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Christianity Through the
Ages
From The Apostolic Faith Historical Account,
Copyright 1965 |
Historians place the date of the launching of the Reformation
as October 31, 1517, the day when Martin Luther, the leader
of that great spiritual awakening, posted his theses on the
door of the Wittenberg Cathedral in Saxony, Germany, questioning
some of the teachings of the Catholic church, and bringing
to light vital truths in God's Word.
This young monk, who for years had sought to find satisfaction
for his soul, one day, in studying the Scriptures, found the
solution to his problem. He read: "The just shall live
by faith" (Romans
1:17 and Galatians 3:11). In the face of great persecution,
he boldly took his stand for that truth; and through his stand
was born the Reformation which forwarded the Protestant movement
that has affected the entire world. And together with other
Protestant churches, the Apostolic Faith is an heir of the
Reformation, upholding the doctrine of justification by Faith.
The teachings and preaching of Martin Luther and his contemporaries
of the 16th century created great religious fervor and enthusiasm
throughout the land. The discovery of those hidden Bible truths
which were expounded in Luther's time was far more thrilling
to many than had been the announcement of Columbus 's discovery
of the New World.
The dawning of that spiritual awakening dispelled much of
the darkness that had enshrouded the people for centuries.
Long blinded had been the minds of those who sought to find
peace and eternal life through works, penance and the buying
of indulgences. The Bible eventually became an open Book.
The people then could read the Word for themselves and find
that only God has power to remit sin and take away guilt,
that only God's Word is infallible, that by His Word will
men be judged; and by God's Word—not man's—should they govern
their lives.
Protestantism rapidly gained impetus throughout the land.
Students of philosophy in Germany began to accept the Bible
as their source of knowledge and truth. Other countries welcomed
the introduction of the Protestant religion. It gained footholds
in Switzerland, France, Great Britain, Scandinavia and other
surrounding countries. Hundreds of Protestant churches were
established, having their own particular church leader.
The breach between these churches and the existing Catholic
church widened. It brought about such great concern that ruling
emperors took drastic steps to try to crush the Protestant
movement and to regain lost possessions.
True Christianity was marked
with great opposition during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Persecutions, plots, executions, and religious wars persisted
through the years. Tens of thousands of martyrs sealed their
faith with their blood. So intense was the persecution that
some who sought to flee across the mountains for refuge were
hunted as if they were wild beasts to be killed.
The Huguenots and the Waldenses, along with others, suffered
severely during the storm of persecution that was intended
to obliterate Protestantism. But the light of God's Word which
had been revealed to the people was to remain, despite crushing
blows, atrocities of war and great bloodshed. Though thousands
fought and died for their convictions, the Angel of God's
Presence overshadowed His own, blessed them with His Holy
Spirit, and spared numbers of them who continued to declare
the Truths of His Word, regardless of the consequences.
In church history, it is noted that the Christian
era has been composed of periods of spiritual awakenings and
declensions. And the early part of the 18th century became
the darkest period since the dawning of the Reformation.
Many who had come to America for the purpose of worshiping
God according to the dictates of their conscience had let
slip their religious steadfastness. Their spirit of adventure,
together with temporal and selfish desires, took preeminence.
The people of Great Britain and other countries who once treasured
God's Word likewise became indifferent toward spiritual values.
The once-revived church became honeycombed with the spirit
of worldliness and went to sleep under the influence of sin
and apathy.
This indeed was a discouraging time for Christianity, especially
so in places where the doors of theology began to swing open
to rationalism. "What reason cannot accept need not be
accepted" was the cry which came from both the peasant
and the nobleman. Some of the universities became arsenals
of warfare against sacred standards and the faith they once
upheld. Infidelity and immorality were dominant partners which
added their combined influence against righteousness.
When the world stood in dire need of another
spiritual awakening, the Lord had His man for the occasion
in the person of John Wesley of England, who came to the front
as an instrument in the hand of God to expound His Word.
Wesley's fervid preaching began shortly after his conversion
which took place May 24, 1738. It was at this time, in a meeting
on Aldersgate Street in London, England, that he felt his
heart strangely and wondrously warmed. In testimony he witnessed
to others that his sins had been taken away and that he was
delivered from the law of sin and death,
Later, he read in God's Word: "Without holiness no man
shall see the Lord." He then began seeking a "second
blessing," the experience of sanctification.
In referring to such an experience, he said that God had
given him a clearer view of how to obtain it; namely, "by
faith in the Son of God." The power and presence of God's
Spirit was greatly manifested on different occasions when
he and other Christian brethren met in seasons of prayer and
sometimes continued praying into the early morning hours.
Wesley, with his brother Charles, George Whitefield, and
other contemporaries promoted a vast work of evangelism. They
held numerous open-air meetings which were attended by large
crowds and which set a precedent for the many outdoor services
and camp meetings that have been held in America and other
countries since their day.
