This Is That: Personal Experiences, Sermons and Writings
("But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel......)
"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel..." Acts 2:16
These words, proclaimed by Peter some two-thousand years ago were spoken to shut the mouths of those who opposed the Pentecostal power that rained down on the followers of Jesus. This same verse was used by Aimee Semple McPherson to discuss that same power that her ministry was marked by. Healing followed her, as did the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with the Biblical evidence of speaking in tongues.
This book is truly a great collection of her life, her teachings, and testimonies of those who were blessed by her ministry.
This volume contains a memoir of sorts, detailing her early life and ministry, over 40 sermons, and 18 different messages that came by prophecy or interpretation of tongues during her meetings.
In addition, it comes with every image that was included in the original 1920 edition, and also a fully-functional Table of Contents (in the back) to help you jump from place to place.
From the author's preface:
The realization that Jesus is coming soon and that whatever is done must be done quickly, has put a "hurry-up" in my soul to get the message to the greatest number of people in the shortest possible time by every available means.
Sometimes when laboring in certain portions of the Master's vineyard, we have felt that we were reaching many, but when, under the burden of prayer, the Lord catches us up in the Spirit, and with clarified vision and broadened horizon we see earth's millions who are yet unconscious of the signs of the times and know not that the coming of the Lord is nigh at hand, we are overwhelmed with the desire to speed through the lands, and ring the message forth "Jesus is coming soon prepare to meet him!" Oh, that we might write it in flaming letters upon the sky! It is to this end, therefore, that this book is sent forth.
Part I Personal Testimony simply written and solely for the encouragement of others, knowing that what the Lord has so graciously done for one so unworthy, He is abundantly able and willing to do for all.
Part II "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."
Part III Sermons and Writings contains a message to the sinner; to the born-again soul who has not yet received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and to the baptized believer who is pressing on to perfection.
Part IV Visions, Prophecies, and interpretations of messages which the Lord has given me in the Spirit and which have been of such value and blessing to ourselves and others; we realize them too precious to be lost.
He bade me go forth taking no thought what I should eat or drink or wherewith I should be clothed, assured that He who had commissioned me to go into all the world and preach the Gospel knew, and would supply every need according to His riches.
We have never known what it was to have any earthly board behind us or any one person to whom we could look for support, yet God has marvelously supplied our every need.
Will the reader pardon mistakes and look more at the spirit in which the book is written than at errors in composition? It is doubtful whether any other book has been written under similar circumstances. I have had no quiet study into which to retire and close the door to the world and countlessinterruptions. Each page has been written in spare moments, amidst the stress of meetings, playing, singing, preaching, and working at the altar, besides traveling far and wide with the Gospel car. The opening chapters were written in Florida, and the work has been continued en route from there to New York, the New England states, and thence across the continent to California.
Though the reader and the writer may never meet in this present life, this book goes from my hand and heart with the earnest prayer and hope that we shall rise together to meet the Lord in the clouds of glory, when Jesus shall appear.
(Since the blessed Lord so tenderly called the writer unto...)
Since the blessed Lord so tenderly called the writer unto Himself, washed her heart in His blessed blood, baptised her with the Holy Spirit, called her from the home on a Canadian farm to preach the Gospel and began to open the Word before her adoring eyes, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ has ever been of all things the dearest to her heart.
Surely, the Coming of the Master draweth nigh. It behooves us therefore as His Spirit filled children to bear this blessed message of warning and of hope, without delay to the sleeping world about us.
Prepare ye the way of the Lordmake straight paths for His feet, was the commission of John the Baptist. His first advent.
Lift up thy voice in the wilderness of sin and worldliness and cry, Prepare, ye the way of the Lord. Jesus is coming, get ready to meet Him, watch for He is near, even at the door, is the message of the awakening Church today.
In these last days the Lord is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh. The time for a mighty revival is upon us. Thousands are being saved and sealed with the Spirit in this closing hour; so that the reaper is made to overtake the plower. Fields stand ripe for the harvest on every hand, and what is to be done must be done quickly.
