Smith Wigglesworth praying in a restaurant

Brothers and Sisters,

I want to share a story about Smith Wigglesworth. It was told by a pastor who went with Wigglesworth to a restaurant in Sidney, Australia. I think you'll like this story; it shows just how fearless this great man of God was. The story is told by Dr. Lester Sumrall (who knew Wigglesworth personally) in a book called "Pioneers of Faith." Here it is:

"The [Australian] pastor told me, 'Smith Wigglesworth was here in my city recently, and I took him to one of the fanciest restaurants to have lunch on Sunday. When we came into the restaurant, someone took his coat and hung it up for him. He looked around like an eagle. Only wealthy people ate in this restaurant. Instead of sitting down, he took a fork and began to hit the side of his glass with it. BING! BING! BING! BING! Everybody stopped eating.

When he had everybody's attention, he raised his hand and said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I have noticed since arriving here that none of you prayed over your food. You resemble a bunch of hogs to me. You just jump in and eat without giving thanks to the One Who provided it for you. Bow your heads and I'll pray for you.'

'Wigglesworth raised his hands and prayed for those people. Before we left the restaurant, two familes came over and got saved."

Awesome, I love hearing about Wigglesworth! That guys boldness is so interesting to me. :)

Yes, Wigglesworth accounts are thrilling. The guy simply had no fear! The only One he feared was God. He was a mighty General in God's army; and like Paul, the demons knew who he was. Oh, Hallelujah! We should all aspire to be feared in hell.

I've got many more stories about Wigglesworth. Someone should make a thread dedicated to Wigglesworth accounts. They can truly bolster your faith!

Bro. Paul

Quote:
I've got many more stories about Wigglesworth. Someone should make a thread dedicated to Wigglesworth accounts. They can truly bolster your faith!

No one is keeping you from it, is there?

BTW, I did enjoy this story immensely!

ginnyrose

No one is keeping you from it, is there?

This is true.

Okay, here's another:

Someone once asked Smith Wigglesworth how he gets up in the morning. This is what he said:

'I jump out of bed! I dance before the Lord for at least ten to twelve minutes - high-speed dancing. I jump up and down and run around my room telling God how great He is, how wonderful He is, how glad I am to be associated with Him and to be His child.'

After this, he would take a cold shower, read the Bible for a hour, pray for an hour, then open his mail to see what God would have him do that day. He was an extremely remarkable man, totally sold out to God.

- Lester Sumrall on Smith Wigglesworth.

thank you brother Paul for this. there are three people here I just read this to now, we are all speechless.

Praise the Lord! Thank you for sharing these brother... any others you don't mind sharing? :-)

Amen, brother!

A few years back, we had an evangelist visit our church who knew a guy who had talked with an old man who had been to a Wigglesworth prayer meeting back in the early 1920's.

He told us that when Smith began praying, men would start crawling on their hands and knees to get out of the room. The Glory of the Lord was so strong that they couldn't walk, they had to get out of the sanctuary - the glory was just too much to handle.

I know what he means. My old church was like that, where the power of God was just so strong that sometimes you just couldn't breathe. Where the Shekinah glory would fill the room like a cloud and it would just keep building and building and building until the musicians couldn't play their instruments and just fell prostrate and all you could hear was weeping and wailing and agony. Where Jehovah God comes and manifests His glory in an awful, majestic way. I remember a few times where I actually feared my for my life, and my wife had to flee the sanctuary before we were crushed by His eternal majesty. I can't imagine being at a meeting where someone like Wigglesworth is calling upon the Ancient of Days! I mean, this guy was so deep and totally sold-out to God that he was raising dead people out of caskets at funerals.

Where did this glory go, oh saints? Jesus said we would do greater things than He did! The God of Smith Wigglesworth is still here. How can our churches sleep with a glorious God like this in our midst!

Bro. Paul

Quote
"I mean, this guy was so deep and totally sold-out to God that he was raising dead, embalmed people out of caskets at funerals."

