312 Azusa Street

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312 AZUSA STREET

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Everyone knew another meeting place had to be found quickly. The Asbery home could no longer accommodate the crowds. So on April 14, 1906, Seymour and his elders set out to find the perfect place. They wandered around the city near their area until they came upon a dead-end street that was about a half a mile long. It was there, in the industrial business section of Los Angeles, that Seymour found what had once been an old Methodist church. 

After its use by the Methodists, the building had been remodeled for a different purpose. It had been divided in half, the top section having been turned into apartments. But a fire had destroyed the floor, and the cathedral-shaped roof had been flattened and covered with tar.

When Seymour acquired the building, the top floor was being used for storage, while the bottom floor had been converted into a horse stable. The windows were broken, and bare electric light bulbs hung from the ceiling. Seymour was offered the building for eight dollars a month.

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As the word got out, people came from everywhere to help restore the building. A. G. Osterburg, the pastor of the local Full Gospel Church, paid several men to help renovate the building. Volunteers swept the floors and whitewashed the walls. J. V. McNeil, a devout Catholic and owner of the largest lumber company in Los Angeles, donated lumber for the cause. Sawdust was placed on the floor, and planks were nailed to wooden barrels for use as pews. Two empty crates were nailed on top of each other to act as Seymour’s pulpit.

It was in this humble, skidrow-like setting that Azusa Street prepared themselves for international revival.

- God’s Generals ( William J. Seymour )

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William James Roop

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

William Seymour's Powerful Services

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Here is an article from an unknown source. Enjoy.

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JOHN G LAKE TALKS ABOUT WILLIAM SEYMOUR'S POWERFUL SERVICES IN LOS ANGELS.

"I was in a meeting in Los Angeles on one occasion. An old black man was conducting the services'. He had the funniest vocabulary. But I want to tell you, there were doctors, lawyers, and professors listening to marvelous things coming from his lips.

It was not what he said in words; it was what he said from his spirit to my heart that showed me he had more of God in his life than any man I had ever met up to that time. It was God in him who was attracting people.

One man insisted on getting up and talking every little while. Some people have a mania for talking. The old black brother endured it for a long time. Finally, the fellow got up again, and the old man stuck his finger out and said, "In the Name of Jesus Christ, sit down!" The man did not sit down. He fell down. And his friends carried him out. That is only one of the living facts of what Christianity is: the divine power of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, filling a man's soul and body, flashing through his nature like holy flame, accomplishing the will of God."

William James Roop

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Holy Ghost Meetings

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“Azusa Street Holy Ghost Meetings” by Frank Bartleman.

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Brother Seymour generally sat behind two empty shoe boxes, one on top of the other. He usually kept his head inside the top one during the meeting, in prayer. There was no pride there. 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 a 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 sermon quickly.

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No subjects or sermons were announced ahead of time, and 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 had no “respect of persons.” The rich and educated were the same as the poor and ignorant, and found a much harder death to die. We only recognized God: All were equal. No flesh might glory in His presence.

He could not use the self-opinionated. Those were Holy Ghost meetings, led of the Lord. It had to start in poor surroundings, to keep out the selfish, human element. All came down in humility together, at His feet.

They all looked alike, and had all things in common in that sense at least.

_

Frank Bartleman in “How Pentecost Came to Los Angeles (1925)

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William James Roop

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Brother Roop teaches the Bible

Jennie Evans Moore

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Here is the amazing witness of a beautiful saint.

Jennie Evans Moore Seymour is reported as the first woman in Los Angeles to speak in tongues. Jennie left Texas and found work in Los Angeles as a servant. Later she became a cook for an influential white family and lived at 217 North Bonnie Brae Street. Jennie lived across the street and regularly attended the meetings William Seymour was holding at Richard and Ruth Asberry's home at 214 North Bonnie Brae Street. When Jennie received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, she spoke in six different languages. 

Never playing the piano before, she went to the piano and began to play under the anointing while singing in tongues. She also began attending the revival meetings at 312 Azusa Street. She married Seymour on May 13, 1908. The congregation at Azusa Street continued meeting until William Seymour's death on September 28, 1922. Jennie took over the leadership of the church. She continued meetings with the faithful in her home on Bonnie Brae Street until her health deteriorated. She died on July 2, 1936.

