The purpose of Pentecost was far more than speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance, as important as that gift is. It is clear from what Jesus said to His disciple that they would receive power to be witnesses when the Holy Spirit came upon 120 disciples in the Upper Room.
"But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth" (Acts 1:8, AMP).
In the Book of Acts we learn that the Apostle Paul was Pentecostal Holiness. He was eager and ready to get to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. We read about it in Acts 20.The following is the account that Dr. Luke, the church historian gives us:
Acts 20:15-22
And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
KJV
When I was saved or born again at the age of six, I became an instant evangelist. I went to every family in the block of my neighborhood on Division Avenue in East Lake, a bedroom community of Birmingham, Alabama, and gave my witness. Although I was a stutterer and was embarrassed when I tried to speak and couldn't, but that day my tongue was loosened and I spoke clearly without stuttering. I told the parents and the children of each home that I had given my heart to Jesus, He had forgiven me of my sins, written my name in the Lambs Book of Life, and I was going to heaven one day. I let them know that they, too, could do the same.
However, when I was baptized with the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, a new surging and satisfying power was given to me. I made a claim at Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alasaka that I wanted to have my own worship service. I let my head chaplain know that God had called me to preach and I would like to preach every week. He was an American Lutheran chaplain and he assigned me to be the pastor of the Sunday night Protestant Chapel Service. He figured that nobody could mess it up. He didn't know what a Pentecostal like me would be like. He took a risk. The most they had ever had was 25 people. That risk paid off.
God bless that Sunday evening worship service and soon we had 75 people every Sunday. I gave an invitation at the close of every sermon, and Airmen, both men and women, and civilians walked the aisles to the altar to receive Jesus Christ. That service grew at on a few occasions when we had an all chapel picnic on Sunday afternoon, we would have a vesper service which was an extension of my chaplain service and we had up to 1,000 and more in attendance. When God is in something things happen that only He can do. But He chooses to use people like your and me as well as others to get the job done for His glory and honor.
There are so many facets of the blessings of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. God gave me boldness to witness and share the Gospel, He helped me to lead the Protestant people to build the largest Sunday school in the Air Force, and to get a 3-semester-hour course on Teaching Sunday school approved by the University of Alaska. We gave scholarships to the Protestants and Catholic lay persons, men and women who wished to attend. God helped me to develop relationships with many people skilled in administration, teaching, recruiting etc. to accomplish out mission. He gave me favor the the principals of the five on base schools to conduct our classes, and all of the Protestant chaplains helped with the children's church every week and some of them taught a Sunday school class. It is amazing to me what God did and can do to help us do exploits for God. I attribute it to the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit when I was baptized with the Holy Spirit.
I want to tell you I have never been ashamed to be an ordained minister of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. I am proud of our church. It is my church by choice, although I was born and reared in it. That decision to be a Pentecostal Holiness pastor and military chaplain was permanently decided when I graduate from Asbury Theological Seminary. Methodist bishops from coast to coast and north to south tried to recruit me with fantastic offers. My decision was based on the Bible doctrines of our church and the Pentecostal experiences I believed to be true. I am grateful to the president and professors of Asbury Theological Seminary for what they taught me. I had the best of the best any seminarian could have. Wilmore, KY, holds a special place in my heart.
Then, it was in Lexington where Melvine had a still birth, Julia Frances, who died in the womb due to the mistake of our OB doctor. Melvine has a curvature in her spine and could not give natural birth. I held Julia Frances in my arms and cried out to God to raised her from the dead. He did not answer my prayer like I wanted. But I know He has the final Word.
I didn't know what to do. I knew that Dr. Frank Bateman Stanger, the President, had been a Methodist pastor for some 25 years before he became our president. I went to his home and told him what had happened, I asked him if he would conduct a graveside service for our precious baby girl. He graciously accepted. Because Melvine had to have a C-Section, she was not able to be present for the memorial services. Her parents and her sister came from Draper, NC to be with us. My parents were not able to be there. I think every professor of the seminary and Dr. David Seamands, senior pastor of the Wilmore United Methodist Church and his wife came, and several professors of Asbury College were present. Melvined was a teacher in the Wilmore Public Elementary School and taught the children of the professors. Many of my classmates came to stand with us. We were loved by that the people of that holiness community, and we will always be grateful for their love and care for us.
We buried Julia Frances Morgan in the Lexington Cemetery in the Children's Section. Melvine and I have taken Greg and Stephanie to see her grave a few times. When we were stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio, I took my aged father to see her grave. I convinced my dad to fly back to Birmingham. He had never flown in an airplane. When he got home I asked him how he liked it. He said, "I loved every minute of the flight. I would like to buy my own airplane."
