The Corporate Anointingchurch to the place of unity that I feel the New Testament
Church should be. It was an ordinary thing for miracles to
happen. The supernatural was in manifestation. In those days,
1939 and 1940, we were in the tail end of the Depression.
Things were different then. Our big crowds in those days were
on Sunday nights.
You see, in 1939 you could go to the show if you had a
dime. But nobody had a dime! So the sinners would come to
church. They would fill up the building and the church yard. We
didn't have air-conditioning, and in the spring, summer, and fall
the windows were open. There were more people outside than
inside. They would be standing 12 to 15 deep, all looking in. Out
in front, all the way back to the street, they would be standing
solid, looking in.
On Sunday mornings I had a different type of service than I
did Sunday nights. The congregation was made up mostly of
church members, so instead of an evangelistic service I'd have
what I would call a "believers' meeting." Most of that time, over
a couple of years, I didn't preach. I would just sit down on the
platform and say, "I'm going to turn this over to the Holy Spirit.
Whatever you've got, just get up and give it."
I would tell the people, "If you want to sing, if you want to
dance, if you want to prophesy and speak with tongues, don't be
afraid you'll get it wrong, because we'll straighten you out! We'll
help you, not criticize you, but help you in love."
You know, we had some of the greatest moves you've ever
seen in your life. Sometimes we'd sing and praise God; then we'd
grow quiet. Those meetings would last sometimes until 1 :30 or 2
o'clock in the afternoon. There were times we sat there from 45
minutes to an hour and a half—and nobody moved. We didn't
have nurseries or Sunday School rooms, and we didn't even have
any restrooms in the building.
But I've seen the power of God come in—the Holy Spirit
come into His temple—the anointing come in—and there was a
holy awe. That doesn't mean a fear like you would be afraid of a
rattlesnake or a tornado. But that holy awe would come upon us.