The first crusade
Used with the kind permission of
www.liverpoolrevival.org.uk
With grateful thanks.
The crusade commenced on Sunday 14th March 1926 at the newly established Elim church in Windsor Street, Liverpool. Very soon God's blessing began to fall on the services and in the Elim Evangel dated 1st April 1926 it carried the following report:
"Revival Fires are burning in Liverpool. Although the campaign only started on Sunday 14th March, by the middle of the week the church was packed out. Hundreds have been saved and there have been many remarkable healings."
It was not long before the secular press began to report what was happening in these meetings, including the Yorkshire Observer, which referred to "the extraordinary scenes being reported at a disused Liverpool Chapel." The Daily Despatch of 18th March carried the following report:
"Remarkable scenes of religious fervour are being witnessed at the little chapel in Windsor Street. Several remarkable 'cures' have been claimed by sick and maimed people who have been anointed with oil during the campaign. Several of the patients whom the pastor described as being under the power of God, swooned and lay trembling for some moments."
The Daily Despatch went on to list some of the healings that had already taken place including a five year old girl suffering from Infantile Paralysis, a woman healed of deafness, a man from heart disease, and two people from paralysis. On the following day (19th March), five days after the commencement, the Daily Despatch carried the following report:
"Hundreds of people had to be turned away from yesterday's services. Queues began to assemble outside the chapel two hours before the meeting commenced. As soon as the doors were open crowds began to clamour for admission, choking the aisles and every available inch of space. A crowd just as large could not gain admission and had to remain outside, while a few yards along the street other evangelists conducted open-air services until long after ten o'clock. So great was the pressure inside that the pastor was unable to anoint any of the people with oil and the service was terminated prematurely. Nevertheless a number of people testified to healing including a woman who had been dumb for many years, and two women healed of deafness."
In the Elim Evangel dated 1st May 1926 the following report was given of a Children's Healing Service held which I presume from the context must have occurred at Windsor Street:
"'Come to me, darling, it's now time to get ready for the children's diving healing service. Cheer up, my sweetheart. There will be no more sleepless nights, no more will your little body be racked by pain; Jesus is going to hear and answer prayer, and you will return from the meeting healed.' And so from all parts of the great city of Liverpool comes a stream of little children, carried by loving mothers and friends - some wheeled in carriages, some brought in motorcars.
Here they come! Every little child has been told they are coming to Jesus. The hall is packed - pews and aisles. What a sight. Tears begin to flow down the cheeks of those on the platform as they look into the little, pale, sad, upturned faces, but faces full of expectancy."
After singing a well known children's hymn and George Jeffreys had spoken to the children and had given an alter call, it continued:
"The children come and file past. Each one is anointed and prayed for, according to James v 14 and the Lord works. Leg steels and braces are taken off. Glasses are dispensed with. Cries come from the lips of mothers, 'Oh, my little girl can walk' - 'Darling, can you really see?' - 'My precious one, you can hear me speak for the first time' - 'Oh, this is wonderful'. And so the place resounds with shouts of joy, hands are clapped with delight. Hallelujahs come from hearts and lips. Surely the scriptures are being enacted again - 'And they brought young children to Him that He should touch them' - and, bless Him He did'. "
No comments:
Post a Comment