To this end therefore, this book is lovingly and prayerfully dedicated, not only to those who love His appearing, but to those in slumber who have not yet heard the call. Oh, that thru these pages they might hear the awakening cry of the Holy Spirit; Behold the Bridgegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him, and that the writer and the reader may both rise to meet Him when He shall appear in the clouds of glory! God grant that This Blessed Hope may be implanted in every heart. For if any man hath this hope within him, he will purify himself, even as Christ is pure, that when He shall appear we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
(
The Lord will come again; He promised us that. But is H...)
The Lord will come again; He promised us that. But is His church ready? We know neither the day nor the hour of Christs return, but we are instructed to be ready at all times. Aimee Semple McPherson felt the urgency of this call, and she urges the church to be ready for His glorious return.
Join Sister Aimee, whom Time magazine named one of the most influential people of the twentieth century, in discovering what the second coming of Christ means to the church today. In this book, she answers questions that face many believers:
• Is Christ coming?
• How is He coming?
• When is He coming?
• For whom is He coming?The harvest is ready, and the Lord will come back to reap a bountiful, mature body of believers. Be prepared to rise up and meet Christ when He appears in the clouds of glory!
(
The life of Jesus was wrapped up in the Holy Spirit. He...)
The life of Jesus was wrapped up in the Holy Spirit. He was conceived of the Spirit, baptized with the Spirit, led of the Spirit, and performed His works by the power of the Spirit. When He departed this world, He left His disciples to carry on, commanding them do the works that He had done. Would He declare that His own works were done by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwelt within Him, and then tell His disciples do the same work without that same power? No!
As Elijahs mantle fell from his shoulders and was donned by the waiting disciple Elisha, so Christ, sent down from the throne of God the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Third Person of the Trinity that He might abide within His disciples. They, too, would preach the gospel with signs and wonders and be able to say as did their Master: He that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.
In a day when the foundations of society are deteriorating, many people are looking to the church for an answer. The true gospel of Christ proclaimed in the fullness of the Holy Spirit provides an answer and a hope. May a divine flame be kindled in your heart as you read The Holy Spirit.
The Collected Sermons and Writings of Aimee Semple McPherson: Volume 3
(
Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the International Ch...)
Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, was perhaps the most famous Pentecostal evangelist of the early twentieth century. Thousands attended her meetings. But with her radio sermons and syndicated articles, she reached millions both in the United States and abroad.
Much has been written about McPhersons fascinating life and her impact on millions of followers. Yet surprisingly, her writings and sermons have never been compiled and publisheduntil now.
The Collected Sermons and Writings of Aimee Semple McPherson arranges McPhersons body of work chronologically, allowing readers to see how her style, subject matter, and emphases changed as her ministry developed.
As a Pentecostal evangelist, McPherson based her messages on the scriptural understanding that as Jesus is unchanging, the miracles and spiritual gifts of the early church should be part of modern Christian practice. Accordingly, her writings focus on Gods miraculous healing, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the miracle of speaking in tongues.
A valuable resource for religious scholars, McPhersons collective writings contain wisdom and inspiration for the everyday Christian, while also providing an insightful look into the devoted mind of one of the twentieth centurys most influential women.
Aimee Semple McPherson, also known as Sister Aimee or simply Sister, was a Canadian-American Pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s.
Background
McPherson was born Aimee Elizabeth Kennedy on October 9, 1890 in the upstairs room of the family farmhouse outside the village of Salford, southeast of Ingersoll in Oxford County Ontario, Canada. Her father was a struggling farmer, her mother a former member of the Salvation Army.
Career
In 1908 she married Robert Semple and followed him to China as a missionary. He died soon after arriving in China, leaving her penniless and with a month-old daughter. Returning home, she set out as an untrained lay evangelist to preach a Pentecostal-type of revivalism to the people of Ontario.
