Most of the folks that go to our church have heard me talk about a man that I admire very much. A man by the name of Smith Wigglesworth. He was a turn of the century English Evangelist and Apostle. He is regarded by many as one of the most influential preachers of the 20th century. To this day, around the world there are thousands upon thousands of men and women who can trace their Christian experience back to the ministry of this great man of God. He sparked revival in every city, town, village, church meeting, train station, grocery store, bus stop & funeral that he went to. He is accredited as having raised 21 people from the dead with countless other miracles and salvations along the way. Needless to say, he was a man filled with power and authority from Almighty God.
But the secret to the power in Wigglesworth’s ministry was not just the manifestations of God in his meetings. The signs and wonders were merely a by-product of this man’s walk with Jesus. He knew God in such a personal capacity that it caused him to be “locked on” to what the Spirit of God was saying at all times.
Now, there are many people whom I have encountered that desire to walk in the power that Smith walked in. But there is a startling difference between our lives and Wigglesworth’s life. He hungered for God at all costs and at all times. It was said that he never allowed so much as a newspaper to come into his house because he preferred to read only the Bible. He himself said that he never considered himself fully dressed unless he had a copy of the New Testament on his person.
You and I have really no concept of how this man lived because we are so distracted by the things of this world that we miss out on this level of power and anointing. Now, when I say the “things of this world” I’m not necessarily talking about sin in our lives. And it’s not my endeavor to make us feel guilty or condemned, but rather to shed a light on what it is that we spend our time doing, saying and thinking. I titled this particular blog post “How much of God do you want?” because in examining Smith Wigglesworth’s life I’ve realized that we can have as much of God as we could ever possibly want in our lives. The choice rests with us.
Let’s take a look at 4 qualities of SW’s life that we can learn from. I’ll be referring to Smith as SW from now on, since it’s so much quicker and easier to type.
1.) A Man of the Word
SW was utterly consumed with reading his Bible. As a matter of fact, it is the only book that he ever read. You see, before he was saved he was a plumber by trade and was—for all intents and purposes—illiterate. However after he came to know Christ and was baptized the the Holy Ghost (which he referred to as “the whole pentacost experience”) his wife Polly began teaching him to read using the Bible. Therefore it was the only thing that he ever really read. And as I stated before, he wouldn’t allow a newspaper to enter into his house because of his conviction to the Word.
Often times he could be seen riding on a bus or a train reading his Bible. I’ve heard several stories of how SW would be so stirred by the Scripture which he was reading, that he would jump to his feet, get the attention of those around him and begin to loudly proclaim the word of the Lord. Usually this led to the salvation of many people, in busses and trains all over England. There was no limit to the power of God in SW’s life because of His love for the Word.
2.) A Man of Prayer
SW was quoted as saying: “I never pray for more than 15 minutes at a time, but I never go more than 15 minutes without praying.” Wow. What a conviction and dedication to prayer. One time he was riding with his son-in-law James Salter in the car when he suddenly shouted “Stop the car!.” Immediately James pulled the car to the side of the road and SW bowed his head in prayer. “God, we have been riding in this car for fifteen minutes now and we have not made mention of you. We repent!” And they continued their trip. Now, most modern Christians would find this behavior to be nutty and unbalanced. They would say that this kind of attitude was “excessive.” Which explains why most modern Christians have never, and will never raise anyone from the dead. Sure, it’s excessive. Excessively powerful. Excessively glorious and wonderful. Can you image what your life would be like, if you dedicated it to prayer with this level of intensity? What could God accomplish in your life if you prayed this way?
Of course, living this way will cost you. You probably won’t get to go to the movies as much. And you’ll most likely lose a few friends in the process. You’ll certainly encounter criticism of some sort too! But Paul says in Romans 8:18 “For I consider these present sufferings not worthy to be compared to the Glory which shall be revealed in us.” Now what Paul is talking about here is persecution. He says that although there is persecution coming from people around him (let’s face it, people hated the Apostle Paul) that persecution can not be compared to the Glory of God that was manifesting in Paul’s life! Nothing that anyone can say or do can ever outweigh the Glory of God that He desires to display in you! Right now! (Isaiah 60:1)
3.) A Man of Boldness
SW was not afraid of anyone. Least of all the devil. He once woke up in the middle of the night and found himself looking across the room at the devil. He muttered “Oh, it’s only you.” and immediately fell back to sleep. His boldness was so profound that it caused him to do things in an often unorthodox way. SW was known for boldly proclaiming the Word at any time and in any given setting. Whether it be on a train, in a store or even at a funeral. There was one time when he went to the visitation for a deceased member of a church. He proceeded to raise the young man from the dead. Not by praying a quiet prayer to God under his breath. Instead SW walked over to the casket and dragged the dead man’s body out of it, stood the lifeless form up against the wall, and began shouting in the Name of Jesus, until the man came back to life! There was simply nothing timid about this man! SW’s was a life of boldness in his God. Proverbs 28:1 states “The wicked flee, when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion!” When you walk with God, you can have NO FEAR!
4.) A Man of Faith & Love
SW is often referred to as “The Apostle of Faith.” Namely because he had such a profound trust in God and in His Word. He often said that “Fear looks, while Faith leaps.” It was his dedication to the Word and to Prayer that caused him to be so strong in His faith. The Bible says in Romans 10:17 that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” When you posses SW’s dedication to God’s Word, you’ll find yourself walking in the same kind of faith that he walked in.
The scripture also teaches us that faith works by love. SW was certainly a man who was defined by both qualities. It was often said that he would weep over the souls of people as he would pray for them. He desired to take no credit for the mighty work of God’s Spirit in his meetings. His love for both God and humanity was profound. And as bold as he was, at the end of the day he was as loving as a teddy bear. He desired to make an impact and leave a mark on this world for Christ and this translated into his walk of love. There was never anyone that he would not minister to. He was compelled by God’s love to reach the lost for Jesus, and it showed.
Conclusion
So why am I writing this today? It’s because as I was driving this morning I reflected on this mighty man’s life and it dawned on me: I can walk in this dimension of God as well. You and I can have as much of God’s power in our lives as we want! The scripture states that God is no respecter of persons, so if He showed up big in SW’s life, than He’ll show up big in yours as well. So what’s the difference then? Why is it that you and I often fall short of the Glory? Is it because you’re a bad person? Of course not! The reason that we don’t seem to have this type of power in our lives is because of “how” we walk with God. You see, SW maintained a perpetual focus on the Lord at all times. He never took his eyes off of Christ. He lived to pray, he lived to read the Bible, he lived to fellowship with the Holy Spirit. And it was these qualities that shaped everything he did. It was these convictions that affected all of his decisions. He made God such a high priority in his life that all of his decisions were filtered through his convictions. And if there was something that didn’t glorify God, SW didn’t do it. It’s a simple concept and one that we need to adopt in our lives today.
The church is perpetually on the brink of a vast and powerful move of the Holy Spirit. Often times the only thing that is missing from our congregations is that extra little bit of focus and dedication which would push us over the edge. Making the decision to spend time in scripture and in prayer instead of watching TV or going to the mall is paramount to spiritual success. Next time you and a group of friends get together to hang out, don’t sit around and gossip about life. Host a prayer meeting instead! Have a Bible study. Pray for one another. Find a ministry opportunity in your community somewhere. The harvest is plentiful, make sure your a laborer in the harvest and not a spectator. God can do a whole lot with people who are willing to sell out to Him. Get serious about your commitment to Jesus and you’ll have as much of Him as you can handle….
Juiced! 