One of my favorite Wigglesworth stories is along this line. Wigglesworth was once preaching in another town (as he often did)and the Pastor he was preaching for had to go give a eulogy at a funeral so Wigglesworth tagged along and as the Pastor was speaking and consoling the family in the foyer a bit before everyone else arrived Wigglesworth casually slipped into the room where the casket was and the family heard a "THUD!"and the sound of something being dragged across the floor then they heard another loud "THUD!" followed by Wigglesworth shouting "In the name of Jesus walk! "THUD!" The Pastor and the family of the deceased opened the door to see the deceased on the floor and Wigglesworth standing over the dead body which he then picked up and slammed against the wall and again commanded the dead man to walk in the name of Jesus. He let go and the corpse fell to the floor again. (But Wigglesworth did not believe in giving up, I'd be freaking out at this point)The family is just completely in shock at this point the Pastor said he was soooo embarrased at what was happening but that didn't stop Wigglesworth he picked the dead body up and slammed it forcefully against the wall and authoritatively commanded it to walk in the name of Jesus. It once again fell to the floor. So once again he picked the corpse up and slammed it against the wall and this time he shouted " I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to walk and I will not say it again!" And to the amazement of every terrified person in attendence watching this amazingly insane spectacle the dead man took a deep breath, coughed and then began walking across the room. When the funeral attendees arrived they obviously coudn't have a funeral so they sang hymns and had a prayer and testimony meeting instead.

Totally astounding. They say there's at least nine documented cases of the dead being raised during his ministry.

I like the story where he [Lester Sumrall] awoke in the night because the house where he was staying at was being haunted by demons. His bed started shaking, the window was rattling. He got out of bed and rebuked the evil manifestations and there was a calm. But he noticed his bed had been moved from its original spot by all the jolting. He commanded the spirit in the name of Jesus: "And put my bed back where it was, you wicked spirit," and the bed slid back across the floor to the wall.

In my studies of Wigglesworth's ministry I found the numbers go up to 27. 19 were documented well because they were post enbalming (which was done with arsenic...they were dead, as were many of the morticians who touched the fluid) another 5 have good evidence that stands up to scutiny. The other 3 were a bit random.
-Are you sure that bed shaking story was Wigglesorth and not Lester Sumrall? That sounds exactly like a story I read in his Biography of when he was a missionary in Africa.

Are you sure that bed shaking story was Wigglesorth and not Lester Sumrall? That sounds exactly like a story I read in his Biography of when he was a missionary in Africa.

You may be right. I've always thought it was Wigglesworth, but now that you mention it...

I heard the story a few years ago from another evangelist, he told me it was Wigglesworth. But I also remember someone saying it was Sumrall. I don't know. Can you give me the source? I've got a hunch you're right, brother.

In anycase, it's a great story.

One VERY good book that I would like to reccomend is "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon. It tells the life stories of 12 mighty men and women of God.

John Alexander Dowie
Maria Woodworth Etter
Evan Roberts
Charles Parham
William J. Seymour
John G. Lake
Amiee Semple McPherson
Smith Wigglesworth
William Branham
Jack Coe
A.A. Allen
Kathryn Kuhlman

Here is an excerpt from God's Generals on Wigglesworth
--------------------------------------------
As his faith began to increase, the Lord showed him another principle of faith: Faith should be acted upon.

Until then the average believer seemed to think that God moved only in a soverign way. They felt they had no part in it. The ministry in Smith Wigglesworth brought a new light to this dark area. Through his deep relationship with the Lord, Smith began to notice in the Bible that the people who received from God had acted upon His Word to produce results. Thus, his ministry began to adopt this operation of faith in every service. At the beginning of his altercalls he would say, "If you move forward only a foot, you will be blessed; if you move forward a yard, you will get more. If you come to the platform, we will pray for you, and God will meet your needs with His supply."
This was the central truth behind his ministry regarding faith. A truth that many called "ruthless." Smith Wigglesworth's actions were a result of strong compassion and a rock-solid faith in God. A Christian must act upon what he believes in order to receive the manifestation, and sometimes, Smith had to initiate the action for a few individuals. He called this type of ministry "retail healing," mainly because his faith contributed largely to their individual action.

For example, during a meeting in Arizona, a young lady responded to his call for healing. She was greatly distressed with tuberculosis, but as she stepped into the aisle, he said to her, "Now I am going to pray for you and then you will run around this building." He prayed, then shouted, "Run woman. Run!" The woman said, "But I cannot run. I can scarcely stand." "Don't talk back to me," Smith shouted, "do as I have said." She was reluctant, So Smith jumped down from the platform, grabbed her, and began running. She clang to him until she gathered speed, then galloped around the auditorium without any effort.

