BEGINNINGS

BEGINNINGS

Pearl and I are old enough now (May, 2006) that we are prone to look back to certain "beginnings" and historically follow them through to either their fulfillment or to their demise.

One such "beginning" was in February of 1942. We were serving as Pastors in the Tieton Pentecostal Church, and had Sis. Thompson, from Nampa, ID. in special meetings. She stayed in our home, and there was usually a morning prayer meeting. People got the Holy Ghost in those meetings.

One day Sis. Thompson ventured to mention to me that God had another "move" of His Spirit for the Church. It was "hidden" in the Scriptures, so that careless eyes would not find it.

When I exhibited an interest, she warily ventured further into what she was seeing in the Word.

She told us about the "Latter Rain" of Joel. She told us about the "Overcomers" of Revelation 2 and 3. She told us about the "Two Witnesses", again in Revelation. She mentioned the "Manchild" and the "Mother Church" of Rev. 12.

Then she "clinched" the whole thing with the "Little Sister" of Song of Solomon.

She readily admitted that she didn't have all the answers, but she felt she had caught a glimpse into the heart of God.

We were so young in age at that time. Louise was just learning to put sentences together, and Marvin was not even in the realm of thought. I had been rejected by the draft board because of poor hearing. The Church in Tieton needed a Pastor, so we agreed to serve, if the saints would help us by telling us if we started to do anything wrong. We still appreciate the help those older saints gave us. They prayed with us, three nights a week for ten weeks. The Church grew, in numbers and Spiritually. They counseled us, warned us, praised us-- the "whole nine yards."

We were hardly able to grasp what the elderly saint was trying to tell us. But seeds had been planted, and we know now that the ground was fertile and rich (Hungry and thirsty for the Truth of God's Word).

Through the years, the seeds began to germinate. Mostly, they did so one at a time.

As they began to grow, we did find that they would intertwine into one Truth. We were to learn later that this one Truth was not exactly what was being taught generally in the Churches.

It was in Cascade, ID. that the "Latter Rain" began to grip our souls. The war was just over, and things had started to get back to normal. But Latter Rain was still more theory than anything else at that time. It was a start.

Our ministry was more of the "flat chest" "little sister" type. We were still very immature in Spiritual things, but very eager to learn. I would pray and agonize over every sermon and Bible Study I was to give. They were "Word", but rather devoid of "Spirit."

One Sunday I ministered from Joel 2, and promised the folks that God would, indeed, pour out of His Spirit on the earth again, and it would be before the Rapture. Some eyebrows were raised at that point.

We knew about the gifts of the Spirit, but they had not been incorporated into our ministries yet. A hunger set in, but it was not to be satisfied for some time to come. We were to enter into them several months later, and it has been wonderful. Now, we are hungering for "more of the same."

In 1947 a man named William Branham stirred the U.S. with a ministry such as we had not seen. We attended his meetings in Boise, and saw miracles of many sorts take place before our wondering eyes. God had our attention, and we knew He had greater things for us than we were experiencing in our own lives.

His ministry proved to be the first of a great number which were to spring up. Each one was different, yet they all bore witness to the Glory of God. Some of them hit the rocks quite soon after being launched. Others went on, and built kingdoms, for God, or otherwise. No one could deny it-- God was moving in the hearts of men and women all over the country.

BEGINNINGS

Pearl and I are old enough now (May, 2006) that we are prone to look back to certain "beginnings" and historically follow them through to either their fulfillment or to their demise.

One such "beginning" was in February of 1942. We were serving as Pastors in the Tieton Pentecostal Church, and had Sis. Thompson, from Nampa, ID. in special meetings. She stayed in our home, and there was usually a morning prayer meeting. People got the Holy Ghost in those meetings.

One day Sis. Thompson ventured to mention to me that God had another "move" of His Spirit for the Church. It was "hidden" in the Scriptures, so that careless eyes would not find it.

When I exhibited an interest, she warily ventured further into what she was seeing in the Word.

She told us about the "Latter Rain" of Joel. She told us about the "Overcomers" of Revelation 2 and 3. She told us about the "Two Witnesses", again in Revelation. She mentioned the "Manchild" and the "Mother Church" of Rev. 12.

Then she "clinched" the whole thing with the "Little Sister" of Song of Solomon.

She readily admitted that she didn't have all the answers, but she felt she had caught a glimpse into the heart of God.

We were so young in age at that time. Louise was just learning to put sentences together, and Marvin was not even in the realm of thought. I had been rejected by the draft board because of poor hearing. The Church in Tieton needed a Pastor, so we agreed to serve, if the saints would help us by telling us if we started to do anything wrong. We still appreciate the help those older saints gave us. They prayed with us, three nights a week for ten weeks. The Church grew, in numbers and Spiritually. They counseled us, warned us, praised us-- the "whole nine yards."

We were hardly able to grasp what the elderly saint was trying to tell us. But seeds had been planted, and we know now that the ground was fertile and rich (Hungry and thirsty for the Truth of God's Word).

Through the years, the seeds began to germinate. Mostly, they did so one at a time.

As they began to grow, we did find that they would intertwine into one Truth. We were to learn later that this one Truth was not exactly what was being taught generally in the Churches.

It was in Cascade, ID. that the "Latter Rain" began to grip our souls. The war was just over, and things had started to get back to normal. But Latter Rain was still more theory than anything else at that time. It was a start.

Our ministry was more of the "flat chest" "little sister" type. We were still very immature in Spiritual things, but very eager to learn. I would pray and agonize over every sermon and Bible Study I was to give. They were "Word", but rather devoid of "Spirit."

One Sunday I ministered from Joel 2, and promised the folks that God would, indeed, pour out of His Spirit on the earth again, and it would be before the Rapture. Some eyebrows were raised at that point.

We knew about the gifts of the Spirit, but they had not been incorporated into our ministries yet. A hunger set in, but it was not to be satisfied for some time to come. We were to enter into them several months later, and it has been wonderful. Now, we are hungering for "more of the same."

In 1947 a man named William Branham stirred the U.S. with a ministry such as we had not seen. We attended his meetings in Boise, and saw miracles of many sorts take place before our wondering eyes. God had our attention, and we knew He had greater things for us than we were experiencing in our own lives.

His ministry proved to be the first of a great number which were to spring up. Each one was different, yet they all bore witness to the Glory of God. Some of them hit the rocks quite soon after being launched. Others went on, and built kingdoms, for God, or otherwise. No one could deny it-- God was moving in the hearts of men and women all over the country.