I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
I am a retired teacher who wrote 7 photocopiable books for Teachers and one book for children Union Jack Colouring Book.
The 7books covered Geography, History (Medieval/ Tudor/ Stuart), Travel and Transport, Myself and Events (this included diaries), Race Against Time Stories (SATS based), Church Dates for Children plus Nature and Seasons (including Sport). These 7 books have been mainly broken into a number of segments.
Challenging the Physical Elements, my Geography book, is complete.
William Miller was an American baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid 19th century religious movement called Millerism.
William was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on 15th February 1792. in 1796 the family t moved to Low Hampton. New York.His mother educated him at home until he was 9. He then attended East Poultney District school. He is not known to have further education after he was 18, but he continued to read widely. He had access to several private libraries
In 1803 he married Lucy Smith and moved to Poultney where he took up farming.
In1809 he was elected to the office of deputy sheriff and later elected to be the Justice of the Peace
Shortly after arriving he rejected his Baptist heritage and became a Deist
( a belief in the existence of God based solely on natural reason, without reference to revelation).
At the outbreak of war in 1812 he raised a company of local men and acted as a recruiter. In 1814 promoted of captain. He had a miraculous escape when a bomb exploded killing one soldier. injuring 3 others and he survived without a scratch. On discharge from the army in 1815 he moved his family back to Low Hampton.
He took tentative steps to regain his Baptist faith. With the minister away he was asked to read the sermon. (Read his conversion comment in Religious Life.)
His Diest friends challenged him to justify his new faith. He started at Genesis 1 v1 - not moving until he felt the meaning was clear. He became convinced that post-millennialism ( the doctrine or belief that the second coming of Christ would be preceded by the millennium) was unbiblical and that Christ’s Second Coming was revealed in Bible prophecy.
He based his calculations on Daniel 8 v 14 Unto twp thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed
starting date 457 BC the year Artaxerxes I of Persia allowed the rebuilding of Jerusalem
A day represented a year. 2,300
Year of Second Coming 2300 - 457 = 1843 on/before (See charts)
October 22, 1844 became known as *The Great Disappointment *
William apparently never personally set an exact date for the Second Coming.
Millerism from 1840 was transformed from an 'obscure, regional movement into a national campaign. A key figure was Joshua Vaughan Himes, an able and experienced published who printed the 24 issues of*Signs of the Times from March 1840. (See sheet)
William died on 20th December 1849 convinced the Second Coming was imminent, Christians await the day 09/12/2020
Legacy
William Miller’s Home is a registered a National Historic Landmark and preserved as museum
Estimate number of followers 50,000- 500,000
After his death new heirs to his message emerged
Advent Christian Church 61,000
Seventh-day Adventists Church 19,000,000
Sources used
Logos Bible Software
Wikipedia
Moises Siva is a Cuban born American biblical scholar, minister, author, translator and editor. He is an ordained minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He has served as a translator of several Bibles. He is also a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society (1997)
Moises was born in Havana, Cuba on 4th September 1925 and has lived in the USA since 1960.
He earned the following degrees
BA Bob Jones University 1966
BD Westminster Theological Seminary 1969
ThM ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ 1971
Phd University of Manchester 1972
He taught Biblical Studies at Westminster College (1972-1981), Westminster Theological Seminary (1981-1996), and Godon Conewll Theological Seminary (1996-2000) where he was Mary French Rockerfeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament until he retired.
He has been involved as a translator in the New American Standard Bible the *New Living Translation and the recent English Standard Version. He has also been consultant for Eugene Peterson’s The Message .
Moises is the editor of the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis .
He was also editor of both the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, and the Westminster Journal.
Moises’ Biblical Words and Their Meaning (1983, 2nd ed.1994) challenged many common linguistic fallacies in biblical interpretation.
He has also found time to author or co-author several books and articles. His commentary on Philippians was highly acclalmed. (See list of ‘Works’)
Moises Siva currently lives in Litchfield, Michigan where he continues to work as an author and editor.
Sources
Wikipedia
Nancey Murphy (born 12th June 1951) is an American philosopher and theologian who is Senior Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS), Pasadena, CA .
She is a member( and former chair) of the Board of Directors of the Center for Theology and National Science (CTNS) . She is also a member of the American Philosophical Association (APA) and the Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP). She was an advisor to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and serves on the planning committee of the Vatican Observatory.
(See notes on all 5)
Nancey is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren.
Her first book *Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning * (1990) won the American Academy of Religion award for excellence.
Degrees
B.A. Philosophy and Psychology from Creighton University (CU) in 1973
Ph.D. Philosophy and Science from University of California in 1980
Th.D. Theology from Graduate Theology Union (GTU) in 1987 Recognition
1998 Alumnus of the year for C U
1999 J.K. Russel Fellow at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences
2006 Alumnus of the year for GTU
Nancey joined the faculty at FTS in 1989. She is still there over 30 years later.
( See notes on FTS)
Nancey’s research interests focus on the role of modern and postmodern philosophy in shaping Christian Theology on relations between theology and science, and relations among neuroscience, philosophy of mind and Christian anthropology.
She is a prolific writer. She has written 10 books and co-authored 11 volumes. She has written chapters for books and articles for Journals and magazines. ( See ‘Among her many publication are’, ‘Bio’, ‘Career’ and ‘Books’ plus Amazon)
Nancey also serves as an editorial advisor for numerous publishers and journals.
Nancey is highly sought after as a speaker at inter/national conferences on philosophy and the relationship between theology and science.