There was another woman in the same meeting. Her legs were locked with sciatica. Smith told her to "Run!" She was so ruluctant that he pushed her! Then he ran around the building with the woman clinging to him. Finally, the power of God met her action, as she was completely delivered. She walked to the rest of the meetings, refusing the street car, delighted to have the full use of her limbs again.
---------------------------------------------
another story on Wigglesworth form "God's Generals"
----------------------------------------
The holy Spirit began teaching Smith the varying degrees of faith, He first taught that faith could be created in others.

An example of this concept was a young boy who was seriously ill. The family had sent for Smith, but when Smith arrived, the mother met him at the door, saying, "You are too late. there is nothing that can be done for him." Smith replied, "God has never sent me anywhere too late." The boy's condition was so bad, that if he were to be moved, his heart would stop and he would die. Needless to say, the family had no faith and the boy was too sick to believe for himself. Before he couold pray for the boy, Smith had to leave for an engagement at a local chapel. But before he left their home, he told the family he would return. He instructed them to lay out the boy's clothes because the Lord was going to raise him up. When Smith returned, the family had not done what he asked, and when they saw his faith, they were embarrassed and immediately set out the boy's clothes. Smith asked them to put only socks on his feet. Then inside the boy's room, Smith closed the door and told the lifeless boy that something would happen different from anything he had experienced before. "When I place my hands on you the glory of the Lord will fill this place till I shall not be able to stand. I shall be helpless on the floor." The moment Smith touched the boy, the power of God filled the room and was so strong that Smith fell to the floor. Suddenly, the boy began to yell, "This is for Your Glory, Lord!" Smith was still on the floor when the boy arose and dressed himself. Opening the door, the boy yelled, "Dad! God has healed me! I am healed!"

Such glory filled the house that the mother and father fell to the floor also. His siter, who had been released from an asylum, was instantly restored in her mind. The entire village was moved and revival began throughout their city.
--------------------------------------------
Another story about Wigglesworth's wife
-------------------------------------------
While waiting in the train station to leave for Scottland, Smith received devastating news. Polly had collapsed with a heart attack while returning from the Bowland Street Mission.

Rushing to her bedside, he found that her spirit had already departed to be with the Lord. Not settling for this, Smith immediately rebuked the death and her spirit came back, but only for a short while. Then the Lord spoke: "This is the time that I want to take her home to myself." So with a breaking heart, Smith released his partner, the one he had loved for so many years, to be with the Lord.
----------------------------------------------

Those are just a few stories form the book. Pardon any misspelled words since I had to type it in myself.

Another story I have heard was that one time a man was brought to one of Smith's prayer lines who had cancer in his stomach. The man was accoompanied by his doctor. When Smith got to the man, the doctor told him the condition and Smith drew his arm back and punched the sick man in the stonach. The guy immediately doubled over and fell to the floor. The doctor was schocked and shouted, "You killed him!" Smith replied, "E's ealed (meaning he's healed)" Smith continued to pray for people paying no attention to the guy he had just punched. About ten minutes later, the man rose form the dead and got up healed, dancing and shouting. When the man ran up to Smith to tell him that he was healed, barelying giving him any attention Smith replied saying I know, now go thank God for it, and contuned to pray for people.

Keith

Hi brothers and sisters, just continue with these amazing testmonies, I don't want to make diversion from the original topic, but just to make one note:

One VERY good book that I would like to reccomend is "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon. It tells the life stories of 12 mighty men and women of God.

I would like here to raise a [color=FF3300]red flag[/color] about this book and the author. I had it in my hands months ago. I am just wondering how it is possible men like Evan Roberts and Wigglesworth to be put in one place with such false prophets like William Branham and I have big question mark about the others in the book, I read some of their testemonies and most of what I read was about healing and healing, the pictures were literally like in theatre or show. Some of them had very questionable things like some of them got suicide, some of them divorced and remarried to other woman, doubtful bussineses etc. We must be careful.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
-1 John 4:1

Kire

Some of them had very questionable things like some of them got suicide, some of them divorced and remarried to other woman, doubtful bussineses etc. We must be careful.