By B.E. Taylor

William James Roop

Roop-Crappell Ministries

Hospice Care and Dying

The Trucking Tango

Brother Roop teaches the Bible

Sister Mead's Baptism

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This is a testimony of Ardell K. Mead, that she wrote in to the Azusa Street Mission, and they published it in their newsletter, in November of 1906.

Two years before we left Africa, The Holy Spirit began to speak to us in an especial way. We felt the lack of the power and love in the service of our Master, And we commit seeking not power from Him; we had no definite light on the baptism in our sanctified life of twenty years. And praise God, we did have a most wonderful experience when we were justified, and our sins forgiven.

And then after we were sanctified, the joy of heaven killed our souls, and we had the wonderful "anointing which abideth." Yet we felt the lack of power in our lives, and this was what we were earnestly seeking, as we waited on God in our little mission home in Africa. It was at this time, that the Book of the Revelation was so wonderfully opened up to our souls, for which we shall never cease to praise God.

Just before our return to America, we believe that was the Spirit of God, who said to us very plainly: "Los Angeles, California, is the end of your journey." This seemed strange to us, at the time, as we had no friends in Los Angeles; but we see now it was the Holy Spirit of God, to bring us to Los Angeles to receive our Pentecost.

Our faith was indeed tested after reaching this city. After three days, I had pneumonia and both lungs, and for days I realized nothing of this world. But praise God He raised me up in answer to the prayer of faith, and I shall never cease to praise Him, that he spared me for this wonderful day of my Pentecost. While in our home in Los Angeles, at times the Spirit would be wonderfully poured out upon us in our morning worship, and then the enemy would thrust sore at us, knowing that his time was short.

About this time we met a sister in Christ, who told us of the Azusa Street meetings, and that some were speaking in tongues, so we went at once to see if these things were true. We felt the power of God immediately as we entered the meeting. After two or three days, as the invitation was given for those who wish to seek for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, I went forward to the little humble altar.

While on the way the enemy said to me, "You, a missionary in Africa twenty years, now going forward to the alter," I said, yes. I am going forward, for I want all that God has for me, and then and there I gained a real victory in my soul. Then Brother Seymour, Sister Crawford and another Sister laid their hands upon me that I might receive the Holy Ghost. As they prayed, I felt the power go through my body, but did not receive then the full baptism.

We waited on God daily in our home for three weeks, searching the Scriptures, confessing our faults, and getting everything under the blood, even forgetting at times to take food. During this time, while attending the meetings one day, the tongues became a stone of stumbling to me, and a rock of a offense, and I immediately went into darkness, which was so great that my dear husband cried the Lord for me, and I was restored, willing to submit what I did not understand to God. Then the enemy tried to get me discouraged, telling me that this baptism was not for me.

I went into my room feeling so discouraged, when the Spirit said to me as plainly as a voice, "How did you receive your justification? How did you receive your sanctification?" I said, Lord, by faith. He then said, "Receive me." I arose, and felt very happy, praising the Lord. This was on Friday evening and we went into our front room and said we would have a meeting to seek the Spirit just as they did at Brother Seymour's. So we sang and testified, and they fell on our knees in prayer. As we repeated over and over again, we receive the Holy Ghost and our simplicity, He came in, and we could not retire until late. Then we asked the Holy Spirit to continue his work in us while we slept.

On Saturday morning at the breakfast table I said, something seems to hinder my perfect freedom, and my husband said, "It may be in regard to your little neighbor; you know she did not receive the gospel, and left off coming in to see you, and so you have left off going in to see her. You have more light than she, and perhaps have done wrong." The faithful Holy Spirit convicted me, and I said, beginning to cry like a child, Oh, Lord, I see it and fell on my knees. Just as I did this crying "let it all be under the blood," The Holy Ghost fell upon me in great sweetness and power; and just then I had a wonderful revelation that the blood of Christ making me as clean and innocent is a child, and Jesus was real to me.

I was under the power from early morning till about five at night, prophesying in the Scriptures and then began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave me utterance. I spoke most of the afternoon, having some very sweet revelations concerning the precious blood of Christ, which I trust will never be taken away from me, and may, through the Spirit, be used to glorify my Savior.

Since then I have been shown that what I speak is an African dialect, and concerning the blood of Christ.

And now I follow on to know the Lord more fully and may I be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge; and may have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

If any sanctified soul is seeking Pentecost, the way is so simple. Believe and receive, and it is His will to fill your precious soul.

Signed, Ardell K. Mead.

William James Roop, MA.B.S.

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