26/06/2020
A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE IN MINISTRY AND AUTHORITY!
In the mid-late 1800s, there arose a terrific servant of God who was nicknamed The Governor of Chicago. His name is John Alexander Dowie. He immigrated to the United States from Australia where he had been a Pastor during the Great Plague which killed thousands.
He changed the entire spiritual climate of Chicago. Stopped crime. Ran drug lords out of town. Healed the sick. Raised the dead and packed out meetings!
Interestingly, he didn't believe in the Holy Ghost and praying in tongues.
He groomed so many healing ministers including Gordon Lindsay, John G. Lake. In fact, Lindsay was born in his church because his parents were members of the movement.
Then, somewhere along the way, trouble started. Trouble started when he began to live a larger than his lifestyle. He built a tabernacle which he called, "The New Jerusalem". It is still there in Chicago. He began to teach some strange doctrines which centred around his anointing. He refused to accept accountability.
As a result of this, his friends deserted him and proteges like John G. Lake left the ministry to start their own work.
To show you how far gone in pride Alexander was, in 1899, another spiritual giant, D.L Moody, who used to be friends with Dowie but had distanced himself from him because of his antics, became very sick and lay dying. Dowie wrote him a letter and said, "apologize to me publicly and I will pray for you to be healed."
Moody, ignored him and would go on to die from that sickness than do what he says. Dowie was everywhere preaching and teaching that Moody died because he didn't apologize to him. He bragged of how much anointed he was, how he is the Elijah of his time etc. He also said that this will be the fate of anyone who talks bad about him or doesn't embrace his ministry.
Long story short, Dowie died in 1907.
After his death, the devil raised a servant of his who would go on to reverse everything Dowie had done. His name is Al Capone. Till date, Chicago has never been the same as Capone and his disciples reversed the spiritual climate and made it what the devil wanted it to be. It is the killing field of the United States of America today.
Where am I driving to? Right here: There are two types of relationships that are very important in life. They are: relationship with your spouse and divine relationships God puts in your life for checks and balances. The devil works overtime to make sure these relationships are destroyed. The moment you consider yourself the fountain of knowledge and can't take instructions/corrections/directives/
criticism from anyone else but yourself, forget it, you're at the borderline of destruction.
Can God raise men who would have dominion with men and heaven? Yes, He can. I'm not talking about motivational speakers but men who would stand and say, "till I die, no robbery around here." Yes He can. He is desperately in search of such people. Not storytellers or manipulators who use spiritual gifts to manipulate and intimidate others. No, no. But men who are daredevil.
In the 40's a young man travelled to the UK on study tour and part of the tour was that he would visit the home of legendary John Wesley.
Together with other students and in company of their professor, the young man visited the home of John Wesley, they were shown around the home of the great revivalist. When they were done, the professor took them back to the bus. But before they drove off, he got up to count the students to be sure they were all in the bus. He noticed that one was missing. So, he went back to the house and began to go from room to room in search of this missing student. When approaching John Wesley's study room, this professor heard the voice of a young man crying, "do it again Lord and this time, let it start with me." That was all this young man was saying. The professor, approached him, tapped him and said, "Billy, it is time to go home."
Rising on his knee, Billy Graham would go on to be become one of the greatest evangelists to walk here.
Is God still searching for people? Yes. Every day, He looks out to see who is the next person saying, "do it again Lord, this time, let it start with me."