Yes, this is true. A.A. Allen probably being the most infamous. I can't vouch for "God's Generals" as I've never read the book. I normally don't put too much emphasis on the men and women who had huge healing ministries and tent revivals. Not that I'm against them. It's just that it's so easy to take your eyes off Jesus and put it on the flash and pizazz. Jesus said we'd know the true ones by their fruit and not their gifts. The gifts, after all, are without repentance. But you can't have the fruit unless your heart's right.

You mentioned the author, Roberts Liardon. I don't know too much about him. I understand he fell into disgrace a few years back. But that's none of my business. If he was true brother, he needs to be restored in a spirt of meekness.

Wigglesworth is very unique in that he never humiliated God by begging for money or doing the show-thing. In fact, when he discerned that people were finally beginning to focus on "Smith Wigglesworth" and not God, his heart broke and he never recovered. He quit ministering, and died shortly after. He was always fearless, yet humble. An awesome combo!

I have heard that Wigglesworth had no formal education and in his twenties he just learned to read (maybe someone should comfirm this).
I love this story connected with that:

"Smith gave all he had, even in relation to grammar, to his Lord. He once wrote a letter to a university graduate. The next time this person saw Smith, he said, "You know, you spelled the title of the Holy Spirit seven different ways in your letter."

Wigglesworth replied, "Did you understand it?"

"Oh, yes."

Then Wigglesworth said, "Thank God, that's all that matters."

-Smith Wigglesworth, The Secret of His Power
By; Albert Hibbert
pg. 29

These days while reading Acts I was encouraged by the following verses:

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were [u]unlearned[/u] and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that [u]they had been with Jesus.[/u]
14 And beholding the man [u]which was healed[/u] standing with them, [u]they could say nothing against it[/u].

They had been with Jesus.

Quote-"Can you give me the source? "

I'm 99% sure it's in "The life story of Lester Sumrall" If's it's not it would have to be in "Demons the answer book", "Supernatural principatlities and powers","Exorcism the reality of evil and your power over it" or "Spirit, Soul, and Body" seeing as these are the only Lester Sumrall books I own. I'll know for sure by the end of the day. I'm going to read his biography today, I haven't read it in a while. It's great. Sumralls ministry started with him dying of tuberculosis and God gave him a vision a a casket on one side of his bed and a large open Bible on the other. The Lord told him he could accept Christ preach his Word all the days of his life and live or he could reject Him and die. He chose to live and IMMEDIETELY the next day with no money left his home (at 17) to preach the word. I like that kind of obedience.

Quote-"I have heard that Wigglesworth had no formal education and in his twenties he just learned to read (maybe someone should comfirm this).

This is true. At the age of 7 he went to work at the local mill to help support his family. They didn't have any laws against child labor or laws to make kids get an education so he didn't get one. He worked twelve hour days ussually. He got saved after a year of this hard work at a methodist church and after that never went anywhere without his Bible or at least his New Testement (even though he couln't read it). He joined up with the Salvation Army when he was about twenty where he met his wife Polly, whom he married at 23? (23ish) She's the one who taught him to read. She also did all of the preaching at the Bowland St. Mission they ran until Smith recieved the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" at the age of 47. He worked as a full time plumber until the age of 53.

I'm 99% sure it's in "The life story of Lester Sumrall"

Thank you. I went back and edited the old post, putting Lester Sumrall in brackets.

Yes, I am very fond of Sumrall's ministry. He was an honorable minister, a great teacher. I've got two books by him. I've never read his biography, though. I need to get my hands on it, now that you mention it. Was he involved with AG missions? He reminds me of Victor Plymire with all his thrilling adventures overseas with demons and mystics. I love reading this stuff; you don't see anything like that here in the States. But in some of these paganistic cultures, God moved mightily with great signs and wonders. Sumrall, Plymire and Wigglesworth were men of colossal faith.

Paul

Quote-"Was he (Sumrall)involved with AG missions?

If memory serves me right he was never involved with any denomination. I know on his first mission trip which was to China he went by himself and the only money he had was for the boat trip over there. A fellow minister said he would starve to death if he went to China with no money. Sumrall said "if I do I want you to get me a tombstone that says 'here lies Lester Sumrall who starved to death trusting Jesus'."

Tears_of_joy wrote:
I would like here to raise a [color=FF3300]red flag[/color] about this book and the author. I had it in my hands months ago. I am just wondering how it is possible men like Evan Roberts and Wigglesworth to be put in one place with such false prophets like William Branham and I have big question mark about the others in the book, I read some of their testemonies and most of what I read was about healing and healing, the pictures were literally like in theatre or show. Some of them had very questionable things like some of them got suicide, some of them divorced and remarried to other woman, doubtful bussineses etc. We must be careful.

