Pentecostal Newspapers - by Michael Fortner (Paperback)

About the Book

Articles by eyewitnesses and participants of the worldwide Pentecostal outpouring. While reading these stories of healing, miracle provision, and divine intervention, you will laugh, cry, shout, and be amazed.

Book Synopsis

This two-volume series is 95% direct quotes found in Pentecostal newspapers of the early 20th century outpouring. It contains a history of the outpouring that was written by those who participated in it, or were eyewitnesses. A normal history book is only a survey of events that happened way back when, but the articles in this book, taken from several different Pentecostal newspapers.

While reading these stories of healing, miracle provision, and divine intervention, you will laugh, cry, shout, and be amazed. God truly worked signs and wonders among Pentecostal people and ministers all over the world, not just a few big named ministers. These articles show that divine healing and even unknown tongues existed long before the outpouring "officially" began in 1906.

When a backwoods preacher prayed for a smashed elbow, those present could hear the bones snapping into place. This is just part of the real history of the outpouring that is revealed in the Pentecostal newspapers. The articles also show how it spread into different cities and nations all over the world.

After the history, I give many articles with testimonies of healings, baptisms in the Holy Spirit, revivals that took place, including a few inspiring stories of hero missionaries. You will read firsthand accounts of how God answered prayer in miraculous ways, over and over again. These stories will inspire you and build your faith.

These historically significant stories give many more details than you will learn from reading the usual summary-type history of the movement. However, because it is only the words of the articles found in the newspapers, it is not and cannot be a comprehensive history. I am sure many details will be left out since I only use papers from 1906 through 1923.

You will read about great heroes of faith who are unknown today, such as the preacher who took his family by train to another city without a cent in his pocket, even for train fare; God provided everything as he went. He then began a revival and was able to build a new church that was paid for in one year. These heroes did not just take great risks on blind faith, they were following God's specific instructions.

You will read many visions and dreams, which were common in this outpouring. You will read of Americans speaking in tongues and speaking perfect Chinese or Greek, and of Christians in China or India who were speaking in tongues and speaking perfect English.

You will not only read about the victories, but also the troubles and the struggles. Some ministers were beaten, arrested and put on trial; dynamite was put under one church in an attempt to explode it.

There are many heresy-hunters today that will point to every move of the Spirit and say it is not of God, but they have never been in a genuine move of the Spirit, so they have no practical basis upon which to judge. If you want to know what a genuine move of God looks like, then you will find it in the pages of the Pentecostal newspapers.

A few dreams and visions contain information that are actually important for us today, such as the one titled, The Last Great Spiritual Conflict, that predicts great deception coming into the Pentecostal movement-- from the inside. This was seen over 110 years ago, therefore, this vision has already happened, and I provide a detailed explanation (Volume Two).

Volume One goes about halfway into 1913, and Volume Two then begins in 1913 and goes through 1923.