Smith Wigglesworth praying in a restaurant

Brothers and Sisters,

I want to share a story about Smith Wigglesworth. It was told by a pastor who went with Wigglesworth to a restaurant in Sidney, Australia. I think you'll like this story; it shows just how fearless this great man of God was. The story is told by Dr. Lester Sumrall (who knew Wigglesworth personally) in a book called "Pioneers of Faith." Here it is:

"The [Australian] pastor told me, 'Smith Wigglesworth was here in my city recently, and I took him to one of the fanciest restaurants to have lunch on Sunday. When we came into the restaurant, someone took his coat and hung it up for him. He looked around like an eagle. Only wealthy people ate in this restaurant. Instead of sitting down, he took a fork and began to hit the side of his glass with it. BING! BING! BING! BING! Everybody stopped eating.

When he had everybody's attention, he raised his hand and said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I have noticed since arriving here that none of you prayed over your food. You resemble a bunch of hogs to me. You just jump in and eat without giving thanks to the One Who provided it for you. Bow your heads and I'll pray for you.'

'Wigglesworth raised his hands and prayed for those people. Before we left the restaurant, two familes came over and got saved."

Awesome, I love hearing about Wigglesworth! That guys boldness is so interesting to me. :)

Yes, Wigglesworth accounts are thrilling. The guy simply had no fear! The only One he feared was God. He was a mighty General in God's army; and like Paul, the demons knew who he was. Oh, Hallelujah! We should all aspire to be feared in hell.

I've got many more stories about Wigglesworth. Someone should make a thread dedicated to Wigglesworth accounts. They can truly bolster your faith!

Bro. Paul

Quote:
I've got many more stories about Wigglesworth. Someone should make a thread dedicated to Wigglesworth accounts. They can truly bolster your faith!

No one is keeping you from it, is there?

BTW, I did enjoy this story immensely!

ginnyrose

No one is keeping you from it, is there?

This is true.

Okay, here's another:

Someone once asked Smith Wigglesworth how he gets up in the morning. This is what he said:

'I jump out of bed! I dance before the Lord for at least ten to twelve minutes - high-speed dancing. I jump up and down and run around my room telling God how great He is, how wonderful He is, how glad I am to be associated with Him and to be His child.'

After this, he would take a cold shower, read the Bible for a hour, pray for an hour, then open his mail to see what God would have him do that day. He was an extremely remarkable man, totally sold out to God.

- Lester Sumrall on Smith Wigglesworth.

thank you brother Paul for this. there are three people here I just read this to now, we are all speechless.

Praise the Lord! Thank you for sharing these brother... any others you don't mind sharing? :-)

Amen, brother!

A few years back, we had an evangelist visit our church who knew a guy who had talked with an old man who had been to a Wigglesworth prayer meeting back in the early 1920's.

He told us that when Smith began praying, men would start crawling on their hands and knees to get out of the room. The Glory of the Lord was so strong that they couldn't walk, they had to get out of the sanctuary - the glory was just too much to handle.

I know what he means. My old church was like that, where the power of God was just so strong that sometimes you just couldn't breathe. Where the Shekinah glory would fill the room like a cloud and it would just keep building and building and building until the musicians couldn't play their instruments and just fell prostrate and all you could hear was weeping and wailing and agony. Where Jehovah God comes and manifests His glory in an awful, majestic way. I remember a few times where I actually feared my for my life, and my wife had to flee the sanctuary before we were crushed by His eternal majesty. I can't imagine being at a meeting where someone like Wigglesworth is calling upon the Ancient of Days! I mean, this guy was so deep and totally sold-out to God that he was raising dead people out of caskets at funerals.

Where did this glory go, oh saints? Jesus said we would do greater things than He did! The God of Smith Wigglesworth is still here. How can our churches sleep with a glorious God like this in our midst!

Bro. Paul

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"I mean, this guy was so deep and totally sold-out to God that he was raising dead, embalmed people out of caskets at funerals."

