© 02 Colin Melbourne
During the winter of 1893-94 she conducted a five-month long meeting in Los Angeles. She summarised the meeting in her 1894 book, ‘The Life, Work, and Experiences of Maria Beulah Woodworth’, with these spirit-stirring phrases;
Between the Living and The Dead
“We stood between the living and the dead, preaching the Gospel on the apostolic line, earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints, proving to the people that Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, according to the Lord’s promise, He was with us, confirming His word with mighty signs and wonders following.”
God was using Maria to lay a foundation for the Pentecostal Movement. In 1887 she said;
“The power, which was given to the apostles in their day, has never been taken from the church. The trouble is, the churches have sunk to the level of the world and were without the unlimited faith that will heal the sick and make the lame to walk.”
There’s no question that her 19th. century crusades prepared the way for the 20th. century outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In 1912, F.F. Bosworth (later a mentor of Dr. T.L. Osborn) helped spread her fame and credibility by exhorting all saints in the Pentecostal Movement to get her book,
“It is such a help to faith! There has been no such record written since the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ recording such continuous victories by the Lord in our day over sin and sickness.”
The famous Cambridge Seven missionary group gave up illustrious academic opportunities to serve Christ in Hudson Taylor’s China Inland Mission (today called Overseas Missionary Fellowship, OMF). The seven included C.T. Studd, and Stanley Smith, who wrote a testimonial about Maria’s ‘Acts of the Holy Ghost’, that was reprinted in her book, Signs and Wonders. Smith wrote,
“It is a book I value next to the Bible. I venture to think that this ministry is unparallelled in the history of the Church.”
Second Blessing: Second Wind
Sadly Maria’s personal life was marred by her husband becoming unbalanced following the loss of their children. He fell into repeated immorality, she divorced him, he died a year later, and she led his funeral service. Then followed a quiet phase during which God sent the devout Mr. Etter whom she married in 1892, he became a source of great support.
Maria watched the emergence of the Azusa Street Pentecostal Movement and, despite some initial reservations, soon wholeheartedly embraced the Pentecostal blessing, first speaking in tongues herself in 1912 aged 68. Revitalized by this experience she resumed her nationwide crusades, becoming a vanguard of the Pentecostal Movement, preaching until her death in 1924. She remained independent from organizations, but was invited to be main speaker at many historically significant Pentecostal conventions and camp meetings.
Miracles Prove Christ is Alive
One of the miraculous healings that occurred in her 1915 Topeka camp was that of a ten year old boy called Louis Romer suffering from the severe nervous disease St. Vitus’ Dance, or Chorea. His toes would clench so that he couldn’t wear shoes, and his limb spasms meant he was unable to feed himself. It was medically incurable, but Louis, in his 90’s, recounted what happened,
“Sister Etter laid her hands on my head, and I felt a cooling of my nerves as a tingling warmth went through my body. I felt so good I cried. All of this happened in less time than it takes to tell it.”
His hands and feet straightened, he was perfectly healed by the power of God.
Here’s Maria’s account of another miracle in Springfield Illinois:
“A little girl was carried into the meetings in her mother’s arms. She was as helpless as a babe two days old. She had spinal-meningitis, was paralysed all over, her brain was impaired, her head dropped on her breast and she had no use of her back and limbs. She had been sick for six months. For four months she had nothing to eat, but a little milk. I laid hands on her and commanded the unclean spirits to come out of her. In five minutes she could sit up straight and raise her arms above her head. In five minutes more she could talk and rose upon her feet, stepped up on the high altar and walked with her mother to the street cars; went home and could eat anything she wanted. The next morning she was the first one up, running from house to house telling what God had done for her. It shook the whole neighbourhood.”
Reports From a Jesus Woman
Camp Meeting in Indiana:
“After closing the meeting in the school-house, near Millenor’s Corner, we held a camp-meeting five miles from Alexandria, Ind. We were there over two Sabbaths. This was the most wonderful meeting I had ever held. The congregation was estimated at twenty-five thousand. In the morning, before the preaching, there were hundreds of ringing testimonies of present salvation. I then preached about the Holy Ghost power. Before I got through, the power of God fell on the multitude and took control of about five hundred. Many fell to the ground. Others stood with their faces and hands raised to Heaven. The Holy Ghost sat upon them. Others shouted, some talked, others wept aloud. Sinners were converted, and began to testify and praise God. I was overpowered, and carried to my tent.
