and good works. But when God got through with them they gladly turned a new page and chapter. That was one reason they fought so hard. Death is not at all a pleasant experience. And strong men die hard..."