In 2007 the * Los Angeles Magazine* include her in the list of *100 most influential people.
Sources
AAAS
Amazon
Center for Theology and the natural Science
Fuller seminary
Wikipedia
Eric John Hewison ‘Bash’ Nash (1898-1982) was an evangelical Church of England cleric. His work with Christian evangelism with Scripture Union
(1932- 65) was with the camp ministry in the top 30 public schools in the UK. From 1932 onwards he was highly influential in the post-war British evangelical resurgence. Over 7,000 boys attended camp under his leadership.
Eric was born on 22nd April 1898. He was educated at Maidenhead College, an independent school for boys. On leaving school he worked for an insurance company
In 1917, now aged 19, on a train journey back to Maidenhead, he finally faced and responded to the claims of Christ upon his life He *had a vision in a railway carriage that he was to win Britain for Christ.
One or two years later he fully acknowledged Christ as Master and Lord.
In 1922 encouraged and supported by Arthur Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London he went to Trinity College, Cambridge and then Ridley Hall.
1927 made deacon and served 2 curacies - Ealing and Wimbledon
1929 applies to work for Scripture Union - rejected.
He spent a period as a chaplain at Wrekin College
1932 reapplies to Scripture Union - accepted (1932-65)
Eric made it his business to preach the Christian Gospel at the top 30
British public school. John Stott describes the meeting at Rugby as strictly off the record and conducted with a good deal of secrecy. His message was not necessarily welcomed by everyone.
He began a camp ministry. By 1940 it was based at Clayesmore School in the village of Iwerne
Attendance was only by invitation. He used military terms. He used Christian staff from the schools. He used the ABC formula
Admit your need of Christ
Believe that Christ died for you
Come to Him
His influence stretched to University Christian Unions in the Inter-Varsity Fellowship (IVC) Between 1935-9 all CICCU’s presidents were ‘Bash’ campers.
His camps influenced many peoples lives. (See ‘Associated with his work’)
In 1969 it could be said that much of the leadership of the British Evangelical church had been ‘Bash campers.’
Called ‘Bash’ for his forthrightness. Nash was always courteous.
When Eric retired from the Scripture Union in 1965 he continued to have a fruitful ministry until he was 80. His health began to fail.
Eric died, aged 83, peacefully in his own home on 4th April 1982.
*Bash’… was a quiet, unassuming clergyman who never sought the limelight, hit the headlines or wanted preferment; and yet whose influence within the Church of England…was greater than any of his contemporaries … Those who knew him well, and those who worked with him, never expect to see his like again, for rarely can anyone have meant so much to so many, as this quietly spoken, modest and deeply spiritual man * John Eddison
if it were not for him and i might have made shipwreck of my life
Source used
Wikipdeia
William Williams Pantycelyn (1717-1791) is generally seen as Wale’s premier hymnist. In religion he was among the leaders of the 18th century Welsh Methodist revival along with the evangelists Howell Harris and Duncan Rowland.
He is also rated as one of the great literary figures of Wales, as a writer of poetry and prose.
He was born on 11th February 1717 in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, Wales. His parents were John and Dorothy Williams. When John died in 1742 Dorothy moved to a farm called Pantycelyn ( William was often referred to by that name).
His family were nonconformists. He was educated locally at the nonconformist academy in Talgarth, He had intended to study medicine but following conversion in 1937/8, after the preaching of the evangelical Methodist revivalist Howell Harris, he choose to preach.
In 1740 he took deacon’s orders in the established Anglican Church ( now called Church in Wales). His first appointment was as curate to Theophilus Evans in Llanddewi Abergwesyn.
By this time he had become involved with the Methodist movement and in June 1742 his disapproving parishioners reported him to the Archdeacon’s court at Brecon. In 1743, when he applied for ordination, he was refused.
He became a Methodist minister instead. He travelled through Wales preaching the doctrine of Calvinistic Methodism. he needed to be not only a theologian and an advocate for the new era but also an organiser and administrator. His reward was seeing the community grow and thrive over the years.
Runnng parallel to what was happening in Wales we have the Wesley brothers , John and Charles and George Whitefield.
William wrote over 900 hymns in his lifetime, the majority in Welsh. He started publishing in 1744. The best known undoubtedly is *Guide me ,O Thou Great redeemer ** written originally in Welsh. ( See’Hymns’)
His poetry included 2 long poems on theological and religious themes (See ‘Poetry)
His prose include his writing about the 1762 revival.
He never wrote either a diary or autobiography.
A short 12 page biography ’ The Spiritual Treasury’ was written by Thomas Charles
In 1867 J.R. Kilsby Jones wrote *All the poetic and Prose work of William Williams *-846 pages !
He is acknowledged as one of the leaders of the Methodist revival in Wales during the 18th century,
For much of his life William stayed in Llanfair-at-y-brn. He died on the 11th January 1791, aged 74. He was buried in the local parish churchyard
In 1811 The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists broke away from the Anglican Church.
See separate TES entries for Daniel Rowland and Howell harris
Source used
Wikipdeia
George Beverly Shea (1909-2013) was often called America’s beloved singer
He lived to be 104 and spent nearly 60 years of those years singing and working with Bill Graham.
He was born on 1st February 1909 in Winchester, Ontario, Canada.
His first singing was in the choir of his father’s Wesleyan Methodist Church.
He later sang with the Houghton (N.Y.) College Glee Club.
He was educated at Annesley College in Ottawa (1926-8). and Houghton College. Houghton, N.Y. (1928-9).