Wow, how quickly we judge of what we do not know and of who we do not know. First of all the people are in the book because they did great things for the kingdom of God and even the ones who screwed up at the end of their life were added into the book because Liardon was showing us the pitfalls of the ministry. That is why the subtite is "Why they succeeded and why some failed."

As for the author of God's Generals, he is perfectly fine. And he has already been restored. I know him personally and just spoke with his mom two days ago. His past does not disqualify his books, sermons or his present day ministry.

Oh and by the way, Evan Roberts had his problems too, why not question why he was put is the same book with Wigglesworth?

Evan Roberts had his problems too, why not question why he was put is the same book with Wigglesworth?

[i]Everybody[/i] had problems at one point or another. Look at Elijah, look at David. Haven't you had (I speak to everyone reading this in general) problems during your walk? But it's different because we're not center stage with all of Christianity putting us beneath the microscope. Did you know that Wigglesworth went through a time early on in his career where he was backslidden? Where he would have angry outbursts and chide his wife Polly for staying out too late at meetings? I can relate. I've had shameful occasions where I've let my flesh embarass me before man and God. But you don't know about it because I'm not a celebrity like Liardon or Wigglesworth. If a man or woman of God falls into sin, our immediate reaction should be to mourn their intanglement and pray for their restoration. I rejoice that Liardon is restored! What happened to Liardon can happen to anyone of us, as the devil seeks his prey like a roaring lion.

Quote: "Put on my tombstone - Lester Sumrall starved to death while trusting Jesus."

Brother, that's a conqueror's attitude! Reminds me of Queen Esther: "If I die, I die." Or Job: "Even if He slays me, I will trust him." There's a powerful hymn on this theme written by Edmund Jones. I'll go look it up and post it on here.

Brother Paul

"Smith gave all he had, even in relation to grammar, to his Lord. He once wrote a letter to a university graduate. The next time this person saw Smith, he said, "You know, you spelled the title of the Holy Spirit seven different ways in your letter."

Brother, did you know:

There was once a conference where Bible students from California were given an opportunity to grill Wigglesworth with tough theological questions.

Mind you, Wigglesworth had zero school training, didn't even learn how to read till he was in his mid-twenties, and the only book he ever read was the Bible. Yet the Holy Spirit gave him such wisdom that everyone there was astounded. They recorded the all questions and Wigglesworth's answers here:

http://www.amazon.com/...

I know I will get beat up for this but I been beat up before and it's always better if a brother does it, anyway All these theologians Wigglesworth, Ravenhill, Tozer, Poonen, were good folks but still they were just human like you and I and were all equal in Gods book and each and everyone of us if were in Gods will are doing what were called to do rather it be ministering or fishing, Personally we do pray before any meals or anywhere but to beat on a glass or make a scene before prayer, if I were not a Christian I would think this guy was a nut case and may even think he was even being a Christian I would have to have personally experience it first to see my reaction, he doe not represent all Christians hopefully. You can still Love the Lord and be a good Christian and Pray over a meal without a disturbance. "Sometimes" not all the time I think we have a tendency to put some of these theologians and their ways on pedestals and we really have to be careful, the only person I will ever again put on a pedestal again is Jesus Christ "because I use to put a lot of theologians on pedestals" . I have finally come to the conclusion after a long time of "pedestal placing" that the two year old child next door is just as important as Billy Graham to Jesus Christ and it has given me a whole different prospective of humans period, it has help me to Love equally and place all folks on the same level in life, you have to really understand were I am coming from to understand my statement here, I had a really bad habit of putting theologians on pedestals a few years ago until God showed me that it was wrong to do so and were "all" equal in his eyes and he should be the only one I worship period.

brethren
bro Bill brings up a good point

All these theologians Wigglesworth, Ravenhill, Tozer, Poonen, were good folks but still they were just human like you and I and were all equal in Gods book

there was/is nothing special about them but this is an expression in real life of God's word when it says "not by power or might but by My Spirit" Whatever these men achieved for God on this side was birthed from the very throne of God according to His own grace and mercy not coz they somehow earned it. We ought to keep that in mind.

bro Bill also wrote this:

Personally we do pray before any meals or anywhere but to beat on a glass or make a scene before prayer, if I were not a Christian I would think this guy was a nut case and may even think he was even being a Christian I would have to have personally experience it first to see my reaction, he doe not represent all Christians hopefully. You can still Love the Lord and be a good Christian and Pray over a meal without a disturbance.

