Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry for Forty Years/Chapter 29
CHAPTER XXIX
MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT
After fifteen years I went back to Indianapolis, my husband, Mr. Etter, accompanying me. There he stood bravely with me in the hottest battle, and since the day we were married he has never shrank. He is foremost when the battle is hottest; he will defend the Word, and all the Gifts, and operations of the Holy Ghost, but does not want any fanaticism, or foolishness. He takes the best care of me, in and out of the meetings. It makes no difference what I call on him to do. He will pray, and preach, and sing, and is very good around the altar. He does about all of my writing, and he also helps in getting out my books, and looks after the meeting, in and outside. The Lord knew what I needed, and it was all brought about by the Lord, through his love and care for me and the work.
We pitched a large tent in the southern part of the city, and the news soon spread of our being in the city. Our old friends, and children in Jesus, began to come to our help. The meetings were good from the first. Sinners began to flock to Christ, and shouts of victory began to ascend to the Great White Throne, “The lost is found, the dead alive.”
Many fell under the power of God and had wonderful visions. There were great signs, and wonders and demonstrations, including speaking in unknown tongues. Sinners were struck down like dead men and women. The Lord wonderfully used little children to bring sinners to Christ. While the Holy Ghost had full control, He, the Holy Ghost, would lead them out through the congregation and reach for this man, or that. woman; they would give them. their hand and go straight to the altar with them, with their eyes closed all the time. All knew that they were lead by the Lord; some were converted before thy got to the altar—some prophesied things that have since taken place.
The weather began to get quite cool, so we went down into the city to Peniel Hall, on 11th and Senate, and all followed. The Holy Ghost was present in great power, with gifts, signs, and visions, following the laying on of hands. There were visible signs of light and glory on the pulpit, and through the congregation, seen by the natural eye by some. Saints said they had never been in such a meeting or felt such power of God, or of the Holy Ghost.
AT INDIANAPOLIS
The next year we went back to Indianapolis, and pitched the tent on the same ground; and it was about the same time of the year. The revival spirit from the last year was still with them, so the work commenced at once, with crowds and interests. The work was much greater than the last year. They were ready to come up and help against the enemy. The crowds were greater, and the interests deeper. Many were waiting to be healed, or saved. There were new soldiers coming into the ranks every day, and greater miracles of healing.
One woman was brought one hundred miles in a rolling chair. She had been confined to her bed for over seventeen years, and had had twenty-five doctors. They did not know her case, nor could they do anything for her from the first, but could only quiet her a little. Sometimes she could not stand on her feet. or turn over in bed. A man from her town had been in our meeting in St. Louis, and was healed there. He went home and went to see her, and told her. She knew him as a bad rheumatic. He went in without any crutches, or help, a happy converted man. He took one of my books with him and gave it to her to read. After seeing him and reading the book she was converted. She saw that she had never been converted before, though she had been a church member about all her life.
She had been anxious for her husband to get converted. When she saw her condition, she said, “Lord must I go to Indianapolis to be converted and healed?” “Yes,” she said, “I must be taken.” It was taking her life in her hands, to run the risk of the journey, but her husband brought her to the meeting, and she was converted and healed; and her husband was also converted. He went to her shouting, and she commenced shouting, and sprang out of her wheel chair, a healed woman. Then there was shouting all over the tent, and when he took her arm and walked up to the platform, and stood before the great audience, it was the first time that they had stood together for over seventeen years. They were both tall and stately looking, and he was prouder of her than when they stood as bride and groom, and everyone in and around the tent was glad. There were many tears of joy from hard faces. We sang, “Let the Hallelujahs Roll,” and had a Wave Offering of Praise, using handkerchiefs and hats. It looked as if every hand was raised; with shouts of praise.
The people at her home thought they would bring her back in a box, dead; but when they heard she was coming home well, nearly the whole town was at the river wharf to welcome her home. She went to the church for the first time there in that town for over seventeen years, and she stood up and preached and told what great things the Lord had done. Her husband’s brother had been preaching for many years, and this brother joined him in the ministry, and since then he and his wife went out together to hold meetings.
A man had a vision of this tent, and the work, twenty years ago; and of riding in electric cars to and from the tent. He described the meeting, and he had seen me. The Lord used him in many ways to bring sinners to Christ. He promised the Lord he would do anything he asked. One night he was going home and it was very dark. He went into an alley to pray, as the Lord led him to do so, and as he knelt down and prayed for lost men, there were two men secreted in a shed close by. The Lord led him to pray for wicked men and women, while doing so he heard a noise inside the shed, and the men came out behind him from where they were. They threw their arms around him and confessed they were waiting to rob, and if they were caught, murder. They had poison and intended to die rather than to be taken. Right then and there they were converted, and started for their homes, happy men.
