The Polishing Process

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This was a testimony written to the Azusa Street Mission in 1906. It was published by William J Seymour and his book called, "The Azusa Street Papers."

Several years ago, when I was very hungry, seeking God and all His fullness, I shut myself away in my closet one day, and the Lord gave me a wonderful revelation.  As I was kneeling before my Maker, beseeching Him to show me all he expected me to be, Right before my eyes I saw this wonderful vision.  They're appeared a man with a large, long, knotty, but straight log.  The man had an axe.  Did you ever see anybody score timber? He was scoring the log, And it seemed to me the axe went clear to the bit.  And every time he scored, it hurt me.  He scored it on four sides and then took the broad axe and whacked off the knots. Then he took a line and with an adz he made it pretty smooth. Then he raised it in the air, and taking a great plane, turn to me and said: "this is the plane of the Holy Ghost," And he ran the plane up and down, till I could see the image of the man perfectly reflected in the face of the log, as in a mirror.  He did this to all four sides.  Then turning to me, he said: "thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."

That is what God wants to do with us.  He wants to take all the bumps, all the barnacles off. We have only begun to lay ourselves on the anvil of God's truth. The hammer is being applied to us. He may have to throw us back in the smelter several times.  Let us stay in the fire till there is no more dross in us.  Sometimes we think God has done all He needs to do; but something comes up that we do not like, And the old man can get up and hobble off on a pretty good shin.

Several weeks ago, I thought surely the last stroke is put in, And now I am dead to the world. But it was not very long till I found out there was a little self there. I was holding a meeting in a little village. We had to move a kitchen stove, And there was no way for me to get on top of that cook stove and ride behind an old mule team, And I found Sister Hall had a little life in her yet. Thank God, I am dead to that thing now.

Let us stay on the anvil of God, till we reflect the image of the Master.  There is a place where we can get, thank God Almighty will say: "Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee."

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

A Know-So Salvation

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This was a story published by William J Seymour, in his book called, "The Azusa Street Papers," in 1906.

If God for Christ sake had forgiven you your sins, you know it.  And if you do not know it better than you know anything in this world, you are still in your sins. When you go down in the atonement, In the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are accepted. And if you are accepted, And He has giving you a clean heart and sanctified your soul, you know it.  And if you do not know it, The work is not done.

If you are baptized with the Holy Ghost, you know it, And if everybody else knows it. That is one thing you cannot hide. When you are sanctified, People have to take your testimony and watch your life, but when he comes and covers you over and around and about, people know it. Man may say, it is of the devil and they are drunk, but glory to God, He Will shine out Himself, And there is a power back of you that men and women cannot gainsay. It will give you holy boldness to stand up before the world without fear.

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

When The Holy Ghost Speaks

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This was a testimony told to William J. Seymour, and published in his book called, "The Azusa Street Papers," in 1906.

Brother H. M. Allen, 3081 E. 6th street, Los Angeles, who received the gift of tongues, says he wrote down the sounds phonetically and took the standard works on languages and found out what it meant. He says: "I find everything the Holy Ghost speaks to me in the unknown tongues is of profound report. He has not given me liberty to tell all. He has shown me an unknown tongues, but they are the most important things that can possibly take our attention, Things that are speedily coming on the whole Earth. God performed a miracle in speaking to me in unknown tongues. I have taken the dictionary of languages and found out that was absolutely true. It may sound foolish to you to hear people speaking and unknown tongues, but if he speaks only two words they are well worth listening to."

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Sermon From A Dress

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This is a testimony given by Ophelia Wiley, that she wrote to Azusa Street Mission. It was published by William J. Seymour in 1906, in his Azusa Street Mission newsletter.

The Lord makes his Truth so plain that a wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein.  You have all seen a dirty dress washed.  But you never saw a person take a dirty dress and iron it.  And he never saw them take a dress and wash and iron it all at once. And he never saw a person put on a dress and iron it.  The dirty dress represents a person in sin. You're righteousness is filthy rags.  "Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow." When you get the dress washed, that represents a justified experience. When the dress is washed and on the line, you rejoice because the washing is through.

But the clothes need something else before they are ready to wear. What do they need?  Why, They need to be ironed. You would be ashamed to take your clothes off the line and wear them without ironing. Jesus would be ashamed to present you before the father if you are not sanctified, but when you are sanctified he is not ashamed to call you brethren. Christ gave Himself for His church that He might wash it and present it without spot or wrinkle.  So we must let Him iron out all the wrinkles.