For the next 9 years he worked in a minor way in radio broadcasting (singing on WMCA and WHN), while working as a clerk of Mutual of New York insurance(1929-38).
From 1938-44 he was an announcer and staff soloist at WMBI radio Chicago.He met Bllly Graham there in 1943.
When Billy Graham took over the radio program Songs in the Night he remembered George and enlisted him to help with the broadcast.
This was the beginning of a long association. In 1947 George went to sing at Charlotte, N.C., Billy’s hometown, at one of Billy’s first city wide Crusades.
I have sometimes said that I would feel lost getting up to preach if Bev were not there to prepare the way through an appropriate song. Billy Graham.
The famous 1949 Los Angeles tent meeting catapulted Billy and his associates to national attention. The team went onto share the Gospel on every continent.
Bev with Cliff Barrows were the nucleus of the Crusade musical team. He was one of the busiest members of the team and he sung at hundreds of concerts. He was part of the team up until 2013.
He was soloist on the Hour of Decision from 1950-2013. Singing weekly on this program for over 60 years his bass-baritone voice is recognised across the world.
He used utilized all available media to share the ‘Good News’ of Jesus Christ.
He was prolific recording artist and composer for over 50 years (1951-2013)and had 70 albums of hymns and 9 CDs. He was the recipient of 10 Grammy awards.
He is on 3 lists of Hall of Fame- Gospel Music Association (1978), Religious Broadcasting (1996) and Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (2008).
He received many other awards and honours over the years. (See list of awards and honors).
He never retired - all the dates go up to 2013 - the year he died.
He died on Tuesday April 16th 2013 after a brief illness.
Every hymn he sang was a testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Source
Wikipedia
John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907) was a Scottish-Australian minister known as an evangelist and faith healer. He started his career as a conventional minister in South Australia, After becoming both an evangelist and faith healer he immigrated with his family to the USA in 1888
He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 25th May 1847. In 1860 the family immigrated to Adelaide, Australia.
He found work with his paternal uncle, Alexander Dowie in a prosperous bootmaker retail and factory business.
In 1868, aged 21, he returned to Scotland to study theology.
Back in Australia he was ordained in 1872 as pastor of a Congregational church at Alma, South Australia. 1873 moved to Manly, New South Wales. In 1875 moved to Newton.
On 26th May 1876 he married his cousin, Jane Dowie, they had 3 children.
About this time he became an independent evangelist. He held meetings in a theatre and claiming powers of healing. He was briefly involved with the Salvation Army. In early 1880s he went to Melbourne and attracted many followers.
1882 invited to Sackville Street Tabernacle, Collingwood. He forceful leadership caused a split in the church. He was fined and jailed briefly for leading unauthorised processions. His church was burnt down - arson suspected. Insurance paid off debts. By this time he had published 3 books based mainly on his lectures.
In 1888 John immigrated with his family to the USA. He settled in San Francisco where he built a following by performing faith healings across the state. His ministry- International Divine Healing Association (IDHA), was run largely as a commercial enterprise. All members were expected to tithe (10%) - this made them eligible to request Dowie’s aid to heal their ills. Not all of his business was legal and 2 women sued and won their cases.
As a result he moved to Chicago in 1890 to take advantage of the crowds attracted to the 1893 World Fair. At the fair he staged ‘Divine Healings’ -he used audience ‘plants’ and other dubious methods.
Numbers continued to grow and in 1894 he established the Zion Tabernacle downtown and many Zion buildings. He held services at Chicago’s Auditorium building ( See notes). He launched Zion publishing and started a weekly newsletter- Leaves of Healing (See notes)
In 1896 IDHA, renamed Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in 1903. (See CCC)
With a following of 6,000 he secretly bought land 40 miles north of Chicago and founded in July 1901 the city of Zion, Illinois. He personally owned all the land and all the property. Followers forced to to deposit their funds in the Zion ‘bank’-never registered. His family lived in luxury but Zion was continually in debt.
His wife and family left him in 1903 because of his questionable practices
1904 visited Australia. Deposed in 1905.
He suffered a stroke and recuperated in Mexico.
John died on the 9 March 1907 and is buried in Lake Mound Cemetery, Zion, Illinois.
Keith Gordon Green (1953-1982) was an American contemporary Christian music pianist, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his strong devotion to Christ and challenging others to do the same. Several of his compositions became standards.
He unfortunately died in a plane crash in 1982. !! in total died, 2 were children Josiah and Bethany.
Keith took to music at a very early age -age 3 ukulele, age 5 guitar. age 7 piano. Aged 8 he was noted by a major newspaper… Aged 10 he played the role of Kurt von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music’.
In 1964, aged 10, he was youngest person to sign with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
In 1965 he signed a 5 year contract with Decca records.
Keith had Jewish heritage and was raised in Christian Science. He grew up reading the New Testament.
As a teenager he experimented in drugs but aged 19 he met a fellow seeker -Melody Steiner. They were inseparable and married in 1973.
In 1975 he renounced Christian Science and became a Jewish believer in Jesus, the Messiah. A week later Melody also became a believer.
They bought a small house in Los Angeles which became ‘The Greenhouse’ - the place where people grew. They were both staff songwriters for CBS Records in Hollywood and were able to support whoever came to their houses -they bought bought 1 and rented 5 more! This non-profit ministry becameLast Days Ministries.(LDM)
During his concerts he would often exhort his listeners to repent and commit themselves more wholly to follow Jesus.