This meeting was a greater success than the one a year before. Many ministers that we knew, and who had started out as ministers, and evangelists from my meetings ten and fifteen years before, came from all parts to see me, and be in the meetings. Amongst them many converts and workers, in all ways, in the Master’s Vineyard. Oh! We had such love and fellowship! The power and presence of the Lord was manifested in gifts, demonstrations, and operations and callings; with mighty works of the Holy Ghost.
One sister spoke in unknown tongues all night. This was before the Holy Ghost fell at Los Angeles, California. A minister came to see me. He said he had been converted through a minister that was converted through me. He had heard so much about me that he had come fifty miles to see his grandmother.
Last summer, eight years after, we came back, and held a tent meeting for several months; and several hundred were saved and healed of almost every disease. Cancers, tumors, blindness, and deafness; cripples were brought in, or came in on crutches; some were in a dying condition, and all received the divine touch, and were healed by his power, and walked, shouted, and praised God. Many were baptized with the Holy Ghost.
A woman was brought from Cincinnati, dying from cancer. The doctors sent her home to die. She was in such an offensive condition that the odor made people sick. It was in June, and very warm, and the flies were thick over her dress. She was a Christian, and was ready to die, but the Lord said she should not die, but live. In less than ten minutes after I began to pray, she was completely healed; she jumped and shouted; the odor stopped with the discharge, at once. She remained a week, and went to work.
We closed the meeting and went to Maxwell, a little town twenty-three miles east of Indianapolis. The Lord drew the people from all parts; though it was a little town, there were two thousand souls there at a time on Sundays, and more on the last Sunday.
Next we went to Ohio, then came back to Indianapolis, commenced meeting in the Christian Church, and remained about eight months. People were saved and healed from the first. They came from Chicago, and other cities, and from all around for several hundred miles, and were saved, healed, and baptized with the Holy Ghost. Many as remarkable miracles of healing as have been wrought since the days of the early church. We will give one testimony, that of the brother himself. It is now about four months since he was healed, and he has not had a pain since, nor sickness; no inconvenience whatever. He is a well man, was made so at once by the power of God. He had piles for thirty years, had them cut and burnt off four times, then cancer commenced; he got so bad that he had to sit on an inflated ring, and had to have his wife to flush his bowels twice a day, to use a long syringe and tube, and two quarts of water at each time; then he would bleed, and it was so offensive she could hardly do it. The bowel was all gone on the left side for ten inches up; the backbone was bare, having no flesh on it on the inside; had rheumatism also, and was a sinner. God converted and. healed him all at once, in less than fifteen minutes. He was sixty-four years old. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost, and is now one of God’s little ones. There is nothing too hard for our God.
Reprinted from The Latter Rain Evangel of Chicago, U. S. A. from an article by Elder F. F. Bosworth, of Dallas, Texas.
On my return home from the Stone Church Convention, I spent three days with Mr. and Mrs. Etter in their home and attended the services. At the close of the first service seven were prayed with for healing and all seemed healed in a few minutes. One sister (an elderly lady who had broken her hip two years before), suffering great pain and unable to step on her right limb, was brought to the meeting. Her daughter and I helped her into the meeting. When hands were laid on her in prayer she was instantly healed and walked perfectly, and continued to walk to the services during my stay in the city.
Mrs. Johnson, living on East Jefferson street, in Indianapolis, was born deaf and dumb and is now nearly fifty-two years old. She had never heard a sound nor spoken a word. When Sister Etter, in the name of Jesus, rebuked the deaf-and-dumb spirit and commanded it to go out, the woman was completely delivered. She can now hear perfectly and is learning to talk for the first time.
Clyde Gray, a barber in Indianapolis, was stone deaf. When Sister Etter commanded him to hear in Jesus’ name, his ears were opened so perfectly that he had to hold his hands over them | at first when the choir sang. Pauline Winters, an eight-year-old child, born blind, was instantly healed in these meetings. Five volumes have been written of Mrs. Etter’s work as an evangelist, and it is doubtful if there is any record written since the “Acts of the Apostles” that is so wonderful.
RAISED FROM THE DEAD
1104 Broadway, Indianapolis.
About five weeks ago, one Sunday night, I was attending the
meetings, and was sitting listening to Sister Etter preaching when
I turned real sick, and a voice said to me, “Come with me.” I went outside the church, a sister accompanying me, and the same
voice said again, “This is death, come now, go with me.”
That was the last I remembered on earth, only I thought of my son in the army, and that no one would know where to send to notify him of my death.
Presently, it seemed to me I was in heaven, in a place where there was such Light, and Rest, and Joy. I heard singing, and all kinds of different instruments.
