You’ve probably heard the old saying, “The opportunity of a
Lifetime must be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity.”
The Bible is filled with men and women who acted upon this truth.
Abraham seized the opportunity to follow God’s call into
a strange land and became the father of many nations. Moses
seized the opportunity to serve as the emancipator of his
people, and he led the children of Israel out of 400 years of Egyptian
bondage.
Peter seized the moment on the day of Pentecost—and when
he preached the gospel, 3,000 people were saved. Paul seized the
opportunity of his lifetime and evangelized the first-century world.
They seized the opportunity of a lifetime and forever changed
history!
A century ago, our Pentecostal forefathers saw such an
opportunity and seized it, forever changing the church in the United
States and around the world. On January 1, 1901, a young lady
named Agnes Ozman received the baptism with the Holy Spirit and
began speaking in tongues. According to J. Roswell Flower, the
founding secretary of the Assemblies of God, this was “the touch felt
round the world,” an event that triggered the Pentecostal movement
of the 20th century.
Just a few years later, the Azusa Street Revival began in Los Angeles under
the leadership of William J. Seymour. G. B. Cashwell, a Pentecostal
preacher from North Carolina, went to the Azusa Street meetings and
received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Cashwell brought the message
and anointing of this blessing with him when he returned and launched
the famed “Azusa East” revival in Dunn, NC.
Pentecostal churches were growing throughout North America at that time,
yet they were not united. Two groups seized the moment and forged
a union that stands to this day. In January 1911, the Fire-Baptized
Holiness Church and the Pentecostal Holiness Church came together
to birth a new denomination. They came from different cities, states and
economic backgrounds, but they had one thing in common. They wanted
the fire and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Little did they know the impact their union would have on the future of the
Pentecostal movement.
The small denomination that began in Falcon, NC., is now over 4 million
strong, with 23,000 ministers and 18,000 churches in 103 countries
around the world.
In January 2011, we will celebrate 100 years of unity and ministry
in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. Our songs,
our clothes, and our churches look different than they did in 1911,
but one thing remains the same. We still seek the fire and anointing
of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
We are here today because Agnes Ozman, William J. Seymour and
G. B. Cashwell seized the opportunity of a lifetime and tapped into
Holy Spirit power. Imagine what the church could do today if only we
would seize the opportunity!
This coming January, we have the opportunity to
“seize the moment” and participate in a
once-in-a-lifetime event.
The IPHC will observe the “Celebrate the Merger” centennial
at the historic Octagon Tabernacle in Falcon, NC, the same location
as the original merger. This event will not only commemorate
the merger that forged the IPHC a century ago; it will also launch
us into a new century of ministry and Pentecostal empowerment.
(See the ad on the facing page for details.)
One of the highlights of this celebration will be the signing of a
Covenant of Ministry by every leader in the IPHC. This covenant
will seal our commitment to evangelize this generation through
ministry that is relevant, dynamic and demonstrative
while remaining true to our Pentecostal heritage and
pedigree. Both this historical, covenant-signing moment
and the Communion service that follows will take place
in the Octagon Tabernacle, the birthing room of our
denomination.
This special moment on Monday, January 31, 2011,
will also be the IPHC’s first worldwide worship service.
Churches and individuals in each of the 103 countries around
the world where the IPHC has a ministry presence will unite through
streaming video to be a part of this historic occasion.
This will undoubtedly be a moment of powerful breakthrough
for our movement.
I know you will want to be a part of this unforgettable experience as
the global IPHC family gathers for the first time to worship as
one united body of believers!
You are personally invited to join with multitudes of others
who will celebrate the past , embrace the present and
seize the future at the Celebrate the Merger Centennial.
Let’s seize this moment together!
Posted on
Wed, October 6, 2010
by Hugh Morgan