MIRACLES BRING PENTECOST
Fire spread through much of South America as a result of this 1950s revival
The question that burned in evangelist Dr Miller's heart was "Where is the God of Elijah?"
Numerous gospel rallies and tent missions had very little fruit to show for all the labour. An American, based at Mendoza, he earnestly cried out to God over a period of several weeks.
Self-examination showed him his fears and unbelief, his fleshly loves and his longing for approval. With many tears he surrendered to God again and again. He finally knew a powerful filling of the Holy Spirit.
He called people together to wait upon God. Nothing happened for many nights and then a young woman said she felt a strange prompting to bang her fists on the table.
When she did it, a rushing wind swept through the room. All heaven broke loose as the company praised God.
A fountain had been opened which could not be stopped. The Mendoza church doubled in size, then doubled again as hundreds were converted and baptised in water and the Spirit. There were signs and wonders, too. Uneducated peasants received visions of things to come. Teenagers were given words of knowledge about the sins of church elders.
Meanwhile in 1952, as American evangelist Tommy Hicks was praying, he received a vision of Argentina and its need. Three months later when the word was confirmed in a prayer meeting.
Now sure of God's will, he flew to Buenos Aires. During the flight, the name 'Peron' kept coming to his mind. It didn't mean anything to him.
"Why, that's the President of Argentina," he was told. "God wants me to talk to him," thought Hicks, as the plane approached Buenos Aires airport.
The president had been suffering from a most persistent and disfiguring skin disease - an incurable eczema. It had become so noticable that Peron would not allow himself to be photographed.
Tommy Hicks, an evangelist from the USA was requesting permission from Peron to hold a salvation and healing campaign in the city, believing God had told him to hire a large stadium. The president, interested asked "Can God heal me?"
"Give me your hand", replied Hicks, and prayed. Before the astonished eyes of all present, the Argentinian leader's skin became clean as a baby's!
The eczema disappeared! Permission to hold the campaign was assured.
Hicks gained an audience with the president after dealing with an aggressive security guard in the same way. He prayed for the guard to be healed -and he was!
Huge traffic jams blocked all roads leading to the gigantic Huracan stadium in Buenos Aires during the most electrifying gospel crusade Argentina has ever seen.
Many thousands travelled by any means available from as far away as Brazil, Chile and Bolivia. People were saved, healed and delivered from evil powers daily.
The blind saw, the deaf heard, cripples were walking. Ambulances full of sick passengers were driven to tbe meetings and went away empty!
A boy of three had been unable to walk without heavy steel braces on his legs. When the crowd prayed, the boy's mother took off her son's braces in faith. The child began to walk unaided! Delighted, he ran up and down. The ecstatic crowd shouted cheered and wept for joy. Faith rose in many hearts and miracles began to happen spontaneously all over the stadium.
A doctor who knew the child's case was so overcome when he saw the miracle that he fell down, grabbing Pastor Hicks by the knees. "I want this Christ; I want to be saved."
Thousands, unable to get into the packed stadium thronged surrounding streets and heard the message broadcast through loudspeakers. Many slept in the stadium in spite of the winter cold to be sure of a good seat for the next service.
The crusade which began in Atlantic stadium soon outgrew the 25,000 capacity. But when Tommy Hicks announced that the campaign was due to close, there was a huge uproar. "Let it go on!" the crowd chanted for a quarter of an hour.
It sounded like the the roaring of a restless sea. What could the authorities do in reply to such a demand? The meetings went on - and increased in attendance!
This article has been extracted from Revival Fires, available online from the Jesus People Shop.
Source: Cry for me Argentina, by R Edward Miller (Sharon Publications, 1988).
|
|
Revival Fires
Latest Articles