What next?  You take the ironed garment and there's nothing lacking yet.  What is it?  Why you need to put it on and wear it. But that is no work. The work was done when you washed and ironed it. So the Holy Ghost is a free gift. It is the promise of the Father to the soul that is sanctified. You do not have to repent to get the Holy Ghost, but you must be washed clean and wider than snow.  Now you have nothing to mourn over, but something to rejoice over. You can know you are baptized. The Holy Ghost will cut your tongue loose and let you praise him in an unknown language.  God will not iron a dirty piece. He will take out the spots and then the wrinkles, And after these two works, He will baptize you with his free gift-the Holy Ghost.

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Awful Realities Of Hell

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This is a story told by William J. Seymour in his book called, "The Azusa Street Papers," published in 1906.

The question is asked: "Do you believe in hell?  Brother, it makes no difference what you or I believe, that does not do away with God's word.  He'll exist in its awful reality, whether you believe it or not, and multitudes are plunging headlong into it. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God." Ps 9:17.

Jesus believed in hell, In one man to flee from it. Why are the pulpits so silent today? Because we are in the latter day apostasy. Read the words of Jesus:

"The Son of man shall send forth His angels, And they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, And then which to iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 13:41, 42.

"So shall it be in the end of the world, The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and now gnashing of teeth." Matt. 13:49, 50.

"But Abraham said: Son, remember that thou and thy lifetime receivest they good things, And likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and thou art tormented." Luke 16:25.

"But the fearful and unbelieving, And the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, And idolaters, In all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death." (or separation from God.) Rev. 21:8.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and Shelby tormented day and night forever and ever." Rev. 20:10.

Beloved, These are the words of Jesus, And when He says "forever and ever" what could be more expressive of eternity?

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

The Second Chapter Of Acts

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This is a story told by William J Seymour, of a testimony written to him and used in his book called, "The Azusa Street Papers," published in 1906.

A preacher's wife, who at first opposed Pentecostal truth, went home and read the second chapter of Acts, And while she read, the Spirit fell upon her and she began to speak in tongues.  She is a member of the Nazarene Church in Vernon, California.  As she was on the way to the church she met a brother whom she had been instrumental in leading to the Lord.  He is a foreigner and as soon as she saw him, she began to pour out her soul in French.  He was amazed and said: "When did you learn French?"

"What did I say?" She asked.

"You said: "Get ready!  Get ready! Jesus is coming soon!"

She went on up to the church, And as they were giving out the Sunday school leaflets she began to speak in tongues again and spoke for some time. They could only listen to this manifestation of the power of God.

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary 

Labor Against Capital

Hello everyone.  Praise the Lord!

This is a story told by William J. Seymour in his book called, "The Azusa Street Papers" written in 1906.

The Lord says, "The Time is coming when the four will be oppressed in the Christians can either buy or sell, unless they have 'the mark of the beast.'" then He says: "The Time will come when the poor man will say that he has nothing to eat and work will be shut down.  And the rich man will go and buy up all the sugar, tea, coffee, etc., and hold it up in his store, then we cannot get it unless we have the mark of the beast."

"That is going to cause the poor man to go to these places and break in to get food. This will cause the rich man to come out with his gun to make war with the laboring man. They will cause blood to be spilled in the street as it never was before." I saw the blood ankle deep And they were holding to the horse's bridles with the right hand and cutting and slashing right and left with their swords. And the Lord said the blood would be in the streets like an outpouring rain from heaven. He says all these unions are bringing the sword to their own head, to cut their own heads off. (I had never heard of unions before the Lord showed me this and I asked my husband what 'labor against Capitol' meant.)

Then he said to me again: "The time is coming when men are going to get desperate and will go into the banks even at noontime and hew down, And take out the silver and gold and walk on with it.  They will rob the banks and open daytime."

The Lord said the time was coming when men would not regard a man's life any more than that of a dog. Then He says again that there is going to be a war as there never was before. Four nations from the four corners of the earth are coming together for battle, And it is going to be one of the worst wars that ever was in history.

The Lord says: "The time will come when the rich man will bury his silver in gold and return it no more, And he will floods and pestilence and earthquakes shall weep and howl in his misery shall be great."

William James Roop, M.A.B.S.

 Roop-Crappell Ministries 

 Hospice Volunteer Stories 

 The Trucking Tango 

 Apostolic Theological Seminary