When his music was in Christian book shops a second cassette was included free of charge to help spread the Gospel His recording took off. ( Read ‘Recording’)
In 1978 LDM started to published Last Days Newsletter - in mid 1985 renamed Last Days Magazine and sent to 500,000 worldwide.
The crash on 28th July 1982 happened according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) because the pilot Don Alan Burmeister unfortunately overloaded the plane beyond its operating limitations. (Read ‘Death in plane crash’).
Melody continued to lead LDM from Texas until 1996 when she moved to California. She launched LDM on line where all of Keith’s writings are free and his music can be found. The free LDM Newsletter is also sent by request. She maintains his facebook page in honour of Keith and shares her opinions on her page where she interacts with Green’s fans and LDM fans.
Sources
Wikipedia
Have also included Keith’s thought about * So You Wanna Be A Rock Star*
He finishes with these words
Amen. Let us die graciously together and endure to the end like brave soldiers who give their lives, without hesitation, for our noble and glorious King of Light.
Thomas Ball Barratt (1862-1949) was a British born Norwegian pastor and one of the founding figures of the Pentecostal movement in Europe.
Thomas was born in Cornwall but his parents emigrated to Norway when he was only 4 - he was bilingual.
He began to preach at the age of 17. He pastored several churches in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) in Norway.
In 1905 he travelled to the USA with the aim of raising funds to build a new premises in Kristiania.
The Azasa Street Revival had happened in Los Angles on 9th April that year which resulted in the forming of the Pentecostal movement.
Several ministers who were baptized in the Spirit at the Azusa Street Mission and who were passionate about helping others encounter God in this way, intersected with Barratt in New York when he was on his way home. He asked for prayer to receive the same blessing they had received. He was baptised in the Spirit on 15th November 1906 ( or 7th October if dif. source used) and thereafter spoke and even sang in tongues
( Read ‘T.B. Barratt and Revival in Norway’ which includes his personal, powerful, inspiring testimony, by Jan Miskov - her testimony - which follows, can be found on Wikipedia, is also worth reading!)
He returned to Norway in December without funds or support. Instead in 1907 he held revival meetings in Oslo at his newly formed Filadelfia assembly. This attracted international attention and he became one of the prime movers of the Pentecostal movement in Europe.
Thomas went to Kristiania in December 1906. On 23rd he told of his spiritual baptism, he stood and wept. Although he did not utter a word, it was of great importance, the spirit was present. On the 2nd Christmas Day more people experienced similar things. By New Year 1907 ten people had been baptised spiritually.
This is considered the beginning of the Pentecostal movement in Norway.
Alexander Boddy went to Norway and invited Thomas to visit his All Saints Church in Monkwearmouth in Sunderland. On 13th September 1907 Thomas wrote the eyes of the religious millions in Great Britain are now fixed on Sunderland. Alexander went onto become one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain.
Thomas continued to travel abroad visiting Sweden, Finland, Poland Estonia, Iceland and Denmark.
1909 the M E C terminated his membership.
He travelled to the UK to preach in Sion College, London and then to Sunderland for what became an annual Pentecostal celebration known as Whitsuntide Convention. He then went to Bournemouth to stay with Stanley Frodsham - another Pentecostal pioneer.
Thomas emigrated to the USA . He continued to travel overseas to Palestine and India.
1939 he was elected, unanimously, to be President of the Great European Pentecostal Conference in Stockholm.
On 29th January 1940 , aged 77, he died and was buried in Oslo. Up to 20,000 people lined the streets for his funeral.
Oslo
Christina 1624
Kristiania 1877
Oslo 1925
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic revival meeting place that took place in Los Angeles, California. The Holy Spirit came in waves in April 9th, 1906.
William J. Seymour, the one eyed 34 year old son of a free slave led the meeting at 216 North Bonnie Brae Street.
On April 9th, 1906, after 5 weeks of William’s preaching and praying, and 3 days into an intended 10 day fast, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. At the next meeting William shared Edward’s testimony and preached a sermon on Acts ch 2 v 4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
and soon 6 others began to speak in tongues, including Jennie Moor- William’s future wife. After praying all night William spoke in tongues for the first time on 12 th April .
The news spread quickly and crowds gathered. They held their first meeting on April 14th, 1906. Services were held outside to accommodate the crowds, People were baptized in the Holy Spirit, the sick were healed and sinners received salvation.
To further accommodate the crowd an old dilapidated two storey frame building at 312 Azusa Street, in the industrial section of the city, was secured. In this humble Azusa Street Mission, originally built for an African Methodist Episcopal church, which had been turned into a livery stable, storage building and tenement house, and referred by a newspaper as a tumble down shack the Pentecostal church was born. (Read Azusa Street ‘Conditions’)
The revival was characterised by spiritual experiences accompanied with testimonies of physical healing miracles, worship services and speaking in tongues.
Proud, well dressed preachers came to ‘investigate’. Soon their high looks replaced with wonder, then conviction comes, and very often you find them in a short time wallowing on the dirty floor, asking God to forgive them and make them little children. Apostolic Faith
All sorts of people came in their 100s ( 300-1500 would attempt to fit into the building) to worship from a diversity of backgrounds and different ages. Some came with both skepticism and a desire to participate.
By the end of 1906 most leaders from Azusa Street had spun off to form other congregations. By the end of 1913 the revival at Azusa Street had lost its momentum.
There is so much more to read about -background, Azusa -Services and worship criticism , and Legacy
The revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.
