Signs and Wonders God Wrought in the Ministry for Forty Years/Chapter 38
CHAPTER XXXVIII
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND OAKLAND, CAL.
A Few words about the wonderful work of God in San Antonio, Texas. The power often came like on Pentecost. The people were tossed about by the power of God as if by a windstorm, and they seemed light as a feather. Their faces shone, and were looking up to heaven, like Stephen, seeing visions of Jews sitting on the right hand of God. God revealed Himself in many wonderful ways, as Jesus said he would, and showed us “things to come.” The last night of the meeting the power filled the house, from the opening until late at night, so that we could hardly close at all. It seemed that the Lord took hold of every one that came into the house. Sinners were struck with deep conviction; they began to weep and rush to the altar. The whole house was soon one altar, souls weeping their way to Christ in all parts of the house. Many got the baptism of the Holy Ghost standing or walking around. Several soldiers were saved, got the baptism and then got on benches or pulpit and began to preach and prophesy, speaking like the voice of God in other tongues; some interpreting, telling the wonderful works of God; little children were preaching and prophesying. I really felt as if we were going to be taken up in the rapture.
Dear Brother, Fred Lohman, the minister, was. filled with God. He was a noble soldier, stood so nobly by and helped to push the battle on to the gates of victory. People talked much about going to heaven. I want to bring heaven down.
A bishop of the Church of England and his wife, who had been attending the meetings, came in, got half way up to the pulpit, was struck with the power of God and held in the aisle, standing amazed at the wonderful display of the presence of God. Ministers all stood like the priests of old; they could not move or work, for the glory and presence of God filled the House of the Lord.
I felt we could not stand it much longer. God Visiting San Antonio With Mighty Power
Published by the “Word and Witness” at Malvern, Ark.
It has pleased our Heavenly Father to grant us a gracious time of refreshing in this city during the past six weeks. Sister Etter has preached the old time Gospel, not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in the power and demonstration of the Spirit. She has utterly ignored the “Creeds, Theories and Dogmas of Men,” and held high the “Blood Stained Banner of King Emmanuel,” pointing to the bleeding victim of Golgotha as THE ONLY HOPE OF THE RACE.
From the first God set His seal on the work, “Confirming the word with signs and wonders in the name of Jesus.” Sinners have been gloriously saved, the sick healed, the deaf have received hearing, the lame, have been made to walk, and many have received. the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Some Healing Miracles
A Spanish lady, a Catholic, 79 years of age, all crippled up with paralysis, came into the meeting, was saved, healed and filled with the glory of God; her face shining like an angel as she stood on the altar praising God with uplifted hands for saving her soul arid healing her body. A man 80 years old, his form all bent with rheumatism for years, a great sinner (a Catholic), came into the meeting, heard the singing, saw the shining faces, felt the mighty power of God, fell down at the altar under awful conviction, got saved and healed, threw down his stick and ran up and down the aisle shouting the praises of God.
An aged man, a precious saint of God, living in this city, who for years has been an invalid, suffering from a fall, unable to come to the meetings, but was brought in a buggy, was prayed for and God touched him. Now, using his own terms, he "can walk like a man." Many miracles have been performed in Jesus' name. People have been healed of cancer, tumor, catarrh, rheumatism, diabetes, consumption, sore eyes, and eating sores. Lame limbs have been made whole, and deaf ears have been opened.
One lady, dying, from all appearances with heart failure, was snatched from the very jaws of death. Her form was cold and limp, her eyes glassy, and the death damp stood on her brow. She had bidden all good-bye and was sinking fast when Sister Etter reached her. But, glory be to God, when our sister rebuked “the grim monster,” commanding him to loosen his grip, and calling to the departing one to come back, she rallied and came forth in the strength of Israel’s God. Now for over a week she has been in the meeting, shouting and praising God.