"But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth" (Acts 1:8, AMP).
In the Book of Acts we learn that the Apostle Paul was Pentecostal Holiness. He was eager and ready to get to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. We read about it in Acts 20.The following is the account that Dr. Luke, the church historian gives us:
Acts 20:15-22
And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:
KJV
When I was saved or born again at the age of six, I became an instant evangelist. I went to every family in the block of my neighborhood on Division Avenue in East Lake, a bedroom community of Birmingham, Alabama, and gave my witness. Although I was a stutterer and was embarrassed when I tried to speak and couldn't, but that day my tongue was loosened and I spoke clearly without stuttering. I told the parents and the children of each home that I had given my heart to Jesus, He had forgiven me of my sins, written my name in the Lambs Book of Life, and I was going to heaven one day. I let them know that they, too, could do the same.
However, when I was baptized with the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, a new surging and satisfying power was given to me. I made a claim at Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alasaka that I wanted to have my own worship service. I let my head chaplain know that God had called me to preach and I would like to preach every week. He was an American Lutheran chaplain and he assigned me to be the pastor of the Sunday night Protestant Chapel Service. He figured that nobody could mess it up. He didn't know what a Pentecostal like me would be like. He took a risk. The most they had ever had was 25 people. That risk paid off.
God bless that Sunday evening worship service and soon we had 75 people every Sunday. I gave an invitation at the close of every sermon, and Airmen, both men and women, and civilians walked the aisles to the altar to receive Jesus Christ. That service grew at on a few occasions when we had an all chapel picnic on Sunday afternoon, we would have a vesper service which was an extension of my chaplain service and we had up to 1,000 and more in attendance. When God is in something things happen that only He can do. But He chooses to use people like your and me as well as others to get the job done for His glory and honor.
There are so many facets of the blessings of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. God gave me boldness to witness and share the Gospel, He helped me to lead the Protestant people to build the largest Sunday school in the Air Force, and to get a 3-semester-hour course on Teaching Sunday school approved by the University of Alaska. We gave scholarships to the Protestants and Catholic lay persons, men and women who wished to attend. God helped me to develop relationships with many people skilled in administration, teaching, recruiting etc. to accomplish out mission. He gave me favor the the principals of the five on base schools to conduct our classes, and all of the Protestant chaplains helped with the children's church every week and some of them taught a Sunday school class. It is amazing to me what God did and can do to help us do exploits for God. I attribute it to the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit when I was baptized with the Holy Spirit.
I want to tell you I have never been ashamed to be an ordained minister of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. I am proud of our church. It is my church by choice, although I was born and reared in it. That decision to be a Pentecostal Holiness pastor and military chaplain was permanently decided when I graduate from Asbury Theological Seminary. Methodist bishops from coast to coast and north to south tried to recruit me with fantastic offers. My decision was based on the Bible doctrines of our church and the Pentecostal experiences I believed to be true. I am grateful to the president and professors of Asbury Theological Seminary for what they taught me. I had the best of the best any seminarian could have. Wilmore, KY, holds a special place in my heart.
Then, it was in Lexington where Melvine had a still birth, Julia Frances, who died in the womb due to the mistake of our OB doctor. Melvine has a curvature in her spine and could not give natural birth. I held Julia Frances in my arms and cried out to God to raised her from the dead. He did not answer my prayer like I wanted. But I know He has the final Word.
I didn't know what to do. I knew that Dr. Frank Bateman Stanger, the President, had been a Methodist pastor for some 25 years before he became our president. I went to his home and told him what had happened, I asked him if he would conduct a graveside service for our precious baby girl. He graciously accepted. Because Melvine had to have a C-Section, she was not able to be present for the memorial services. Her parents and her sister came from Draper, NC to be with us. My parents were not able to be there. I think every professor of the seminary and Dr. David Seamands, senior pastor of the Wilmore United Methodist Church and his wife came, and several professors of Asbury College were present. Melvined was a teacher in the Wilmore Public Elementary School and taught the children of the professors. Many of my classmates came to stand with us. We were loved by that the people of that holiness community, and we will always be grateful for their love and care for us.
We buried Julia Frances Morgan in the Lexington Cemetery in the Children's Section. Melvine and I have taken Greg and Stephanie to see her grave a few times. When we were stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio, I took my aged father to see her grave. I convinced my dad to fly back to Birmingham. He had never flown in an airplane. When he got home I asked him how he liked it. He said, "I loved every minute of the flight. I would like to buy my own airplane."