Today there are more than 500 million Pentecostal and charismatic believers across the globe. it is the fastest growing form of Christianity.
We continue to need more revival PENTECOSTS. ( Acts ch 2 v1-4)
Daniel Rowland(s) (c.1711/3 - 1790) was an Anglican curate who became a Methodist evangelist. He was one of the foremost figures in the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist revival. along with Howell Harris and hymnist William Williams Pantycrlyn. For 55 years Daniel was one of the leading evangelists in Wales.
Daniel was born early in the 18th century in Pantybeudy, Wales. He was ordained into the ministry aged 20. He was inducted as curate in the parishes of Natewnile and Llangeitho where his older brother was rector (he left the preaching and the work to Daniel). When his brother died he expected to be named rector but the bishop of St. David’s , to his surprise, named Daniel’s own son as the new rector. He was now curate to his son!
Aged 20 he had no idea of the evangelical gospel. After a service he would enter with gusto into games and sports and end the day in a state of drunkenness.
Daniel, in 1935, came under the influence of Griffith Jones who preached at Llandewibrefi and was converted. He was now 22 and married to Elinor(nee Davies).
In February 1938 he met his counterpart Howell Harris, together they worked as leaders of the Methodist revival but in 1952 they fell out.(Howell had become involved with Moravian errors - they made up 10 years later).
By 1742 a complete change had happened and he became one of the outstanding preachers of the evangelical awakening. Llangeitho memorably became a centre for Calvinistic Methodism in Wales.
On Sundays the locals played sports and games.He went to them - he interrupted a cock-fight. He addressed them powerfully. No one opposed him and the Sabbath desecration stopped. From then on he never hesitated to preach in the open air.
In 1760 the Methodist built a chapel in the village.
The Anglican church in about 1763 deprived him of his Nantewnile curacy.
In 1764 a new chapel was built.
By 1770 he was attracting congregations of up to 10,000. His preaching now emphasised the saving work of Jesus on the cross, originally he had paid attention to God’s judgement,in his sermons.
For nearly 55 years Daniel expound the Word of God in the village of Llangeitho and towns and villages close by. He would start with a verse from a hymn, read out his text and then in a calm and deliberate manner deliver his sermon. He would finish with a short prayer and give the benediction
One morning he prayed 1935 ?
*By Thine agony and bloody sweat, by Thy Cross and passion,by Thy precious death and burial, by Thy glorious resurrection and ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, good Lord deliver us.
The minister and congregation were overcome by the presence of the Lord. The Holy Spirit had visited Llangeitho and soon the whole of the country would know
He continued his weekly ministry for the next 55 years.
On 16th October 1790, aged 77, he died. All agreed his ministry had been blessed
In 1811, not without much heart searching, the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists broke away from the Church of England
Jeanne- Marie Bouvier de la Motte- Guyon (1648-1717) ( commonly known as Madame Guyon was a French mystic and was accused of advocating Quietism, although she never called herself a Quiestist.
Madame Guyon, born on the 13th April 1648, was the daughter of Claude Bouvier, a procurator of the tribunal of Montargis , in France. She was sickly as a child and her education neglected. Her childhood was spent between the convent and the home of of wealthy parents - moving 9 times in 10 years. Her parents were very religious and gave her a pious training.
In 1664, aged 15, she was forced into an arranged marriage to Jacques Guyon, aged 38. She was in an unhappy marriage being treated badly by the mother-in-law and maidservant. Relatives died -half sister, mother and father. She had 5 children, 2 of those died. Her husband died leaving her a widow at the age of 28.
During the marriage she was introduced to and instructed in mysticism by Fr. Francois La Combe. a Barnabite.
(Mysticism -popularly know as becoming one with God or the Absolute.
( See 'Mysticism)
Barnabite - religious order of clerics founded in 1530 (See Barnabites) )
After the death of her husband she lived quietly as a wealthy widower in Montargis.
In 1679 re-established contact with Francois. In 1680 felt need to go to Geneva. The bishop encouraged her to set up a house for ‘new catholics’ in Gex, Savoy. There were problems with the sisters and Francois sent to intervene. She became ill and asked her mother-in-law to look after her 2 sons. She left her personal possessions but kept an annuity for herself.
The bishop asked her to leave because of her ideas of mysticism. He expelled Francois.
They moved to Turin and then onto Grenoble in France. January 1685 she published
Moyen court et facile de faire oraison - A Short and Very Easy Method of Prayer.
Quietism - the elevating of contemplation over mediation was regarded as a heresy. (Read Quietism ‘Christian philosophy’)
The Bishop of Grenoble was perturbed- she left the city at his request. Francois was shut up in the Bastille. The arrest of Madam Guyon followed.
She was released 7 months later. Theologians examined her book and she made a retraction of the propositions. Her book resulted in secret conferences being held at Issy. The 34 articles of Issy followed and she signed submission to them and returned secretly to Paris.
On 24th December 1695 she was arrested again. She was imprisoned at Vincennes, then a convent at Vaugirard and then the Bastille. She signed another retraction on 23rd August 1699. After 7 years she was finally released on 21st March 1703.
She retired to live with one of her children in Blois. Many pilgrims visited her. She enjoyed writing. She died, aged 69, on 9th June 1717.
She never called herself a Quietist.
Her book is still available ( See ‘Amazon’)
Ernest Gordon (1916-2002) was a soldier, a Japanese prisoner of War (POW) at the River Kwai Bridge, an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland, a former Presbyterian dean of the chapel at Princeton University and an author.