Other Signs and Wonders
Beside the mighty miracles of healing, God has shown many other signs of His mighty presence, and the soon coming of the Lord. In many ways the Holy Ghost has signified that we were near the end. Sometimes during the preaching God’s power would settle down on the saints till some were melted to tears, others saw wonderful visions of His coming glory. Sometimes Sister Etter was held like a statue, unable to utter a word. Other times she stood weeping over the people, while the power of God swept over all like the tide of a great ocean.
Around the altar souls saw visions of Him who is walking today among the “candlesticks, holding the stars in His right hand.” Numbers seem to hear that voice as the sound of “Great Waters” and like John fell at His feet as dead. The unsaved, beholding the shining faces of those lying as dead men in the presence of God, wept and said, “These are strange things.”
Many saw visions of Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Sometimes the Spirit would move like a gentle breeze, fanning every soul with the breath of heaven, then send torrents of weeping over the lost until it seemed to some that the very shades of the dark “tribulation” cloud was casting a shadow all around us. One morning while the Spirit was dealing with the saints in a marvelous way, suddenly a sister began to speak in a tongue unknown to any one present, but seemed to be calling us forth to battle. At this same time several in the Spirit were hearing the tramp, tramp of a mighty army, and two saw the mighty army of heaven riding forth on white horses. Then the lady who had been speaking in tongues began giving a shout of victory, and victory was felt in many hearts, which was taken up by the saints, while the power and Spirit of God settled down upon us until it seemed the whole place was lighted up with the glory and presence of God.
God is wonderfully using our sister in gathering together the saints in unity, shedding forth the mighty truths of the Pentecostal Baptism, showing forth the mighty power of God in this end of the age, helping the Bride to make herself ready for the coming of the Bridegroom.
Fred Lohman,
San Antonio, Tex.
GOD WORKING IN SAN ANTONIO
Mrs. Woodworth-Etter There in a Meeting
God set his seal on the very first service in a blessed way. From the first souls have been saved, some baptized, and bodies healed. There have been some real miracles of healing, one woman came all the way from Oklahoma in a wagon. She had not walked for years, but after Mrs. Etter prayed for her, and rebuked the spirit of infirmity in Jesus’ name, commanding her to rise up and walk, she rose up, walking and praising God.
Another lady came from Chicago and was healed of consumption, and is in the meeting every night giving glory to God for His mighty power to save and to heal. Another lady about 70 years of age came to the meetings, having spent much and suffered much of many physicians. She was having hemorrhages of the lungs, was prayed for and has been shouting the victory ever since, and can breathe and talk and shout like other folks. This morning she was in the meeting and walked up and down before the altar, praising God for having given her perfect soundness of lungs.
A civil engineer, who had not heard a word or sound for more than four years, the drum having been destroyed by an abscess, when he was prayed for and in the name of Jesus commanded to receive his hearing, he immediately received his hearing. He was prayed for last Sunday night a week ago, and last Sunday night he was in the meeting and testified that he could hear perfectly.
A brother, a preacher, whose right ear has been closed for eighteen years from the use of strong drugs, was made to hear clearly out of the dead ear today, through Jesus.
People are here from Canada, Georgia, South Carolina, Oklahoma,
Arkansas, and from many Texas cities. Some are inquiring from afar off, and others are coming. Interest is growing
and we are expecting great things from God. Bad weather
has hindered the crowds, but many good people are coming, who
before would not attend Pentecostal meetings.
Fred Lohman.
OAKLAND MEETINGS
After closing the meeting at San Antonio, Texas, my husband and I started on the long journey to California. We arrived in Oakland, where, twenty-six years before, I went with a sickly husband, two young girls and a janitor. We were entire strangers. We had one large and six small tents in the rainy season, when all campers had taken their tents and left. There was scarcely a ray of hope or anyone to look to but the Lord. A few saints came out to see what was going on in the tent. They soon found out that God was working in a mighty way. Some of the most influential men and women of the city, among them were George Montgomery, Dr. Smith and wife, and Lawyer Tripp, who lifted the financial burden off us. And others also came as they were able; many thousands were saved, healed and baptized in the Holy Ghost.