One of my favorite Wigglesworth stories is along this line. Wigglesworth was once preaching in another town (as he often did)and the Pastor he was preaching for had to go give a eulogy at a funeral so Wigglesworth tagged along and as the Pastor was speaking and consoling the family in the foyer a bit before everyone else arrived Wigglesworth casually slipped into the room where the casket was and the family heard a "THUD!"and the sound of something being dragged across the floor then they heard another loud "THUD!" followed by Wigglesworth shouting "In the name of Jesus walk! "THUD!" The Pastor and the family of the deceased opened the door to see the deceased on the floor and Wigglesworth standing over the dead body which he then picked up and slammed against the wall and again commanded the dead man to walk in the name of Jesus. He let go and the corpse fell to the floor again. (But Wigglesworth did not believe in giving up, I'd be freaking out at this point)The family is just completely in shock at this point the Pastor said he was soooo embarrased at what was happening but that didn't stop Wigglesworth he picked the dead body up and slammed it forcefully against the wall and authoritatively commanded it to walk in the name of Jesus. It once again fell to the floor. So once again he picked the corpse up and slammed it against the wall and this time he shouted " I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to walk and I will not say it again!" And to the amazement of every terrified person in attendence watching this amazingly insane spectacle the dead man took a deep breath, coughed and then began walking across the room. When the funeral attendees arrived they obviously coudn't have a funeral so they sang hymns and had a prayer and testimony meeting instead.

Totally astounding. They say there's at least nine documented cases of the dead being raised during his ministry.

I like the story where he [Lester Sumrall] awoke in the night because the house where he was staying at was being haunted by demons. His bed started shaking, the window was rattling. He got out of bed and rebuked the evil manifestations and there was a calm. But he noticed his bed had been moved from its original spot by all the jolting. He commanded the spirit in the name of Jesus: "And put my bed back where it was, you wicked spirit," and the bed slid back across the floor to the wall.

In my studies of Wigglesworth's ministry I found the numbers go up to 27. 19 were documented well because they were post enbalming (which was done with arsenic...they were dead, as were many of the morticians who touched the fluid) another 5 have good evidence that stands up to scutiny. The other 3 were a bit random.
-Are you sure that bed shaking story was Wigglesorth and not Lester Sumrall? That sounds exactly like a story I read in his Biography of when he was a missionary in Africa.

Are you sure that bed shaking story was Wigglesorth and not Lester Sumrall? That sounds exactly like a story I read in his Biography of when he was a missionary in Africa.

You may be right. I've always thought it was Wigglesworth, but now that you mention it...

I heard the story a few years ago from another evangelist, he told me it was Wigglesworth. But I also remember someone saying it was Sumrall. I don't know. Can you give me the source? I've got a hunch you're right, brother.

In anycase, it's a great story.

One VERY good book that I would like to reccomend is "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon. It tells the life stories of 12 mighty men and women of God.

John Alexander Dowie
Maria Woodworth Etter
Evan Roberts
Charles Parham
William J. Seymour
John G. Lake
Amiee Semple McPherson
Smith Wigglesworth
William Branham
Jack Coe
A.A. Allen
Kathryn Kuhlman

Here is an excerpt from God's Generals on Wigglesworth
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As his faith began to increase, the Lord showed him another principle of faith: Faith should be acted upon.

Until then the average believer seemed to think that God moved only in a soverign way. They felt they had no part in it. The ministry in Smith Wigglesworth brought a new light to this dark area. Through his deep relationship with the Lord, Smith began to notice in the Bible that the people who received from God had acted upon His Word to produce results. Thus, his ministry began to adopt this operation of faith in every service. At the beginning of his altercalls he would say, "If you move forward only a foot, you will be blessed; if you move forward a yard, you will get more. If you come to the platform, we will pray for you, and God will meet your needs with His supply."
This was the central truth behind his ministry regarding faith. A truth that many called "ruthless." Smith Wigglesworth's actions were a result of strong compassion and a rock-solid faith in God. A Christian must act upon what he believes in order to receive the manifestation, and sometimes, Smith had to initiate the action for a few individuals. He called this type of ministry "retail healing," mainly because his faith contributed largely to their individual action.

For example, during a meeting in Arizona, a young lady responded to his call for healing. She was greatly distressed with tuberculosis, but as she stepped into the aisle, he said to her, "Now I am going to pray for you and then you will run around this building." He prayed, then shouted, "Run woman. Run!" The woman said, "But I cannot run. I can scarcely stand." "Don't talk back to me," Smith shouted, "do as I have said." She was reluctant, So Smith jumped down from the platform, grabbed her, and began running. She clang to him until she gathered speed, then galloped around the auditorium without any effort.