Ernest was born on 31st May 1916 in Greenock, Scotland. His parents were James
Gordon and Sarah R. MacMillan.
He became a company commanding officer in the 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He fought in the Malayan Campaign and the battle of Singapore. He was captured in 1942. He was captured when trying to escape to Java. He spent 3 years in a Japanese POW - he helped build the Kwai bridge.
He became seriously ill following torturous events and was placed in the ‘Death Ward’ - left to die. But thanks to 2 soldiers- a Methodist named 'Dusty Miller and ‘Dinty’ Moore, and their 24 hour care, he recovered. They would boil rags and clean and massage his diseased legs every day. On recovering he started a university in the camp in order to add purpose and direction the lives of the men. Ernest had arrived an agnostic but thanks to their care left a Christian.
What happened to the 2 men who saved his life?
Dusty Miller was crucified by a Japanese guard who was frustrated by his calm in the face of hardship.
Dinty Moore died when the Allies sank his unmarked prisoner transport ship.
Ernest returned to Scotland and became an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland at Paisley Abbey in 1950.
He moved to the USA where he preached in Amagansett and Montauk. He then became the Presbyterian chaplain at Princeton, N.J. in 1954 and in 1955 he became dean (1955-81).
In 1962 Through the Valley of the Kwai was published which gave a first hand account of the story of the ‘railway of death’. This inspired the movie *To End All Wars. *
During his 27 year tenure at Princeton he was a frequent lecturer and author of articles on religion and morality on college campuses for theological journals and magazines.
He was the first President of the Church Service Society of America.
He served as trustee of the Purcell School and chaired the New Jersey Mental Health Research and Development Fund.
On retirement in 1981 he moved to Washington D.C. to be the president of the Christian Rescue Effort for the Emancipation of Dissidents (CREED). He helped 100s of dissidents get out of prison in the Eastern Bloc. He travelled the world as a visiting lecturer. He later moved back to Princeton.
Ernest died on 16th January 2002 aged 85. Thanks to the care of his two friends he lived another 60 years - years spent actively in the Lord’s service.
Source used
Wikipedia
Edward McKendree Bounds (1835-1913) known as E. M. Bounds was an American author, attorney and member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South clergy. He wrote 11 books, 9 on prayer, but only 2 were published before his death.
Edward was born on 15th August 1835. His parents were Thomas and Hester Bounds. It is surmised he got his middle name from the evangelist William McKendree. He was the fifth of 6 children, 3 boys, 3 girls.
His father was the first Justice of the Peace in Shelby County. As County Commissioner in 1940 he advanced the building of the First Methodist Church. He died in 1849 of tuberculosis
Edward, now aged 14, joined relatives in a trek to Mesquite Canyon in California following the discovery of gold. After 4 unsuccessful years they return to Missouri. He studied law at Hannibal Missouri. Aged 19 he became the youngest practicing lawyer in the area. Although apprenticed as an attorney he felt a call to the ministry during the Third Great Awakening. Following a brush outside revival meeting by evangelist Smith Thomas he closed his office and moved to Palmyra to enroll in the Centenary Seminary. 1859, aged 24, he was ordained and named pastor of Moticello, MIssouri Methodist Church.
12th April 1861-9th May 1865 the American Civil War.
Edward lived in the north, but did not support slavery so he was held with other non-combatants in a Federal prison in St. Louis for 18 months. He was then transferred to Memphis and released in a prison exchange.
On his release he became chaplain in the Confederate States Army. During the second battle of Franklin he suffered a sever forehead injury and taken prisoner.
On28th June 1865 he was released upon taking the oath of loyalty to the United States.
He felt compelled to return to war torn Franklin where he became the pastor of Franklin Methodist Episcopal Church. He was regionally celebrated for leading spiritual revival in Franklin. He eventually began an itinerant preaching ministry across the USA.
He served served important churches in St. Louis. He became editor of the St. Louis Christian Advocate for 8 years. Then assistant editor of *The Nashville Christian Advocate * for 4 years.
The trial of his faith came to him while in Nashville, and he quietly retired to his home without taking a pension.
His principal work in Washington was rising and praying from 4 am to 7 am.
He filled a few engagements as an evangelist during the remaining 18 years. While on speaking engagements he did not neglect his early morning time in prayer. No man could have made more melting appeals for lost souls and backslidden ministers then did Bounds. Tears ran down his face as he pleaded for us all in that room.Not a foolish word did we ever hear him utter.
The Rev. Claudius Lysias Chilton Jr., an admirer of Bounds, worked on preserving and preparing his collection of manuscripts for publication. By 1921 Homer W. Hodge completed additional editorial work. ( see ‘Published works’)
Christmas Evans (1766-1838) was born on Christmas day, December 25th 1766.
He was Welsh nonconformist minister who has been described as ‘the greatest preacher that the Baptists have ever had in Great Britain’ known by D.M. Lloyd-Jones.
Christmas was born near the village of Llandysul, Cardiganshire. His father, a shoemaker, died when his son was 9 years of age.
He grew up as an illiterate farm labourer. He stood about 7 feet tall and lost an eye during a youthful brawl.
Aged 17 he became the servant of David Davies, a Presbyterian minister, who taught him to read and write in English and Welsh. Visiting Calvinistic Methodist preachers and members of the Baptist church in Llandysul influenced him, so he joined the Baptists.
Career
In 1789 he settled for 2 years on the remote Llyn Peninsula in Caernarfonshire.