In his preaching, Wesley emphasized instantaneous conversion,
accompanied with an assurance of salvation through faith in
Christ, as well as the instantaneous experience of sanctification—a
second work of grace that makes one holy in heart. The holiness
revival brought about through Wesley's teachings swept the
British Isles, spread into Europe, and across the Atlantic
to this country.
It is said that Wesley, as an itinerant preacher, traveled
a quarter of a million miles, mostly on horseback, sometimes
preaching four or five times a day; and that during his 53
years in the ministry he preached 40,000 sermons.
The teachings of John Wesley did more than reshape
the conscience of people in regard to actual sins, for he
brought to light once again the doctrine of holiness: Entire
Sanctification, as taught by Christ and His Apostles. This
truth which he expounded gave new life and hope to thousands,
many of whom sought and obtained freedom from inbred sin.
In respect to his teachings on holiness, it is said that the
"pulse" of John Wesley has been felt from one generation
to another in different parts of the world.
His book, "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection,"
is a good exposition on the doctrine of Entire Sanctification.
Today, it is sad to note that some of the churches which once
strongly embraced this teaching have long since discarded
it. But the Apostolic Faith from the time of its founding
has always considered sanctification the very hub and center
of Christian living. Every believer is encouraged to seek
and obtain this second work of grace which God has provided,
and which makes one holy.
By the end of the 18th century there came a
pause in the tide of Christianity, and the influence of hindering
forces extended into the 19th century. Contributing causes
were periods of war, times of pastor-less churches and religious
indifference. Eventually intemperance, profanity and gambling
became prevailing sins. Then came a flood of infidel and other
undesirable literature into America from across the waters.
The acceptance of the theories of rationalism, materialism
and other new ideologies, including the Darwinian theory of
evolution, along with trends toward the early form of communism,
all added up to skepticism and unbelief in God. But, everyone
was not a skeptic. There were believers who knew how to pray
and get an answer.
At a time when the very existence of Christianity
was threatened, people in whose hearts burned the candle of
faith prevailed in prayer. As a result, a succession of revivals
took place, beginning in the early part of the 19th century,
and thereby the onward march of evil forces was thwarted to
some extent.
In 1858 a great revival, which centered in the Northeastern
part of the United States, spread throughout the nation. Born
of prayer, this forward surge of spirituality was maintained
by prayer. In nearly every city in the land, prayer meetings
were held daily. People prayed wherever they could gather:
in churches, in theatres, in public resorts, in business houses.
For a number of years noon-hour prayer meetings continued
to be held in the business centers of cities throughout the
country.
In the summer of 1859 the wave of prayer crossed
the waters into northern Ireland where God's Spirit worked
in a remarkable way. Much time in the home was spent in prayer.
Lights were seen in the windows through the night until break
of day. Long-neglected Bibles came into general use. Family
worship was restored. A part of the dinner hour was generally
devoted to singing and prayer.
Every evening the churches were crowded. The accustomed formality
was gone, and the Spirit of God took control. Many were converted
after conviction seized them and caused them to pray. Grown
men bowed in earnestness and sobbed like children. Drunkards
and blasphemers were awed into solemnity. At a late hour,
exhausted ministers were finally compelled to leave the church;
and the people would reluctantly disperse. Officers of the
law noted the diminishing of vice and immorality, and recognized
the reality and power of the spiritual work.
Among the famous revivalists of the 19th century
was Charles G. Finney, whose ministry took place during the
period of 1828-1872. The influence of Finney's preaching was
extensive, both in this country and in England where he preached
to vast crowds. It has been estimated that some 150,000 souls
were converted through his ministry.
The effectiveness of his preaching has been credited to the
fact that he had received a mighty anointing of the Spirit
of God on his life. Mr. Finney preached repentance, restitution,
sanctification, and the need of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Of his own experience, he said that he had received a mighty
baptism of the Holy Ghost which went through him, body and
soul—like the very breath of God.
Dwight L. Moody was another renowned preacher of righteousness.
He was mightily used of God in the salvation of many souls
in America and England during the years 1860-1889. This man,
dedicated to the will of God, sought complete deliverance
from the self-life that the Spirit might have full sway. He
remarked to others that he knew well the meaning of the Lord's
Words: "The water that I shall give him shall be in him
a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
One of the most outstanding features that marked
the religious fervor of the people throughout the 19th century
was their numerous camp meetings, the first memorable ones
of the century being held in the state of Kentucky in 1800-1801.
People in great numbers from time to time would gather in
open areas beneath the canopy of the sky, and listen to fiery-spirited
evangelists. Sometimes they stood atop a stump, or a wagon,
preaching in relays throughout the day and into the night.
Even heavy rains failed to dampen the zeal of some who attended
those meetings.
It has been estimated that the apparent conversions in America
and Great Britain during the revival periods of the nineteenth
century added up to near the million mark. As time passed
the enthusiasm which had been aroused through these various
revivals began to wane and spiritual darkness occurred once
again. The churches in this country and across the waters
began putting on a cloak of formalism. Because of nominal
Christianity's taking over, many became void of the Spirit
and power of God.
