They need christ

Gowans & Larsson in Concert

Foursquare phenomenon; Founded by a Canadian Salvationist

Aimee Semple McPherson

"Never did I hear such language from a human being. Without one moment's intermission, she would talk from an hour to an hour and a half, holding her audience spellbound."

— a reporter's description.

In 1913 a 23-year-old Salvation Army daughter was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis, her life hanging in the balance. But for months the young woman had felt her spiritual life was also in peril. She'd had a deep, gnawing sense that God expected more of her.

As she later recounted, her condition deteriorated until a hospital attendant came to move her into a room set apart for the dying. She struggled to breathe as she heard a nurse say, "She's going."

Then she heard another voice: "Now will you go?" She understood it to mean she was to choose between going into eternity or going into ministry. She yielded to ministry. Instantly, she said, the pain was gone, her breathing eased, and she soon regained her strength.

Within a decade, the young woman would become an American phenomenon. Though hardly known today, during the 1920s her name appeared on the front page of America's leading newspapers three times a week. Today, as her International Church of the Foursquare Gospel carries on her legacy, historians consider her (along with Billy Sunday) the most significant revivalist in the early twentieth century.

Living in a gospel car

Aimee was born in October 1890, to James and Minnie Kennedy, a Methodist and a Salvation Army devotee respectively, in Ontario, Canada. As a teenager, Aimee was introduced to Pentecostalism through the preaching of Robert Semple, whom she eventually married. When he died two years later, she married young businessman Harold McPherson. For a few years, they shared a hand-to-mouth existence. They lived in a "gospel" car plastered with Bible verses and slogans (like "Where will you spend eternity?") and loaded with religious tracts. Slowly she began attracting crowds and the attention of the press.

Though Aimee and Harold quietly divorced, Aimee's ministry continued to expand. Using Hebrews 13:8 ("Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever") as her theme, she preached that the "full menu" of Bible Christianity was available for listeners' firsthand experience. Around the country, she spoke about the lavish feast Christ offered the faithful and summoned people with the words of a familiar gospel song: "Come and dine, the Master calleth, come and dine!"

From Los Angeles in 1919, McPherson launched a series of meetings that catapulted her to national fame. Within a year, America's largest auditoriums could not hold the crowds. She acquiesced to popular demand that she pray for the sick, and "stretcher days" became hallmarks of her campaigns.

Reporters marveled at her oratorical skills: "Never did I hear such language from a human being. Without one moment's intermission, she would talk from an hour to an hour and a half, holding her audience spellbound." Pastors from many denominations threw their support behind her city-wide campaigns. In 1922 her ministry took her to Australia, the first of a number of trips abroad.

On January 1, 1923, McPherson dedicated Angelus Temple, which held up to 5,300 worshipers. The ceremonies included hundreds of colorfully clad gypsies (who had named her their queen), a roster of prominent Protestant preachers, and thousands of adoring fans. A church-owned radio station was launched in 1924.

 Archives


(Aimee Semple McPherson, American evangelist (one who preaches Christianity), symbolized important traits of American popular religion in the 1920s and 1930s. She was one of the first female evangelists, the first divorced evangelist, and the founder of the Foursquare Gospel church.

Aimee Kennedy was born on October 9, 1890, near Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada. Her father, James Morgan Kennedy, was a struggling farmer. Her mother, Mildred "Minnie" Pearce was a member of the Salvation Army (1865; founded by William Booth [1829–1912] as a religious organization with military structure for the purpose of bettering life for the poor and evangelizing the world). Soon after Aimee's birth, her mother took her to the Salvation Army and dedicated her to God's service. Aimee's training was particularly geared toward religious work.

When Aimee was in high school, she began to question her religious beliefs. At the age of seventeen she went to a religious meeting and experienced Pentecostal conversion under the guidance of Scottish evangelist Robert Semple. In 1908 she married Semple and followed him to China as a missionary (one who travels to spread religious teachings). He died soon after arriving in China, leaving her pregnant and penniless. After the birth of Roberta Star, she returned home and continued her Pentecostal work. She also worked with her mother for the Salvation Army.)

New Beginnings: See? I Am Doing a New Thing!—God

Epiphany,  January 6th, 2018

 What is Epiphany? There are two basic definitions. When the word is capitalized, it refers to the annual Feast of Epiphany that is held on January 6th to memorialize the arrival of the Magi in Bethlehem to worship Jesus, the newborn King of the Jews. The second description of epiphany encompasses a personal, and often sudden, insight or revelation of the meaning of something.
The Epiphany that many of us are familiar with is the account of the Magi arriving at King Herod’s Palace in Jerusalem to enquire about the newborn King, whose star they had been following for 2 years. We know that cunning Herod was clueless, and he gathered his advisors in secret to shed some light on this threat-to-his-throne. Returning to address the Magi, Herod feigned interest in honouring the King, too. Herod then directed the Magi to return to the palace to advise him where they had located the new King. When the Magi reached their destiny, they acknowledged Jesus’ Sovereignty when they bowed in worship before the toddler and presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi’s revelation of Messiah demonstrated that God included Gentiles in the plan of salvation. And then, warned in a dream of Herod’s evil intentions, they chose an alternate route to returned to their homeland and thus protected the new King. Personal epiphanies often occur when we are wrestling with complex problems. For example, in the fall of 1990 I decided to pursue studies in Early Childhood Education (ECE) By the end of the spring semester of ’91, with transfer and prior learning credits, as well as a couple of mandatory course credits, there were only 2 compulsory courses left to complete the program. By April I had arranged for a required fieldwork placement and child care for our 3.5 yr. old son, which fell apart. Frustrated and exhausted by the mental gymnastics of trying to find another solution, I heard a song on the radio, “Things are only as important as I want them to be.” Too tired to think, I decided to take a nap. My epiphany came in my dreams and when I woke up I had my answer: nothing was as important to me as having our 2nd baby. So I cancelled my fieldwork arrangement.
The characters in the Christmas story experienced their own personal epiphanies, too. Each of them experienced God stepping into their lives to show them the New Thing that He was doing. For example, Mary and Joseph’s love story took several unconventional twists and turns, but they trusted God. The shepherds’ mundane lives were changed when God intervened in the drudgery, sent His angels to break through their darkness with news of Messiah’s birth; suddenly, their lives were filled with joy! And the Magi were changed when they invested 4 years of their lives to see God bursting through with His Light: they wouldn’t have missed the amazing gift of seeing and worshiping the Saviour of the world! These individuals were taken out of their comfort zones and endured various hardships and challenges

How are we similar to the characters in the account of experiencing the truth and wonder of Jesus’ birth? For starters, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So God steps into our lives to shake us out of our complacency, too. So, this year we have used the theme: “New Beginnings: I Am Doing a New Thing!—God, to take a fresh look at the Nativity account to discover the new thing God was doing in His people’s lives throughout this amazing historical account. My hope and prayer is that each of us has been asking God to show us the New Thing that He is doing in our lives. May He give you the epiphany that you are seeking.

Blessings & Peace

Elizabeth Hogan Hayduk
Former Salvation Army Officer (pastor)
Canada

Russian Carol - Muzaria - Beautiful & Ethereal