He then moved to Llangeful in Anglesey. here on a stipend of £17 a year,he built up a strong Baptist community. Many new chapels were built, the money being collected on preaching tours which he undertook in South Wales.
In 1826 he moved to Caerphilly, where he stayed for 2 years. In 1828 he moved to Cardiff. In 1832, responding to an urgent call, He settled in Caernarfon and again took undertook the old work of building and collecting.
Style of preaching
Christmas was a remarkably powerful preacher. With a natural aptitude for his calling he united a nimble mind and an inquiring spirit. His chief characteristic was a vivid and affluent imagination, which absorbed and controlled his other abilities, he earned the name ‘The Bunyan of Wales’. His sermons enlightened the understanding and warmed the heart. His piety humble and his faith fervently evangelical.
His famous ‘The Graveyard Sermon’ was included in Grenville Kleiser’s 1909, 9 volume The World’s Great Sermons. .
In 1838 he was taken ill, in the house of Daniel David,while on another tour of South Wales. He died in Swansea on 19th July 1838. His funeral was one of the largest ever attended in the country. He is buried in the grounds of Swansea’s Bethesda Chapel.
His works were edited by Owen Davies in 3 volumes and published in Caernarvon between 1895-7.
Christmas evans came on the scene in the late 18th century and became one of the greatest preachers in the national history of powerful Gospel preaching in Wales
(It is believed to bring good luck to kiss his headstone - making it the Swansea version of the Barney Stone.)
Source
Wikipedia
Bapa Timmy (1897-1988) lived in a mountain village on Buru, one of 1000s of islands that make up the republic of Indonesia.
Bapa as a young boy practiced animism. He worshiped his ancestors and did his best to please the evil spirits he believed were in the trees, rocks and other objects. Tragedy struck when 10 of his sisters and brothers died.
In his sorrow he began to search for the unknown God he believed must exist. God began to reveal himself to him and he gave up his former religion. He asked God to forgive him his sins.
Several years later he met an Assemblies of God believer. He then went to Bible school in Indonesia.
On his return tn his village they were unhappy because he had rejected the local customs.
One day 30 men came out of the mountains and attacked him. He was nearly beaten to death but within a week he had recovered but 24 of his attackers had died. The other 6 were afflicted with various sicknesses - they went to Bapa and joined him in following Jesus .
One year, for 9 months, no rain fell on his village. Crops failed A recent forest fire had the left the land charred. The witch doctors efforts failed…
Bapa saw this was an opportunity to show his village that the Lord Jesus was the one true God. He prayed to God for rain - he gave the witch doctors the day and the time.
Like in the time of Elijah (1 Kings 18 verses 41-6) the rain poured down. Everywhere was wet except where Bapa and the witch doctors stood!
He went to Danu Rana, a village nearby. 100 were waiting. They had already decided to accept God- the Holy Spirit fell and all began to speak in tongues.
This happened in 1953. Bapa died in 1988 aged 91. His influence lives on in the 13 churches started through his influence.
Enjoy reading out the story and showing the pictures.
Source
Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge from Assemblies of God World Missions
Demos Shakarian Jr. (1913-1993) was an American businessman of Armenian origin from Los Angeles. He founded the Full Gospel Business men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI).
The Happiest People on Earth (1975) is his story and the story of FGBMFI.
A large group of Pryguny (Christian Sect in Russia), including the Shakarian family, began to arrive in Los Angeles in 1905. They settled within a mile of the Azusa Street Revival and were delighted to meet spiritual faiths in America similar to theirs.
Demos was born 8 years later. When he grew up he entered the family business of dairy farming. Their milk herd grew to become the largest in the world at that time.
He used organizational abilities to facilitate Evangelistic campaigns with Charles S. Price and others.
He spent most of his adult life building the FGNFI (started 1952) for free. Honorariums and monies from speaking engagements he deposited back into the ministry. Every year he would resign his position as president, step into the hall, and allow the 200 board to vote for the next president!
He noted from his tent campaigns that they mainly attracted women. He wanted FGNFI to establish and encourage more participation by men by providing a platform for businessmen to give religious testimonies. The fellowship grew to 190 countries.
He also played a key role in working with Paul Crouch to help launch Trinity broadcasting network (TBN), working to fund Joel Olsteen’s father John Olsteen’s ministry and played a key role in helping grow the Voice of Healing Revival.
(Read ‘Healing Revival’)
For the full story of Demos Shakarian and FGNFI the book need to be read.
(See Amazon advert)
The FGB today, has 6,000 chapters in around 160 countries worldwide. The FGB allows for men and women an opportunity to come together, from any church or non-church background to hear something of the reality of the presence of God and His power at work within our lives. (Read ‘About FGB’)
Source used
Wikipedia
John Frith (1503-1533 was an English protestant priest, writer and martyr.
As his ministry progressed he took greater risks with his stance against the Roman Catholic teachings of Purgatory ( a temporary place or condition of suffering or torment) and Transubstantiation ( that bread and wine at Communion change to Christ’s body and blood).
John was born in 1503 in Westerham, Kent. The font where he was baptised is still in use today.
He went to Sevenoaks Grammar School. He then went to Eton (1520-20and Queen’s College, Cambridge. He received his degree from King’s in 1525. He became proficient in Latin, Greek and mathematics
After graduating he was called out of Cambridge to attend Oxford University by Thomas Wolsey who personally gathered young men who excelled in learning and knowledge (1525-8).
Met influential William Tyndale.