Though the 20th century dawned under a dark
cloud spiritually, there were people who hungered for things
eternal. Christians of that day were faced with a challenge
which could be met only through prevailing prayer.
That challenge was met in the tiny country of Wales. Young
people, women's groups and men's groups interceded before
God; and His Spirit began to move in their midst.
In 1904, the prayed-down revival began in Wales.
Linked with this awakening is the name of a young coal miner,
Evan Roberts. For thirteen months he had carried a burden
upon his heart for the souls of his countrymen. Most of his
praying was done in his room until his landlady became so
greatly alarmed because of his much praying that she asked
him to leave. As an evangelist, he was effectively used of
God in a brief but influential ministry that stirred hearts
to seek the Lord.
This revival flame spread throughout Wales and caused an
unprecedented spiritual stir among the people of that
land. Churches were filled with overflow crowds. In some places,
as many as four preachers were needed at a time to meet the
demand of the stream of humanity that would gather. The moving
of the Spirit was so effective that saloons began emptying
out. The barmaid and the bartender had little to do. So very
little violence took place that the policemen likewise became
idle; and some of the officers who attended the services were
mightily convicted of their sins.
In numbers of the cities and villages, waves of conviction
swept over the congregations as they listened to the preaching
of the Word of God. Individuals, eager to receive pardon for
their sins, lifted their voices in prayer aloud, not to be
heard of man, but each absorbed with his own responsibility
toward God. One here and one there, as he yielded himself
to God, would stand and give praise that he had found the
Lord.
Throughout Wales, many thousands were converted and the revival
swept across the waters into this and other countries, and
eventually culminated in the promised outpouring of the Holy
Spirit.
In different parts of the world, prayers were
ascending for a spiritual quickening similar to that in Wales.
America realized her need; and the people of this nation were
stirred to action and to prayer.
They who searched the Scriptures found precious promises
concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which was to
take place in the latter days. They began to pray for the
fulfillment of those promises spoken of in Joel 2:21-29; Acts
2:16-18, 39; Matthew 3:11 and John 7:38, 39.
In periods prior to the 20th century, God had poured out
His Spirit, and individuals here and there received the baptism
of the Holy Ghost; however, those were only the "sprinklings"
of the "latter rain." Also, during the early part
of this century—before the copious outpouring of the Spirit
in 1906—light spiritual showers came upon people in different
parts of this country, and those who were holy in heart received
the baptism. But the universal outpouring, that which was
spoken of by the Prophet Joel, was yet to come. It was to
fall at a time appointed to ripen the "harvest"
and to prepare souls for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Husbandman.
"Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit
of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive
the early and latter rain" (James 5:7).
Prophecy concerning the "latter rain"
had reference to both the spiritual and the natural rain;
and its fulfillment is one of the signs of the soon coming
of the Lord. The Holy Land, which once had blossomed as the
rose, lay a barren waste for many centuries after the rejection
of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. God had warned Israel many
years before of the results of disobedience and unbelief,
saying that He would shut up the heaven and withhold the rain
from their land. And that is what happened (Deuteronomy 11:10-17).
But, in accordance with Joel's prophecy concerning the latter
days, the natural rain once again was restored (Joel 2:21-27).
It was in the latter half of the 19th century that the rain
began to fall in Palestine; and within a period of 32 years,
the average precipitation increased 60 percent. Since that
time the rainfall has continued and the land has brought forth
much fruit.
It is recorded that the spiritual rain likewise began to
fall in the Holy Land upon those whose hearts were prepared
to receive the fulness of God's blessings; and some in the
city of Jerusalem were baptized with the Holy Ghost shortly
after the copious outpouring of the Spirit in this country.
Spiritual hunger during the early part of the
century was especially manifested among the people of Los
Angeles, California. Special prayer meetings were held throughout
the city. Many Christians longed for a mighty outpouring of
the Spirit of God and held on steadfastly for a revival.
A minister who had attended the Welsh revival returned to
the city of Los Angeles and told of the great things he had
witnessed. This stirred the people to still more fervent prayer.
Businessmen's groups, Bible class groups, holiness groups
and people from different churches met to pray. Denomination
made little difference. Christian workers, laymen and ministers
alike, felt a need for more spiritual power on their lives.
One among those earnestly praying for a spiritual outpouring
was Mrs. Florence L. Crawford who later became the founder
of the Apostolic Faith work with headquarters in Portland,
Oregon. She said: "I was a Methodist and felt sure that
the Spirit would be poured out upon us. Some of my friends
were Baptists, Christian and Missionary Alliance and others.
We all said: 'Surely God will pour out His Spirit on our own
particular group."' But God had chosen the time, the
place, and the people upon whom He would send His blessing
and power.
Part
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