Midwest Special Meetings in St. Louis, Missouri, were held from April 10-12. As the service began on Friday night, voices lifted in anticipation. After a choir prelude which declared willingness to be whatever God wanted, congregational singing echoed a desire for God’s Spirit to move. A vocal quartet from St. Louis reminded those present of the awe, power, and vastness of God’s love, with powerful testimonies following. Those testimonies witnessed of God’s healing, direction, and redemption out of dark places. Krystal Baars, from Van Buren, Arkansas, sang the last special, “I Know a Man Who Can.” Donald Fittin, pastor from Van Buren, preached from Acts 1:10-14. Brother Donald warned congregants of the dangers of standing still and becoming stagnant in their spiritual lives. Just as the disciples in the first chapter of Acts had received instructions on what to do, Christians have as well. It isn’t time to stand still, but rather to trust God and move forward!

Throughout the weekend, services referred to the start of the Azusa Revival and its origins on Bonnie Brae Street 120 years ago. This was definitely the case in both services on Saturday. To begin the morning evangelistic service, a trio from Madison, Wisconsin, opened the service, their song pointing to the ability of Jesus’ Blood to make the vilest sinner clean. Testimonies and specials expressed gratefulness to be part of the family of God, and for the Lord’s provision, as well as a deep-seated desire to be usable by the King. Charles Schleicher, pastor from Madison, used the second chapter of Acts to bring out that this world’s wisdom isn’t actually wisdom, but rather foolishness. There were those who didn’t understand when God’s Spirit was poured out in Acts 2 (even stating that those who were speaking in tongues were drunk!) and there were naysayers when the Azusa revival broke out as well. Brother Charles gave a warning to those in attendance: don’t be like those who are surrounded by the power of God and who don’t get anything out of it. Be determined to partake of God’s Spirit.

Saturday evening’s youth service opened with Ebenezer Idowu, Jr., also from Madison, playing “All That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus” on the violin. The song service then began with a focus on hungering for more of God. A quartet from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened the testimony service with “I’m Coming Back to the Heart of Worship,” and testimonies brought out God’s keeping power in the lives of young people. In the morning service, Brother Charles had brought out how wonderful it is to be able to look back and say he’d given God the strength of his youth, and it was so amazing to see the fervor of the Gospel in the young people throughout the testimony service. Joshua Idowu, pastor from Worth, Illinois, preached about blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46) and reminded young people that they don’t need social approval, but rather the approval of Jesus Christ. Bartimaeus called out to Christ and was healed completely, never to be physically blind again. If one calls out to Christ, he or she can be saved as well, and with God’s power, never walk in spiritual blindness again.

Marjorie Reid, pastor from Langley, British Columbia, was to be the guest minister for these meetings. While she made it to St. Louis, illness kept her from being able to be at Friday and Saturday’s meetings, and the prayers of the saints went up for her. Many eyes were wet as she and her husband, Edwin, walked in after the Sunday morning service had already started. A choir from Minneapolis, Minnesota, sang about the difference made when Jesus passes by, and in the first special, Brother Joshua sang the question, “Is It Right with Your Heart?” Sister Marjorie brought the Word, with a focus on Jeremiah 18. She emphasized our need as Christians to go down to the “potter’s house,” bringing out that God does not look at broken things the way the world does. The world tends to discard broken things and broken people, but broken things have value to God. Both saints and sinners need God’s work in their lives; the process doesn’t stop when people give their hearts to the Lord. Yielding to God is a never-ending process. Even Jesus bent to the will of the Father in the Garden, and Christians must continually yield if they want to make it to Heaven.

The special meetings were an encouraging time of refreshing for everyone who attended. The saints left with a greater determination to continue the 120-year legacy that has been passed down to them.