A Vicar's Testimony: E-Book

Alexander Alfred Boddy

• Herausgeber: Full Well Ventures
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Alexander A. Boddy *1854-1930 was the main pioneer of Pentecostalism in Britain during the early 20th century. He was appointed as vicar at All Saints' Parish Church, Sunderland, in 1884 and first gained notoriety writing several travel books for the Royal Geographical Society. He later traveled to experience various revival movements and conventions in America and in Europe and founded the Pentecostal magazine, "Confidence."

Leseprobe

A Vicar’s Testimony

“Pentecost” at Sunderland

Alexander Alfred Boddy

Spiritual Gifts —

1 Corinthians 14:1 (R.V.): Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

Maranatha —

1 Corinthians 16:22: If anyone does not love the Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord!

Originally published in 1907 in Sunderland, England.

Digital Edition © 2012 Full Well Ventures

Created with Vellum

Contents

Preface

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Notes

Preface

Excerpt From “Trust.”

Never since that love message from our Lord in the glory to His waiting Church “Behold I come quickly,” have there been such sublime and supernatural preparations for that coming as are girding the world at this moment.

Never has the midnight cry, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye forth to meet Him,” been echoed and re-echoed in holy joy from land to land by thousands of Spirit-inspired voices as in these days, and never has the Spirit-given prayer, “Even so, come Lord Jesus,” been made the actual cry of so many illuminated and awakened hearts as during the past year.

(Boddy begins this pamphlet with a quote from “Trust,” an early American Pentecostal magazine, published monthly by Elim House Publishing in Rochester, New York, from 1902-1932.)

Part 1

“Pentecost” at Sunderland.

Glory to Jesus — Wonderful Savior!

Gory to Jesus, the ONE I adore!

Glory to Jesus — Wonderful Savior!

Gory to Jesus, and praise evermore.

MARANATHA (The Lord is at hand). —

1 Corinthians 16:22

An earnest “Seeker” whilst kneeling before the lord in one of our meetings suddenly saw Him with outstretched hands — as if blessing the world. The great world in darkness was below Him, and from His fingertips slowly fell drops of living flame. Where they fell on the earth each drop kindled a little fire when then grew and spread. So she saw many little fires kindled in this country of ours. We praise God that we know of at least twenty centers1 where He is giving the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with “signs,” and most of these have received blessing through the meetings here in Sunderland.2 To our God indeed alone be the glory. But may we not expect the great Enemy of Souls to work also more determinedly than ever before. Yes, indeed! And we need to keep very true to the Lord, and to be sheltered consciously and really under His blood and behind His Cross.

Whatever may be wrongly attributed to this work of God, whatever of unconscious bias in those without who write about it; whatever mistakes we may have really made, whatever onslaughts the devil may have made — we know that the

Lord is in this His Work.

It is not like the enemy to make us love more than ever the Blessed Master and His Word, and to fill us with joy in adoring the Lamb. Of course we, just as much as many of those who do not see that this work is of Him, are alike anxious to oppose all that the Devil or the Flesh may endeavor to bring in, and we are glad indeed of the prayers of all God’s people. Never were there meetings where there was greater trust in the efficacy of the Blood. Never have we heard sung more truly from the heart and in the Spirit:

Would you be free from your Passion and Pride?

There’s Power in the Blood, Power in the Blood.

Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s Tide,

There’s wonderful Power in the Blood.

There is Power, Power, wonder-working Power,

In the precious Blood of the Lamb.

“Pentecost” (or a Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the Sign of Tongues) means a deep work from which many will shrink. It has meant ‘restitution’ before it could be granted. Doubtful things must be dealt with and confessions made to God and man. It means a denial of self and the daily taking up of the Cross. It means a real following of the Lord as in Luke 9:23-24. (Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.)

It will probably mean going into the Wilderness of Temptation as Jesus went, but the going with Him Who is ever Victorious. We know He is with us. As Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21), so the Spirit-baptized ones are sometimes called to pass through terrible darkness, but God is there.

“Pentecost” means a Life of Union with the Lord Jesus, it means continual Victory as we trust His precious Blood, New Power to witness fro Him, and to lay hold of the Gifts He has for His Body. But above all the Holy Ghost makes real to us the Glorified Christ in a way we have never known. This it is which makes us strong to stand, because we are standing in the Victory that HE has won over all the principalities and powers of darkness. Even the “Seekers” for Pentecost are often much blessed in their waiting time, perhaps more than they always realize while they “tarry.”

After months of trials, difficulties, and often of overwhelming joy, I feel that the time has come to tell something of the way by which the Lord has in His mercy led me. No two experiences are exactly alike, and we must not expect always to have the experiences of others. Many seem to have had much more wonderful experiences than myself, and I thank Him for every God-given blessing they have received; but as for myself I very humbly bear witness that the Lord is much more real to me than He was a year ago, and His Word is much more precious, also that He is graciously using me more in His Kingdom.

In His mysterious ways He seems so often to do the most unexpected things in these days of His Latter Rain. There have been complaints in the religious press that this work of God was chiefly among the ignorant and uneducated. But have they not often the best chance of believing God? There is less carnal knowledge and religious head-knowledge to be shaken out of such. God hath chosen base things of the world and things which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are; that no flesh should glory in His presence (1 Corinthians 1:28).

Part 2

Earlier Experiences

“If my people which are called by My Name shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

2 Chronicles 7:14.

When I look out at the blazing stars and the clear shining planets I often think what a wonderful God I have who is guiding this enormous earth as it rolls so swiftly through space round its sun. He is the God who guides my life also.

I think of His love which chose me before the world was, He knew all about me right back in eternity. He planned my salvation long before the Fall, and now in my life, I have seen how He has been working so patiently, in spite of my marring self-efforts. I must, I will, and I do praise Him.