Most people thought Christ to be a nutcase so it seems to me being a viewed as a nutcase by the unsaved is part of being a Christian. how can the unsaved see us in any other light [i]but[/i] that since we are (or ought to be very different) from them? Christ didn't coax anyone into the Faith, if you didn't want in, then you didn't want in and He left you alone. if you hung around a while and decided to leave, he didn't plead with you to stay either.

indeed one can still love our Lord and not cause a scene before eating, but if our Lord leads you to cause a scene and you don't then you're in rebellion. none of those people will stand up for you when God asks you to give an account of that event so why entertain their egos/feelings at the expense of obedience to God.

brethren this is an example of a false humility which serves to glorify man and not God. This has swept through the Church like a plague and is part of why we're so ineffective. we don't want to go outside of our comfort zones or cause so we pervert true humility which would have us obedient to God not matter the consequences, to a sinister false humility which would have us keep the boat steady when God would have us tip it over and sink it. granted it will not be always when we have to do this, there are times when we will have to be silent.

i know our Lord grieves over the world and the unsaved, but how much more does He grieve over those which are His children when they would rather please the world that Him?

Lord help us!AMEN.

As I said it was really something personal I had to deal with, folks can do as they feel lead for the record but it was really easy for me to be carried away with these high profile brothers and sisters I don't hate them or anything like that just was really offering another prospective from a personal experience, sorry I may not have worded my statement right I am still work in progress if you want to jump out of an airplane and pray all the way down to the table at the restaurant hey go for it if that is what you feel lead to do.

Hi Brother Bill,

I don't think anyone's putting anybody on a pedestal here; we're just sharing old-time testimonies. I agree with you that Wigglesworth was human...and imperfect. I hope you don't think that we are worshiping him! I don't think there's anything wrong with talking about how God moved through specific men and women in the past. We talk about how God moved through Elijah. Why can't we talk about Wigglesworth or Wesley?

As for Wigglesworth hitting a water glass in the restaurant to get the people's attention, who's to say God didn't tell him to do that? Perhaps God knew someone would respond to that prayer and get saved. But to do this, he had to "rock the boat" and ruin everyone's lunch. But what a price to pay for saving a few souls from hell!

You said that if you were not a Christian, you would think Wigglesworth was a nut case. Well, he was! People think I'm a "nut case" when I street preach, including Christians. But I do what God tells me to do. It doesn't matter what others think. God told Ezekiel to preach and that his message would be utterly rejected. Should Ezekiel still preach it? You say you would be offended at Wigglesworth making a scene in a secular restaurant - but what if you saw a prophet of God walking naked down the street to represent the shame of America before the Lord? This is exactly what God told the prophet to do in Isaiah 20. In light of this, beating on a water glass in public seems pretty trivial!

God bless you! (See, no one got beat up!)

In Christian love, Paul

Hi everyone.

Brother Bill, I can appreciate what you said about the danger of elevating men. Good point for us to remember.

I have appreciated these stories here and such encourage me. As I have read through them my mind has been drawn to the prophets like Elijah and Elisha. I can even imagine that they would have seemed like rather strange people, along with some of their commands to others and their own peculiar behaviors, like

Go and wash in Jordan seven times

And he stretched himself upon the child three times

Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein... And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there

And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

Or what about Isaiah? Is this portion of scripture not a bit outrageous to our minds where
the prophet was instructed to

Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot

And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

and is this right..that he did this for three years...

for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

whoa!

And then there is the danger, that I think brother Bill alluded to also, of us trying to copy or immitate these men or thier specific actions. I think perhaps one reason why God does not seem to respond to every attempt at copying the efforts of the past generations is that He is looking for men to follow Him closely in the present? Who would have ever had thought of something like the Salvation Army, for instance?

And then too, there is how we respond to these extra-ordinary servants of God.

Remember how the young persons mocked Elisha, saying

Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.

perhaps making refrence to Elijah.

But look at what a fearfull response came!

"And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."