In the afternoon they made a high platform in the grove, so that I could be seen and heard by the multitude. In the strength of God I arose and stood before the largest congregation I had ever stood before. God gave me a deep subject. I talked nearly two hours. The people all stood. The solemnity of death rested upon the multitude. Some had their bodies healed, and thousands were brought to Christ.”
Iowa: “One day a lady came to the meeting suffering greatly from a fractured arm and shoulder, and her wrist had been broken and her fingers crushed, for she had fallen down a long flight of steps with all her weight on her arm and hand. She was very heavy, and she met with this accident eight months before. The arm and hand were very much swollen and inflamed. The doctors gave no hopes of ever being able to use the arm or hand. Before she came to the altar she arose and told the congregation her condition with tears in her eyes, and said she believed the Lord would heal her. When we prayed for her the people crowded around the altar to see what would happen: when they saw her begin to move her fingers and hand, and saw the swelling going down, and saw her raise that arm and stretch it forth, then clap her hands together shouting,
“I am healed.”
They could scarcely believe their eyes. Strong men who were sinners wept, and said,
“Surely God is here.”
The saints shouted, and the fear of the Lord came upon all who saw her. She stayed at the meeting several days and testified of what Jesus had done for her.
“It is now twelve years since that meeting; the Lord has poured out the Holy Ghost as He promised He would in the last days, with “signs and wonders” following. He said He would give the latter rains of the Spirit before “the notable day of the Lord come.” This was to be given to gather in the last harvest of souls before Jesus comes in the clouds. Many times I have stood before congregations of thousands, preaching or singing, when the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and swept over, wave after wave, till the multitudes would sway back and forth like the trees in a forest, or grain in a storm. Many of the tall oaks would be laid prostrate over the house or camp-ground; and, like the revival at Cornelius’s, many were converted standing, or sitting in their seats.
“Many shouted, others wept with a loud voice. Other times the power would sweep over the house in melting power. In a few minutes nearly every one in the congregation would be weeping, saints and sinners. The solemnity of death would rest upon the people; you could not hear a sound nor see a move; the people were held by the power of God. These outpourings of the Holy Ghost were always followed by hundreds coming to Christ. The Lord has backed up His word, as I preached it on the apostolic line, with signs and wonders and demonstrations of the Spirit.”
His Strength Made Perfect In Weakness
“He has shown me we are in the last days. He has poured out His spirit in all my meetings. Praise God, no difference how the Holy Ghost came, I knew the Lord was leading. How I realised this:
“It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.”
Oh, how precious these words of our loving Father:
“Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it,” and “Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.” “Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, and arise and speak unto them all that I command you.” “Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I come and confound you before them.” “Go, and I shall be with you.” “Be strong and courageous.”
When I would feel my responsible position, and look over the crowded house, I, like Peter, would begin to sink, and cry:
“Lord, help; Lord, use the clay to Thy glory, and give me a message for this dying people.”
“Some of those promises would come rolling in, accompanied with the Holy Ghost, until I would feel lost in Christ and see nothing but the multitude of dying people rushing on to Judgment.
“Oh, praise the Lord for His tender care over us, and for His wonderful salvation, that fills our souls with glory; that takes away the fear of persecution, the fear of man and the fear of devils, and makes us rejoice in the midst of trials, remembering that “all things work together for good to those that love the Lord,” that takes away the fear of death, and as we look at the grave we hear a shout from Calvary, saying, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’
Death is the Gate to Glory.”
Maria Woodworth-Etter 1844-1924
Conclusion
Maria’s life and ministry prove that God’s call is irrevocable. Inability and lack were no excuse, the Lord was ready to supply all that she needed, and turn her weakness into His Strength. She resisted Him for two decades and paid an appalling price, but when Maria finally obeyed, she was one of the most anointed and blessed women ever to walk on earth.
For forty years, a woman submitting to Christ chased the devil out of every place she proclaimed His Message. You can do that too. She’s in the Glory now with her children, and all the saints she led to Christ, urging believers to forsake everything and follow Him. You don’t need Bible training, nor money, nor the approval of men, you just need a humble heart melted by the Love of God, and a yielded spirit that depends on none but the LORD Jesus Christ, and He will be with you, just as He was with Maria.
Colin Melbourne
© 02 Colin Melbourne