Married in 1528
Oxford was the first place in which John was apprehended and committed to prison under the suspicion of being in favour of Martin Luther’s doctrine and had books in his possession considered ’ heretical’. He was released roughly 6 months later and fled to Antwerp.
From Antwerp he travelled to Marburg where he translatedPlaces by Patrick Hamilton. In 1529 he translated other pieces. He also had *A Dispotacion of Purgatoryr, *published.
(See ‘Residence in continental Europe’)
The second place he was imprisoned was on a visit to Reading. in Berkshire. He went to see the Prior at Reading because he had run out of money. He was imprisoned as a vagabond and rogue, arrested and put in the stocks He was released with the help of Leonard Coxe, a local schoolmaster.
On His return to England, Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor, issued warrants for his arrest. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for about 8 months.While there he wrote his final book The Bulwark - his thoughts on the Communion.
John was tried before many examiners and bishops. He produced his own writing as evidence for his views but they were deemed as heresy. He was asked whether he believed in purgatory or transubstantiation he answered that neither could be proved by Holy Scripture.
23rd June sentenced to death as a heretic and moved to Newgate Prison.
4th July, 1533 publicly burned at the stake in Smithfield, London
Master Frith was a young man noted for his godliness, intelligence and knowledge. In the secular world he could have risen to any height he wished, but he chose, instead, to serve the church and work for the benefit of others and not himself.
Harold Chadwick
John’s works were posthumously published in 1573 by John Foxe
John Frith played an influential role in the Protestant Reformation
Charles Fox Parham (1873-1929) was an independent holiness evangelist who believed strongly in divine healing.
Charles was the first to associate glossolalia (speaking in tongues) with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He was the first to articulate Pentecostalism’s distinctive doctrine of evidential tongues. In 1900 he founded the Bethel Bible School,
Charles was born in Muscatine, Iowa on 4th June 1873. In 1878 his family moved by covered wagon to Cheney, Kansas. As a child he had very severe rheumatic fever.
The next year his father married Harriet Miller, the daughter of a Methodist circuit rider. The Parham’s opened their home for religious activities.
Aged 15 he began conducting hie first religious services. In 1890 he enrolled at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, a Methodist affiliated school. He left in 1893 when he came to believe education would prevent him from ministering effectively. He worked in a Methodist Episcopal church as a supply pastor ( he was never ordained). He left in 1895 because he disagreed with its hierarchy.
He established his own itinerant evangelistic ministry which preached the ideas of the holiness movement and was well received by the people of Kansas.
On 31st December 1896 Charles married Sarah Thistlewaite, a daughter of a Quaker, in a Friends’ ceremony. In 1897 Charles and his baby son Claude fell ill. Recovery was attributed to divine intervention so he committed to preaching divine healing and prayer for the sick. 1898 moved to Topeka. Kansas where he established the Bethel Healing Home and published the Apostolic Faith magazine.
1900 he took a sabbatical. Most of his time was spent with Frank Sandford in Maine. He picked up Frank’s Bible school model and other ideas.
In his absence others had taken charge of the healing home. He decided to start Bethel Bible College at Topeka in October 1900. There he taught that speaking in tongues was the scriptural evidence for the reception of the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
It happened!
On 1st January 1901, after a New Year’s Eve watch night. His students had prayed for and received the baptism with the the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. Charles, away at the time, later received the same experience. He then began to preach it at all his services.
With his controversial beliefs and aggressive style he found funding difficult. In 1903 his fortunes changed. Mary Arthur, a prominent citizen of Galena, Kansas, claimed she had been healed. He was invited that winter to preach in a warehouse seating 100s. News Heraldreported 1,000 healed, 800 converted. He developed a strong following which would form the backbone of his movement for the rest of his life.
He preached for a further 26 years but his heart, weaken by rheumatic fever as a child, took his life on 29th January 1929.
Charles originated the doctrine of initial evidence. It was this doctrine which made Pentecostalism distinct from other holiness Christian groups.
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was undoubtedly one of the greatest physicists - Einstein had Jame’s portrait on the wall to inspire him.
James insights into the principles of electromagnetism laid the foundation for our modern world; radio, television, smart phones and the internet.
James was born on the 13th June 1831 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was an extraordinarily curious child, he would investigate everything he could find.
He grew up in a deeply Christian home and by the age of 8 could recite all 176 verses of Psalm 119.
He went to Cambridge University and subjected his Christian beliefs to a thorough analysis.* After a conversion experience he took hold of a mature and confident faith that would endure throughout his life* J. John.
He applied his intellect and his mathematical skills to many subjects. His greatest achievement was that he able to unite what had been considered 3 separate phenomena- electricity, magnetism and light. Albert Einstein said one scientific epoch ended and another began with James Clerk Maxwell.
At his Cavendish Laboratory he had inscribed on the doors
Great are the works of the Lord; they ponder by all who delight in them.
Psalm 111 v 2
His faith satisfied, stimulated and supported him. He was committed to his Christian faith. He believed because God had created the universe we should try to understand it. He may have lost his mother when he was only 8, his father when he was in his twenties, and his wife in her forties but he confidently quoted the Bible and was grateful that he knew God in Christ.
He belonged to an evangelical Presbyterian church and in his later years became a church elder.
He died, aged 48, on 5th November 1879. The minister who visited him in his last few weeks that he spent his last days with a faith that was confident ‘in the gospel of the Saviour.’
He was one of the greatest physicists who ever lived but he also openly declared his Christian beliefs.
James* sat at the feet of Christ and so should we J.John