Am remided of the words of our Lord to the people of his day(from the Simple English version)

The Father loves the Son. The Father shows him everything He is doing. The Father will show him even greater deeds than these, [b]so that you will be amazed.[/b]

Love in Christ,

Chris

Sorry, Should have just stayed off this thread this is really something personal did not mean to hurt anyone's feelings or hijack the thread because of a former personal issue I had, guess it was just so easy for me to put high profile brothers and sisters maybe not exactly on pedestals so to say, but because I personally got so wrapped up in them it took my mind and heart off the "lower profile" not lesser Loved or needed so to say theologians you know the ones out there that are also doing the Lords work and no one never seems to ever recognize, and I have such a heart for theses folks, and the way I was, it was taking were my heart really was away from focusing on them, by always focusing on the high profile brothers and sisters. I will shut up not maybe you would have to had been in my shoes to understand exactly were I am coming from, hopefully someone will understand.
Love Yaw
Brother Bill

it was just so easy for me to put high profile brothers and sisters maybe not exactly on pedestals so to say, but because I personally got so wrapped up in them it took my mind and heart off the "lower profile"

Brother Bill, you are perfectly justified!

I know a guy who fell victim to just what you're talking about. All he ever talked about was "Brother-so-and-so this" and "Brother-so-and-so that." He would seldom read his Bible - and when he did, it was always the Book of Acts. That's all he read! The Pentecostal stuff, the Holy Ghost and tongue-talking stuff. Everytime I saw him, he had a new compilation downloaded from "Fire on the Altar" and told me how anointed the preacher was, the miracles, etc. Pretty soon, he hooked up an international healer/evangelist from England and started following him around with a video camera. Last I heard, this guy has completely left the faith. He's back dancing and drinking in the clubs with his old friends.

Your concern is totally legit, and I commend you for it! Please don't feel as though you've hijacked this thread. You are very welcome to stay and share your experiences and concerns! I started this thread just to have fun, to share some outrageously fearless Wigglesworth testimonies. I never intended for it to get really serious.

Your brother in Christ,

Paul

I started this thread just to have fun, to share some outrageously fearless Wigglesworth testimonies. I never intended for it to get really serious.

Hi dear brother, I just want to say that I did not receive this thread as a fun nor any other thread on this site (there were some threads called [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3831&forum=35#65070]On the lighter side 2[/url] :-) ) And I believe your purpose was to encourage the body here with these testemonies from one man with a faith like a child and with no obstacles of pride in his heart to raise up and tell as the Spirit leads what he believes in public place. Not to imitate him or putting him on pedestal but be encouraged of his example. And please [u]do[/u] continue to share more!

Kire

I appreciate Brother Bills post, I do understand what he means. Nothing was taken harsh here, no worries :) Like its already been said, I think some of the old stories are pretty cool to hear about, not that Wigglesworth is "the greatest" or that we should aspire to be like him, but to be like Christ.

I had a small book and I found this quite funny (not exact text): Wigglesworth was sleeping one night and woke up and saw the devil standing by his bed, he looked at him and say, "oh its only you", then rolled back over and went to sleep.

I just want to say that I did not receive this thread as a fun nor any other thread on this site

Well, "fun" in the sense of just kicking back and enjoying some fantastic testimonies from a unique and inspiring brother. My prayer for posting these is that our faith in stepping out for God may be boosted.

Here's another story. (This one might upset someone):

Wigglesworth was invited to a huge banquet in Bradford, England (his hometown). Lester Sumrall was with him. Wigglesworth was asked to pray over the meal. This is Sumrall's account:

"They had long, long tables loaded with good food. In the center was roasted pig, which had been basted with oil and other good things as it was roasting. However, they made a big mistake - they asked Smith Wigglesworth to say grace. He walked over to that table, a big, healthy man, raised one hand to heaven, and said, 'Almighty God, if you can now bless that which you have cursed, bless this foul pig to their bodies.'

"I looked around and thought, 'Dear Lord, and we have visitors here!'

The Welshmen who had brought the pig tried to hide from him. Sumrall went over to Wigglesworth and said, "Are you having a piece of pork today?"

Wigglesworth said, "I never touch the stinking stuff."

He said anything he thought ought to be said, anywhere and at anytime. He had no fear of man whatsoever."

- From "Pioneers of the Faith" by Lester Sumrall.