"The spirit of song given from God in the beginning of Azusa was like the Aeolian harp, in its spontaneity and sweetness. In fact it was the very breath of God, playing on human heart strings, or human vocal cords. The notes were wonderful in sweetness, volume and duration. In fact they were oftimes humanly impossible. It was "singing in the Spirit."

It was a gift from God of higher order, and appeared among us soon after the Azusa work began. No one had preached it. The Lord had sovereignly bestowed it, with the outpouring of the "residue of oil," the "Latter rain" baptism of the Spirit. It was exercised, as the Spirit moved the possessors, either in solo fashion, or by the company. It was sometimes without words, other times in ?tongues.? The effect was wonderful on the people. It brought a heavenly atmosphere, as though the angels themselves were present and joining with us. And possibly they were. Some one has said that every fresh revival brings in its own hymnology. And this one surely did.
"The services ran almost continuously. Seeking souls could be found under the power almost any hour, night and day. The place was never closed nor empty. The people came to meet God. He was always there. Hence the continuous meeting. The meeting did not depend on the human leader. God's presence became more and more wonderful. In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors, God took strong men and women to pieces, and put them together again, for His glory. It was a tremendous overhauling process.
Pride and self-assertion, self-importance and self-esteem, could not survive there. The religious ego preached its own funeral quickly.

"No subjects or sermons were announced ahead of time, an no special speakers for such an hour. No one knew what might be coming, what God would do. All was spontaneous, ordered of the Spirit. We wanted to hear from God, through whoever he might speak.

"We were delivered right there from ecclesiastical hierarchism and abuse. We wanted God. When we first reached the meeting we avoided as much as possible human contact and greeting. We wanted to meet God first. We got our head under some bench in the corner in prayer, and met men only in the Spirit...

"The meetings started themselves, spontaneously, in testimony, praise and worship. The testimonies were never hurried by a call for "popcorn." We had NO prearranged programme to be jammed through on time. Our time was the Lord's. We had real testimonies, from fresh heart-experience. Otherwise, the shorter the testimonies, the better. A dozen might be on their feet at once, trembling under the mighty power of God. We did not have to get our cue from some leader. And we were free from lawlessness. We were shut up to God in prayer in the meetings, our minds on Him. ... The Lord was able to burst through anyone.We prayed for this continually. Some one would finally get up anointed for the message. All seemed to recognised this and gave way. It might be a child, a woman, or a man. It might be from the back seat, or from the front. It made no difference. We rejoiced that God as working. No one wished to show himself. We thought only of obeying God. In fact there was an atmosphere of God there that forbade any one but a fool attempting to put himself forward without the real anointing. And such did not last long! The meetings were controlled by the Spirit, from the throne...

"Some one might be speaking. Suddenly the Spirit would fall upon the congregation. God Himself would give the altar call. Men would fall all over the house, like the slain in battle, or rush for the altar enmasse, to seek God. The scene often resembled a forest of fallen trees. Such a scene cannot be imitated. I never saw an altar call given in those early days. God Himself would call them.

"And the preacher knew when to quit. When He spoke we all obeyed. it seemed a fearful thing to hinder or grieve the Spirit. The whole place was steeped in prayer . God was in His holy temple. it was for man to keep silent. The shekinah glory rested there. In fact some claim to have seen the glory by night over the building. I do not doubt it. I have stopped more than once within two blocks of the place and prayed for strength before I dared go on. The presence of the Lord was so real.

"We saw some wonderful things in those days. Even very good men came to abhor themselves in the clearer light of God. The preachers died the hardest. they had so much to die to. So much reputation and good works. But when God got through with them they gladly turned a new page and chapter. That was one reason they fought so hard. Death is not at all a pleasant experience. And strong men die hard..."

Ansel Post (a Baptist preacher) at an Azusa meeting, wrote of his Pentecost experience: "As suddenly as on the day of Pentecost, while I was sitting some 12 feet right in front of the speaker, the Holy Spirit fell upon me and filled me literally. I seemed to be lifted up, for I was in the air in an instant, shouting "Praise God," and instantly I began to speak in another language. I couldn't have been more surprised if at the same moment some one had handed me a million dollars."


OPPOSITION

Bartleman wrote on Aug 1, 1906:
"Pentecost has come to Los Angeles, the American Jerusalem. Every sect, creed and doctrine under Heaven is found in Los Angeles, as well as every nation represented. Many times I have been tempted to wonder if my strength would hold out to see it. The burden of prayer has been very great... Men are now in trouble of soul everywhere, and the revival with its unusual phenomena is the topic of the day. There is terrible opposition manifested also. The newspapers here are venomous, and most unfair and untrue in their statements. The pseudo systems of religion are fighting hard also. But the 'hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies.' A cleansing stream is flowing through the city. the Word of God prevails.