I remembered how the Lord had shown me at that time the great earthquake that was coming on San Francisco, Oakland and adjoining towns, and that I would live to work over the ruins. Now, after all these years, I saw that prophecy fulfilled.
Dear Brother and Sister Montgomery kindly insisted on us stopping at their beautiful home of peace at Beulah Heights for a week of rest before commencing meeting in San Jose. But when the dear saints knew we were coming they insisted on having a meeting if only for a week. We had a great desire to meet the dear ones after so many years, so we stayed one night with Sister Montgomery, then held services five days in the theatre in Oakland. It was a time of rejoicing, meeting many who had been saved, healed and saved from the grave. Brother and Sister Montgomery, Dr. Smith and wife were greatly used of the Lord. All were surprised to see such an outpouring of the Spirit in so short a time, so many healed, saved,
and filled with the Spirit. MRS. ETTER'S MEETINGS IN OAKLAND, CAL.
(Copied from “Triumphs of Faith”)
We had the privilege of attending all of Mrs. Etter’s meetings in Oakland during her six days’ stay in this city. The meetings were held in Castle Hall, 387 Twelfth street, a comfortable, well ventilated hall, seating several hundred. The services were well attended. Mrs. Etter gave Bible addresses on the New Birth, A Victorious Life in Christ, the Double Cure—or Healing for Soul and Body, the Coming of the Lord, and kindred topics. Often for more than an hour at a time she would give teachings from the word of God, and the power of God would so hold the audience from beginning to end that scarcely a person would leave before the close.
The altar services were remarkable, large numbers crowding forward for Spiritual blessings, and healing of the body. So many desired healing that it was impossible for Mrs. Etter to pray personally with each one, but she laid her hands on a large number at nearly every altar service, and prayed the prayer of faith for them. Many of these seemed very ill, and we often noticed a great change in their outward appearance, after prayer had been offered for them. We also heard many say that they had been wonderfully relieved from suffering. It was quite marvelous at times to note the different expression on the face, as the light of God came into the soul, through some teaching given at the moment by Mrs. Etter.
Quite a number of these suffering ones came from a distance, returning after prayer had been offered, and so we did not see them again.
We conversed with a young woman who was instantly healed of deafness. She said she had been partly deaf for fifteen years, and very deaf for three years. She heard me as I conversed with her in an ordinary tone, and she seemed very happy, and full of praise. Mrs. Etter had commanded the deaf demon to come out of her ears, in the name of Jesus.
A man whom we knew, was healed of deafness, with which he had been afflicted for more than fifty years. He thought I must be shouting at him, when I talked in an ordinary tone. He was delighted that he could hear people conversing as he passed them on the street. One little boy who was afflicted with a cleft palate and could not talk’ intelligibly, was prayed with, and could talk plainly afterwards, greatly to his delight.
There were many other workers at the altar, and the sick ones who could not get near Mrs. Etter were often prayEd with by these brothers and sisters, and many testified that they were healed. The power of God was so manifest in the altar services that it seemed very easy to lead souls to Christ, and to see them receive Him with great simplicity. Others received the Pentecostal Baptism.
Sometimes a wonderful wave of praise and joy would strike the audience, and many faces would shine with heavenly rapture. On one occasion there was a marvelous heavenly anthem, in which many voices joined. One lady who was herself quite a musician, who had never heard anything of the kind, said afterwards to me with surprise and pleasure, “I think some angels must have been helping.
Since I began to write this article, a lady (almost a stranger to me) said over the phone: “I never expect to be as near heaven again while on earth, as I was in those meetings.” And then she added about Mrs. Etter, “How wonderful she was in always pointing us to Jesus, and never letting any one get their eyes on her.” Yes, praise God, that was true. She begged the Christians to hold her up in prayer, while she preached.
Praise the Lord for the privilege of looking into the faces
and taking the hand of fellowship; of so many of the redeemed
of the Lord. The power of the Lord was wonderful in leading
the believers out into the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and clearing
up experiences, and to heal the sick. Multitudes went forth
to publish the word with power and gifts as never before.”
By the Editor
Mrs. C. J. Montgomery.