THE MIRACLES OF AZUSA

                                                          THE MIRACLES OF AZUSA

“William J. Seymour, an African-American, was born May 2, 1870, in Centerville, Louisiana, to former slaves Simon and Phillis Seymour, who raised him as a Baptist. Later, while living in Cincinnati, Ohio, he came into contact with holiness teachings through Martin Wells Knapp's God's Revivalist movement and Daniel S. Warner's Church of God Reformation movement, otherwise known as the Evening Light Saints. Believing that they were living in the twilight of human history, these Christians believed that the Spirit's outpouring would precede the rapture of the Church. They deeply impressed the young Seymour.

The Azusa Street Revival was a historic revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African-American preacher. The start of the three-year revival began on April 9, 1906 and continued until roughly 1915. On the night of April 9, 1906, Seymour and seven men were waiting on God on Bonnie Brae Street, "when suddenly, as though hit by a bolt of lightning, they were knocked from their chairs to the floor," and the other seven men began to speak in tongues and shout out loud praising God. The news quickly spread; the city was stirred; crowds gathered; and a few days later Seymour himself received the Holy Spirit; services were moved outside to accommodate the crowds who came from all around; people fell down under the power of God as they approached; people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and the sick were healed and sinners received salvation. To further accommodate the crowds, an old dilapidated, two-story frame building at 312 Azusa Street in the industrial section of the city was secured. This building, originally built for an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, had more recently been used as a livery stable, storage building and tenement house. In this humble Azusa Street mission, a continuous three-year revival occurred and became known around the world.”  (Wikipedia)

 

RECORDED MIRACLES AT AZUSA

 “One man had his shoulder and arm ripped off. William Seymour prayed and, as people watched, the bone grew out followed by flesh. It took about two seconds for the entire arm to grow out.

Members of the congregation began to pray for each other. In one case a man’s fingers had been cut off. They grew back before everyone’s eyes. Another member held her finger on a man’s gum where a tooth was missing. The entire tooth grew back while she watched. A skinny cancer victim was healed and also gained 40 pounds within three hours.”  (Creative Miracles on Azusa Street, God Talk, October 8, 2018)

 

The following excerpt is taken from “True Stories of the Miracles of Azusa Street and Beyond” by Johnny Welch (More Miracles From Azusa by Emery Horvath, June 27, 2013)

“This next story surprised me even more. I still marvel when I think of it. One day Sister Dundee found a horribly disfigured child around five years old amongst the people at Azusa Street. He had scars all around on his head.

His family said that doctors literally had to piece his face back together after he fell from a staircase onto a concrete floor when he was about two-and-a-half years old. The side of his face that took the impact was about one-quarter of an inch lower than the rest of his head.

Sister Dundee could tell he wasn’t normal mentally either. Her reaction? “Oh, how marvelous! God gets glory when things like this happen.”

The father asked, “Things like what?”

“He’s going to be healed,” she declared.

See, by this time, they didn’t say “God’s will.” They said, “He is healed.” They had so much confidence that God was going to heal everyone and everything. “Let me hold the boy in my lap,” she said as she set him down and laid her hand on his head.

Sister Dundee said she could see and feel her hand moving and shifting as she was praying. Finally she took her hand away, and the boy’s face was perfectly normal! He was healed mentally as well.

Now, here’s the shocker. This disfigured child grew up to be a handsome Hollywood star. His name was Robert Montgomery. He became an actor, on stage and scene, as well as a director.

In 1937, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for a thriller called Night Must Fall. His daughter, Elizabeth Montgomery, starred in the hit TV show Bewitched in the 1960s.

From grotesque disfigurement to a golden boy in Hollywood. How’s that for a miracle?

Sister Dundee was part of Azusa almost the entire time the revival lasted. She, too, loved the Shekinah Glory and the music that seemed to fall from heaven. She loved it all, but nothing compared to the love she felt and expressed for the children in need of their Father’s touch.”

 Excerpt taken from “Azusa Street, They Told Me Their Stories, The Youth and Children of Azusa Street Tell Their Stories” Retold by Brother Tommy

“I recall witnessing two of the greatest miracles where Seymour was greatly used by God. I was all ears! First, she told about the man with the wooden leg. Seymour had approached a man with a wooden leg and asked, What did you come here for?‘ The man replied, I want you to pray for my leg. It is starting to get gangrene where the wooden leg attaches. Seymour replied, I‘m just upset because you have the wooden leg on. It would be hard for God to grow a leg out when the wooden leg is attached. The man removed the wooden leg and stood before Seymour standing on his one good leg.

Seymour laid hands on the man and proclaimed, Let Thy Name be Glorified. In the Name of Jesus, I command this leg to grow out. The gangrene is gone; you are healed.

Seymour didn‘t preach that night. The miracle spoke for itself. Rejoicing was continuous as the crowd went wild. The man ran upon the platform and around the room. No one could get him to stop rejoicing and praising God.

Next, Sister Lankford told of the man with no arm. Seymour spoke with a man who had lost his arm ten years earlier through a work-related accident. The arm had been totally severed at the shoulder. Brother Seymour asked the crowd, Would you like to see God have a wonderful time here tonight?

Some of you may remember the man‘s leg that grew out about a year ago. Seymour then asked the one-armed man, Can you work with just the one arm? I‘m just given minimal paying jobs and I barely make enough money to even eat. Seymour shook his head and responded, That‘s not good. Are you married? Yes. Got kids? Yes. This man needs to be able to make a living. This man needs to work and he needs to be able to pay his tithe.

Will you tithe if I pray for you and God gives you your arm back? Seymour said teasingly. Yes! Seymour burst out laughing. I‘m just having fun. He then slapped his hands on the shoulder itself and commanded the arm to grow out. Almost instantly it grew out. The healed man stood in total shock, then started moving his arm and feeling of it with his other hand, awed by the miracle.

A few weeks later the man came back, bringing about 200 people with him, telling many at the meeting that he had gotten his old job back. Many of those he brought with him needed healing and left that evening fully restored as people in the crowd prayed and laid hands on each of them.”

The time is near for greater works than these to be made manifest in these last days!”

 In Jesus,

Tyrone        (Gospel of The Kingdom of God blog July 3, 2013)

Seymour said that another revival would occur in one hundred years.  We are past that time but many now believe that we are ripe for revival, a Third Great Awakening.  All it takes is a hunger for God and the Holy Spirit.  We are in that time.  We are now entering a Book of Acts where the Apostles experienced the manifestation of the Holy Spirit through signs and wonders and miracles beyond what we can only imagine.  We are in that time.  Let us embrace it, pray for it and walk in it!!