"Persecution is strong. Already the police have been appealed to break up the meetings. The work has been hindered much also by fanatical spirits of which the city has far too many.... The meetings are crowded out. There is great excitement among the unspiritual and unsaved. Demons are being cast out, the sick healed, many blessedly saved, restored and baptized with he Holy Ghost and power. Heroes are being developed, the weak made strong in the Lord. Men's hearts are being searched... it is a tremendous sifting time, not only of actions but of inner, secret motives. Nothing can escape the all-searching eye of God. Jesus is being lifted up, the 'blood' magnified and the Holy Spirit honored once more. There is much 'slaying power' manifest. And this is the chief cause of resistance on the
part of those who refuse to obey. It is real business... Strong men lie for hours under the mighty power of God, cut down like grass. This revival will be a world-wide one, without doubt." Bartleman

Someone wrote in those days: " While the fire of God is falling, while the voice of God is calling, brothers, get the flame..!"

Bartleman wrote:
"Thousands are here from all over the Union, and from many parts of the world.. These will scatter the fire to the ends of the earth. Missionary zeal is at white heat. The 'gifts' of the Spirit are being given.. Surely we are in the days of restoration, 'the last days,' wonderful days, glorious days...."

We are reminded of Spurgeon's Dying Appeal:
"The presence of God in the Church will put an end to infidelity. Men will not doubt His word when they feel His Spirit. For a thousand reasons we need that Jehovah should come into the camp, as aforetimes He visited and delivered His people from bondage in Egypt."

As the revival progressed, the centre of the revival phenomena moved from place to place, church to church and many times being simultaneously at more than one place at the same time. Here is what happened to Bartleman when he was leading the revival in the little Alley Mission in Pasadena:

"One evening at this time I went to the Little Alley Mission in Pasadena. I had a very heavy burden of prayer during the meeting. There was a young wife, an ex-Volunteer officer, there, who had been back-slidden for several years. God laid her heavily upon my heart and I felt she must be saved that night. the meeting was about to close, but she still sat unmoved. It was after 11 o'clock. I spoke to her and warned her it might be her last chance. She still sat indifferent. Then I began to plead with her. The people resented this as I pressed her for a decision. They thought I was going too far. But an agony of prayer was upon me for her soul. I had to resist the opposition of the most of the other workers,as well as the enemy. For a full hour I battled thus, almost alone. At times I was driven back by the
unequal conflict, and even tempted to think I must have been mistaken as to the mind of God. Finally I fell to the floor under a real travail of soul forher. it was the crisis. My life seemed almost pressed out of me.... This kind of prayer costs. Then all at once the burden left me. It fell on her. Conviction seized her. She fell to the floor as though shot and began to cry in an agony of soul. And so for nearly three hours she struggled and wept her way through, with a broken heart, to Calvary and to restoration. It was about 3 AM when she arose, with the very shine of an angel on her face, in perfect victory. it had paid to hold on to God and to obey my convictions, be obedient to the Sprit. This sister later received a ministry of intercession, and was used of God in a marvelous way in soul and travail during the meetings."

One night Bartleman was left with only two ladies after the meeting. One of them was the lady in the incident above. Everybody had left the building except these three. They all felt a spirit of prayer seizing them -interceding for the lost. As they were doing so, a gang of toughs entered the building and turned almost demonically against them. The Spirit warned Bartleman 3 times that his life was in danger. The gang was led by 'a German, a very wicked atheist.'

The gang started physically attacking the little group of three:
"Finally one more bold than the rest seized me by the shoulder and commanded me to get up and quit praying. I offered no resistance but threw my hands up and called on God. The martyr spirit was upon me.. I felt no fear. The next moment, to my surprise my assailant lurched forward on his knees and began to beg me to pray for him. He had gone too far. God had struck him. " Unfortunately the attacker and the rest of the gang managed to shake the conviction off and next "two of them seized one of the sisters. She threw up
her arms and shouted victory. The power of God fell upon her. Fear fell upon the gang again and they left her..."

But again they recovered form conviction and pursued the three with their assaults. Finally Bartleman managed to get them through the mob to the outside of the building, locking the doors behind them when everyone was outside. He even "shook hands with the first two toughs I met, evaded the leader, and passed through their midst without a scratch, by the mercy of God. They could not touch me.. The gang had mocked our tears and prayers for them that night. But they had not mocked us, but Christ. I have never seen such daring before, and had a feeling they might have to pay for it. .. Some had Christian parents too, and knew better..

"Only a little while after this, several of these same young men met a sudden, unnatural and horrible death: one had his head cut off by a train, while on a motorcycle. Another was burned to a cinder.. by a live wire. A third was burned to death with gasoline."
 

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