There was another woman in the same meeting. Her legs were locked with sciatica. Smith told her to "Run!" She was so ruluctant that he pushed her! Then he ran around the building with the woman clinging to him. Finally, the power of God met her action, as she was completely delivered. She walked to the rest of the meetings, refusing the street car, delighted to have the full use of her limbs again.
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another story on Wigglesworth form "God's Generals"
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The holy Spirit began teaching Smith the varying degrees of faith, He first taught that faith could be created in others.

An example of this concept was a young boy who was seriously ill. The family had sent for Smith, but when Smith arrived, the mother met him at the door, saying, "You are too late. there is nothing that can be done for him." Smith replied, "God has never sent me anywhere too late." The boy's condition was so bad, that if he were to be moved, his heart would stop and he would die. Needless to say, the family had no faith and the boy was too sick to believe for himself. Before he couold pray for the boy, Smith had to leave for an engagement at a local chapel. But before he left their home, he told the family he would return. He instructed them to lay out the boy's clothes because the Lord was going to raise him up. When Smith returned, the family had not done what he asked, and when they saw his faith, they were embarrassed and immediately set out the boy's clothes. Smith asked them to put only socks on his feet. Then inside the boy's room, Smith closed the door and told the lifeless boy that something would happen different from anything he had experienced before. "When I place my hands on you the glory of the Lord will fill this place till I shall not be able to stand. I shall be helpless on the floor." The moment Smith touched the boy, the power of God filled the room and was so strong that Smith fell to the floor. Suddenly, the boy began to yell, "This is for Your Glory, Lord!" Smith was still on the floor when the boy arose and dressed himself. Opening the door, the boy yelled, "Dad! God has healed me! I am healed!"

Such glory filled the house that the mother and father fell to the floor also. His siter, who had been released from an asylum, was instantly restored in her mind. The entire village was moved and revival began throughout their city.
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Another story about Wigglesworth's wife
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While waiting in the train station to leave for Scottland, Smith received devastating news. Polly had collapsed with a heart attack while returning from the Bowland Street Mission.

Rushing to her bedside, he found that her spirit had already departed to be with the Lord. Not settling for this, Smith immediately rebuked the death and her spirit came back, but only for a short while. Then the Lord spoke: "This is the time that I want to take her home to myself." So with a breaking heart, Smith released his partner, the one he had loved for so many years, to be with the Lord.
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Those are just a few stories form the book. Pardon any misspelled words since I had to type it in myself.

Another story I have heard was that one time a man was brought to one of Smith's prayer lines who had cancer in his stomach. The man was accoompanied by his doctor. When Smith got to the man, the doctor told him the condition and Smith drew his arm back and punched the sick man in the stonach. The guy immediately doubled over and fell to the floor. The doctor was schocked and shouted, "You killed him!" Smith replied, "E's ealed (meaning he's healed)" Smith continued to pray for people paying no attention to the guy he had just punched. About ten minutes later, the man rose form the dead and got up healed, dancing and shouting. When the man ran up to Smith to tell him that he was healed, barelying giving him any attention Smith replied saying I know, now go thank God for it, and contuned to pray for people.

Keith

Hi brothers and sisters, just continue with these amazing testmonies, I don't want to make diversion from the original topic, but just to make one note:

One VERY good book that I would like to reccomend is "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon. It tells the life stories of 12 mighty men and women of God.

I would like here to raise a [color=FF3300]red flag[/color] about this book and the author. I had it in my hands months ago. I am just wondering how it is possible men like Evan Roberts and Wigglesworth to be put in one place with such false prophets like William Branham and I have big question mark about the others in the book, I read some of their testemonies and most of what I read was about healing and healing, the pictures were literally like in theatre or show. Some of them had very questionable things like some of them got suicide, some of them divorced and remarried to other woman, doubtful bussineses etc. We must be careful.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
-1 John 4:1

Kire

Some of them had very questionable things like some of them got suicide, some of them divorced and remarried to other woman, doubtful bussineses etc. We must be careful.