I saw my earthly father and children, and talked with the Lord, and then a voice said, “You can go back for a while,” and then I heard Sister Etter’s voice calling on me in the name of the Lord.
Sister Woodworth-Etter says, on that occasion there was a commotion; people going out to help, and some coming back. She asked, “What is the matter?” As they did not wish to harm the audience they said “She has fainted.” Sister Etter said “She is all right; and even if the Lord should take her, she is ready. I wish the rest of you were as well prepared.”
After quite a while they carried her body in, and said, “She is dead!” “The pulse has ceased to beat.” There was no motion of the heart, the body was cold and limp, and the face that of a corpse. Sister Etter gathered the others around her, and spoke of Jesus being the Resurrection and the Life, and prayed and called on her in the name of the Lord, and she opened her eyes.
When she opened her eyes they were yellow, and she did not seem to know anything at first; but sat in a big arm chair looking like a corpse. Later on in the meeting she expressed a desire to testify, which she did. She has been attending meeting ever since, and working daily.
Indianapolis, Ind., January 6th, 1915.
I can testify that the Lord can heal.
I was healed of cancer of the rectum. Two doctors of this city, pronounced it a hopeless case. Not even a hospital case—my age and the advancement of the disease. Said I would get no benefit from an operation. My age then was sixty-five years.
The left side of the rectum was eaten away. I was a total wreck physically. Didn’t know what a night’s sleep was; no appetite; my whole nervous system was completely broken down. On the ninth day of January, 1912, I went to where Sister Etter was holding meetings, at 17th street and Martindale avenue, this city. I was a total stranger—did not know a person in the house, except my good wife who had gone with me—as I was unable to go out alone.
When Sister Etter gave the altar call, I went to the altar, knelt down and the brethren and sisters laid on hands and prayed for me, and rebuked the diseases in Jesus’ name. When they laid their hands on my back I shuddered, for I was so sore and tender I could not even bear my back bathed. Just had to take a sponge and squeeze the water out gently on my back as the cancer had almost eaten through. But praise God, he took all soreness away. Something just seemed to drop on the sore spot; it seemed like four or five thicknesses of plasters. It was so real in my mind that I put my hand to my back to see how thick they were. I was not at the altar more than fifteen minutes until all pain and soreness was all gone; that awful burning sensation left and to this day has never returned—about thirty-one months—almost three years since I was healed—not a trace of the diseases left. I have been free from aches and pains; have never had a day of sickness since the day God so wonderfully healed me. On the same day I was also healed of rheumatism in my right arm and shoulder. My arm was drawn to my side; I could not dress myself. The Lord straightened my arm out and it is still straight. Praise the Lord forever. Oh, glory to Jesus, he can save and he has power to heal and he does heal. Oh, I can never tell how happy I was when Jesus touched my body and healed me. I jumped up over the altar; took off my coat and put it on again—something I had not been able to do for weeks. I said if the Lord could stop pains and aches in a moment, He was the one for me to look to.
I had an inflated rubber ring I had to take with me, for I could not sit down on the softest feather pillow, as the rectum was so sore and tender.
I let the air out of the ring; boxed it up; hung up the syringe. I was using three quarts of warm water night and morning in the bowels; three pills each evening and other medicine every two hours. I had nearly two weeks treatment in the house—I threw it all out—haven’t taken a dose of any kind of medicine since the day I was healed nor I would not take a dose for the whole world. The Lord has proved to me beyond a doubt that I don’t need any more; He has shown to me that He has power over man; over sickness; just trust and obey Him. My bowels never moved for five weeks, but I kept on eating just the same; never had a better appetite or felt better in my life—Praise His name for ever. I am twenty pounds heavier to-day than I ever weighed before. The Lord cured me of the drink and tobacco habit also saved me at the same time. Oh, glory to Jesus forever.
John N. Armstrong,
953 Dorman St,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Indianapolis, Ind., January 6th, 1915.
To Whom It May Concern: I, the undersigned, can testify
that each and every word of the above statement of Mr. Armstrong’s
is true to the letter. I am his wife, also am a nurse. I
took care of him when he was suffering and being eaten up with
that awful cancer.
There was a large hole eaten out in his hip and the bowel discharge would drop into that hole, and I would be compelled to use my own hands to lift out the discharge, and the cancer smelled so bad that many times I would get deathly sick and several times came near fainting while working with him, but praise God He healed my husband; healed him to stay healed. The flesh is all filled in now where the hole was eaten in his hip. He is in perfect health; works twelve hours a day, six days week.
Mrs. John N. Armstrong,
953 Dorman St,
Indianapolis, Indiana.