Physically attractive and possessed of a dynamic personality and instinctive ability to sway crowds, Aimee Semple McPherson gradually perfected her skills. By this time professional revivalism had achieved a distinctive style and organization; McPherson illustrated the newer tendencies. Though she initially lived an almost hand-to-mouth existence following the route of itinerant evangelists from Maine to Florida, success meant a move into larger cities in America, England, and Australia. In the cities audiences were often immense, with 10, 000 to 15, 000 partisans deliriously applauding her. McPherson's preaching also identified her with the "fringe" sects of American Protestantism that were especially influential among the masses in America's newly emerging urban centers. "Speaking with tongues" and successful efforts at faith healing—both practiced by the Pentecostal churches—were a part of her performance.
By 1920 McPherson was permanently established in Los Angeles. In 1923 she and her followers dedicated Angelus Temple. Seating over 5, 000 people, this served as her center of activity. Backed by a shrewd business manager (her mother), the evangelist organized a private cult of devoted followers. She also became a public figure in tune with the garish, publicity-oriented life of the film capital of the world.
She thrived on publicity and sensationalism. The most astounding incident occurred in 1926, when McPherson, believed to have drowned in the Pacific Ocean, "miraculously" reappeared in the Mexican desert. Her tale of kidnaping and mistreatment was challenged by some who claimed she had been in hiding with one of her male followers. The ensuing court battle attracted national attention.
She engaged in a slander suit with her daughter, publicly quarreled with her mother, and carried on well-publicized vendettas with other religious groups.
McPherson continued her unconventional ways until her death in Oakland, California, on September 27, 1944.
She had early exposure to religion through her mother, Mildred (known as "Minnie") who worked with the poor in Salvation Army soup kitchens.
Her father was a struggling farmer, her mother a former member of the Salvation Army. Aimee remained a nonbeliever until, at the age of 17, she experienced conversion under the guidance of Scottish evangelist Robert Semple.
While attending a revival meeting in December 1907, Aimee met Robert James Semple, a Pentecostal missionary from Ireland. There, her faith crisis ended as she decided to dedicate her life to God and made the conversion to Pentecostalism as she witnessed the Holy Spirit moving powerfully.
As a popular evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson symbolized the vulgarization that occurred when grass-roots religion fused uncritically with secular mass culture. Popular evangelists always ran the risk of identifying their personal concerns too much with the nonreligious aspects of culture. This tendency was strikingly illustrated by McPherson.
Politics
While her mother Mildred Kennedy was a registered Democrat, no one was certain of McPherson's registration. She endorsed Herbert Hoover over Franklin D. Roosevelt, but enthusiastically threw her support behind the latter and his social programs when he was elected into office. She was a patron of organized labor, preaching a gangster's money was "no more unclean than the dollars of the man who amasses his millions from underpaid factory workers". She was more cautious, though, when labor strikes resulted in violent uprisings. She saw in them the possible activities of Communism, which sought to infiltrate labor unions and other organizations. McPherson intensely disliked Communism and its derivatives as they sought to rule without God; their ultimate goal, she believed, was to remove Christianity from the earth. McPherson's opinion of fascism fared no better; its totalitarian rule was wrongly justified by claiming to represent the power of God.
McPherson did not align herself consistently with any broad conservative or liberal political agenda. Instead, she explained if Christianity occupied a central place in national life, and if the components of God, home, school and government were kept together, everything else would fall into place. "Remove any of these, " she warned, "and (civilization) topples, crumbles. "Current Foursquare Gospel Church leaders qualify the evangelist's views: "McPherson’s passion to see America sustained in spiritual health, which compelled her quest to see the Church influence government, must be interpreted in light of the political and religious climate of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. It is not accurate to draw a parallel between today’s extreme fundamentalist, right-wing Christianity and the style or focus of Sister McPherson. " She was also among the first prominent Christian ministers to defend the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. She related that when Christ returns, the Jews would receive him, their suffering will end, "and they will establish at Jerusalem a kingdom more wonderful than the world has known. "
Views
Quotations:
"What is my task? First of all, my task is to be pleasing to Christ. To be empty of self and be filled with Himself. To be filled with the Holy Spirit; to be led by the Holy Spirit. "
"Awake! thou that sleepest, arise from the dead! The Lord still lives today. His power has never abated. His Word has never changed. The things He did in Bible days, He still lives to do today. Not a burden is there He cannot bear nor a fetter He cannot break. "
"What is my task? To get the gospel around the world in the shortest possible time to every man and woman and boy and girl!"