Yes, this is true. A.A. Allen probably being the most infamous. I can't vouch for "God's Generals" as I've never read the book. I normally don't put too much emphasis on the men and women who had huge healing ministries and tent revivals. Not that I'm against them. It's just that it's so easy to take your eyes off Jesus and put it on the flash and pizazz. Jesus said we'd know the true ones by their fruit and not their gifts. The gifts, after all, are without repentance. But you can't have the fruit unless your heart's right.

You mentioned the author, Roberts Liardon. I don't know too much about him. I understand he fell into disgrace a few years back. But that's none of my business. If he was true brother, he needs to be restored in a spirt of meekness.

Wigglesworth is very unique in that he never humiliated God by begging for money or doing the show-thing. In fact, when he discerned that people were finally beginning to focus on "Smith Wigglesworth" and not God, his heart broke and he never recovered. He quit ministering, and died shortly after. He was always fearless, yet humble. An awesome combo!

I have heard that Wigglesworth had no formal education and in his twenties he just learned to read (maybe someone should comfirm this).
I love this story connected with that:

"Smith gave all he had, even in relation to grammar, to his Lord. He once wrote a letter to a university graduate. The next time this person saw Smith, he said, "You know, you spelled the title of the Holy Spirit seven different ways in your letter."

Wigglesworth replied, "Did you understand it?"

"Oh, yes."

Then Wigglesworth said, "Thank God, that's all that matters."

-Smith Wigglesworth, The Secret of His Power
By; Albert Hibbert
pg. 29

These days while reading Acts I was encouraged by the following verses:

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were [u]unlearned[/u] and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that [u]they had been with Jesus.[/u]
14 And beholding the man [u]which was healed[/u] standing with them, [u]they could say nothing against it[/u].

They had been with Jesus.

Quote-"Can you give me the source? "

I'm 99% sure it's in "The life story of Lester Sumrall" If's it's not it would have to be in "Demons the answer book", "Supernatural principatlities and powers","Exorcism the reality of evil and your power over it" or "Spirit, Soul, and Body" seeing as these are the only Lester Sumrall books I own. I'll know for sure by the end of the day. I'm going to read his biography today, I haven't read it in a while. It's great. Sumralls ministry started with him dying of tuberculosis and God gave him a vision a a casket on one side of his bed and a large open Bible on the other. The Lord told him he could accept Christ preach his Word all the days of his life and live or he could reject Him and die. He chose to live and IMMEDIETELY the next day with no money left his home (at 17) to preach the word. I like that kind of obedience.

Quote-"I have heard that Wigglesworth had no formal education and in his twenties he just learned to read (maybe someone should comfirm this).

This is true. At the age of 7 he went to work at the local mill to help support his family. They didn't have any laws against child labor or laws to make kids get an education so he didn't get one. He worked twelve hour days ussually. He got saved after a year of this hard work at a methodist church and after that never went anywhere without his Bible or at least his New Testement (even though he couln't read it). He joined up with the Salvation Army when he was about twenty where he met his wife Polly, whom he married at 23? (23ish) She's the one who taught him to read. She also did all of the preaching at the Bowland St. Mission they ran until Smith recieved the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" at the age of 47. He worked as a full time plumber until the age of 53.

I'm 99% sure it's in "The life story of Lester Sumrall"

Thank you. I went back and edited the old post, putting Lester Sumrall in brackets.

Yes, I am very fond of Sumrall's ministry. He was an honorable minister, a great teacher. I've got two books by him. I've never read his biography, though. I need to get my hands on it, now that you mention it. Was he involved with AG missions? He reminds me of Victor Plymire with all his thrilling adventures overseas with demons and mystics. I love reading this stuff; you don't see anything like that here in the States. But in some of these paganistic cultures, God moved mightily with great signs and wonders. Sumrall, Plymire and Wigglesworth were men of colossal faith.

Paul

Quote-"Was he (Sumrall)involved with AG missions?

If memory serves me right he was never involved with any denomination. I know on his first mission trip which was to China he went by himself and the only money he had was for the boat trip over there. A fellow minister said he would starve to death if he went to China with no money. Sumrall said "if I do I want you to get me a tombstone that says 'here lies Lester Sumrall who starved to death trusting Jesus'."