"With God, I can do all things! But with God and you, and the people who you can interest, by the grace of God, we're gonna cover the world!"
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
Atheist Charles Lee Smith remarked publicly of McPherson, just before a debate, that she had an extraordinary mind, "particularly for a woman".
Reverend Robert P. Shuler, whose caustic view of McPherson softened over the years, wrote he could not figure out why God chose such a person. The flaws he observed in McPherson, were by his opinion, many, yet she ultimately made a positive impact on Christianity, long lasting and enduring . He recognized her appeal was a combination of identifying with the average citizen as well as an ability to explain the gospel in simple, easily understandable terms, drawing them irresistibly to her services:
". .. while great cathedral churches closed their doors on Sunday night, the crowds pushed through her portals in one ever-flowing stream. "
Connections
She decided to dedicate her life to both God and Robert James Semple, and after a short courtship, they were married on August 12, 1908, in a Salvation Army ceremony, pledging never to allow their marriage to lessen their devotion to God, affection for comrades, or faithfulness in the Army. The pair's notion of "Army" was very broad, encompassing much more than just the Salvation Army. Robert supported them as a foundry worker and preached at the local Pentecostal mission. Together, they studied the Bible, Aimee claiming Robert taught her all she knew; though other observers state she was far more knowledgeable than she let on. After a few months they moved to Chicago and became part of William Durham's Full Gospel Assembly. Durham earlier had visited the mission where the Azusa Street Revival was taking place, returned and applied its teachings. Under Durham's tutelage, Aimee was discovered to have a unique ability in the interpretation of speaking in tongues, translating with stylistic eloquence.
For a time Harold traveled with his wife Aimee in the "Gospel Car"as an itinerant preacher himself; helping her to set up tents for revival meetings.
After embarking on an evangelistic tour to China, both contracted malaria. Robert also contracted dysentery, of which he died in Hong Kong. Aimee recovered and gave birth to their daughter, Roberta Star Semple, as a 19-year-old widow.
While in New York City, she met Harold Stewart McPherson, an accountant. They were married on May 5, 1912, moved to Providence, Rhode Island and had a son, Rolf Potter Kennedy McPherson, in March 1913.
One spring morning in 1915, her husband returned home from the night shift to discover McPherson had left him and taken the children. A few weeks later, a note was received inviting him to join her in evangelistic work.
Aimee Semple McPherson and her third husband, David L. Hutton to avoid news publicity, they chartered a plane to Yuma, Arizona; and were married in a small ceremony. Hutton assisted in some of McPherson's charity work before their divorce in 1934.
Her husband later followed McPherson to take her back home though changed his mind after he saw her preaching to a crowd. Describing his wife as "radiant, more lovely than he had ever seen her, " he joined her in evangelism. Their house in Providence was sold and he joined her in setting up tents for revival meetings and even did some preaching himself. Throughout their journey, food and accommodations were uncertain, as they lived out of the "Gospel Car". Her husband, in spite of initial enthusiasm, wanted a life that was more stable and predictable. Eventually, he returned to Rhode Island and around 1918 filed for separation. He petitioned for divorce, citing abandonment; the divorce was granted in 1921.
She married again on September 13, 1931, to actor and musician David Hutton, followed by much drama, after which she fainted and fractured her skull. While McPherson was away in Europe to recover, she was angered to learn Hutton was billing himself as "Aimee's man" in his cabaret singing act and was frequently photographed with scantily clad women. Hutton's much-publicized personal scandals were damaging the Foursquare Gospel Church and their leader's credibility with other churches. McPherson and Hutton separated in 1933 and divorced on March 1, 1934. McPherson later publicly repented of the marriage, as wrong from the beginning, for both theological and personal reasons and therefore rejected nationally known gospel singer Homer Rodeheaver, a more appropriate suitor, when he eventually asked for her hand in 1935.