The Gospel Fire Starter

Thousands of books have been written about this great general "Smith Wigglesworth" as I'm sure the devil certainly felt it when he hit town."  And though God has inspired me to write about this man I asked Him what he wanted me to touch on (which hadn't already been covered).  He said: "Smith Wigglesworth paid a price for victory over death's grip, and in doing so, He had to leave the "thoughts and opinions of others" (surrendering all) in order to follow hard after the Holy Spirit's Resurrection power for "victory over death and hell."   1

Wigglesworth was known as the Apostle of Faith and one of God's greatest generals, although he was a simple man of strong convictions who was a lowly plumber.  Not to mention the fact that he and his wife often bucked their stubborn heads against one another, to sharpen and fine-tune each other's aspect of God's truth.   2

So how does one come to such a place of God's presence and power?  Well, certainly not by honoring the ways of man above the ways of God!  The miracles that accompanied his ministry were of the sort that have seldom been seen since the days of the apostles (and this was even before receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost).  Thousands of people who were born blind, deaf, and crippled were healed by the mighty power of God.  Some were even raised from death's door and others were brought back to life through this "powerhouse vessel." 3

Born in 1859 into poverty, Smith Wigglesworth was converted by the Methodists at eight years of age. Even after God performed miraculous miracles, he hungered for more of God's presence.  So when he heard about "Azusa Street Revival" he traveled far to receive and understand the greater anointing of His power.   Unlike us today, who basically begin with Baptism in the Spirit as our first real anointing, for Smith this was the culmination of years of seeking and hungering after God, and so it was much closer to a real New Testament enduement of "power from on high". 4

Smith Wigglesworth said "I claimed the gift of the Holy Spirit by faith as I waited ten days before the Lord, in Sunderland of 1907 I knelt before God and had an Acts 2:4 experience..."  He described this experience as follows: "Mrs. Boddy laid her hands on me and then had to go out of the room. The fire fell. It was a wonderful time as I was there with God alone. He bathed me in power. I was conscience of the cleansing of the precious blood, and I cried out: 'Clean! Clean! Clean!' I was filled with the joy of the consciousness of the cleansing. I was given a vision in which I saw the Lord Jesus Christ. I beheld the empty cross, and I saw Him exalted at the right hand of God the Father. I could speak no longer in English, but I began to praise Him in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave me utterance. I knew then, although I might have received anointings previously, that now, at last, I had received the real Baptism in the Holy Spirit as they received on the day of Pentecost." 5

Wigglesworth believed in commanding the sick to be healed, as Christ indicated (Matthew 11:12) 6

"...the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."7

This was "an aggressive man of faith," who saw Christ as the ruling conqueror over evil. Though he was also a man of great compassion (as Christ was moved with compassion to heal the sick).  8

Over the course of his life, Smith Wigglesworth raised 23 people from the dead and one person wasn't supposed to return (and told him so).  Here is his own account of one occasion: "My friend said, 'She is dead.' He was scared. I have never seen a man so frightened in my life. 'What shall I do?' he asked. You may think that what I did was absurd, but I reached over into the bed and pulled her out. I carried her across the room, stood her against the wall and held her up, as she was absolutely dead. I looked into her face and said, 'In the name of Jesus I rebuke this death.' From the crown of her head to the soles of her feet her whole body began to tremble. 'In the name of Jesus, I command you to walk,' I said. I repeated, 'In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, walk!' and she walked." (Pg 59). Not only was this woman raised from the dead, but she was instantly healed from a terrible illness. She began to testify to people of her death experience and restoration. 9

This very natural, down-to-earth man, cared deeply about people but because of his outlandish manouvers, in God, most people saw him as rude and crude; if nothing more than extreme.  Nor was he afraid of issuing the odd stern rebuke.  His priority was focused on constant, unbroken, communion with the Father. He had spent hours and days fervently seeking God and every word or work was an act of worship to his Majestic Master and Lord.  The secret to his success was , as he put it: "There are two sides to this Baptism: The first is, you possess the Spirit; The second is that the Spirit possesses you."  And so he had counted the cost, and everything was God's.  Walking in obedience (to God's higher authority) was as easy as breathing in the presence of the Only Wise God.  He walked and breathed God's every word; his ecstasy was "holy communion" with the Father.  Hence he was full of audacity, full of daring, "full of faith and of the Holy Ghost." 10

On a trip to Cardiff in South Wales, a man jumped up and said, 'Sir, you convince me of sin,' and fell on his knees there and then. Soon the whole carriage of people were crying out the same way. They said, 'Who are you? What are you? You convince us all of sin'..."  And yet, all he did was pray quietly.  A similar thing happened to the evangelist "Charles G. Finney (as whole factories were converted to Christ)."  11

Smith Wigglesworth placed great emphasis on purity and holiness, like all true Revivalists. Although this is not a popular sermon these days, with so much compromise and justification by way of excuses void of "real grace."12

Smith Wigglesworth was a "forerunner" whose olympic torch had launched the way for God's new thing; that revival fires transpire in all walks of life for people everywhere. Such disciples, for the miracle-working faith of God, as Smith Wigglesworth and Charles Finney will manifest the soverign power over all the works of darkness in this End Time hour.  Perhaps, you too, will be known as "a son or daughter of thunder."13

God has always had his generals, those like Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, Maria Woodworth- Etter, John Alexander Dowie and others, plus the ENIGMA OF WILLIAM BRANHAM...14

Once someone said to Wigglesworth, "How are you feeling today?" He said "Listen, I don't ask my body how it's feeling; I tell it how to feel." And your words should not be to describe the situation; your words should be given to change the situation. And so, read it, meditate upon it, and speak it."15

Smith Wigglesworth was an uneducated man who was encouraged and mentored by his wife, Mary.  She predeceased him by about 34 years.  She had a powerful preaching ministry and was in great demand to conduct evangelistic campaigns across the north of England.   Though Wigglesworth himself had an intense zeal for the conversion of souls since his own conversion, it was really his wife who taught him to read and to engage in public speaking. Yet he still found it difficult to address public meetings fluently; mainly because he slurred his words so.  He would say "he's 'ealed (instead of he's healed)."  16

"Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials." He would say.17

Also "You must every day make higher ground. You must deny yourself to make progress with God. You must refuse everything that is not pure and holy. God wants you pure in heart. He wants you to have an intense desire after holiness."  He said often "I'm not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe." 18

Strange how this unschooled plumber became one of the world's renowned evangelist; who revealed a Faith's higher dimension power (in action).  Yet God is the same--yesterday, today, and forever! Many rely on their memories of blessings, as if He can't do something better for them "now."  Faith is a gift of God that is available to all who will receive it. Smith Wigglesworth was a determined man to have God's best "to defy the laws of nature and defeat Satan's kingdom (for sure). He simply took God at His Word, and God used his faith as a model for others. Where would this world be with more "faith rocking fire starters today?"19

"Teach me your way, O Lord and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name, I will praise you, O Lord my God with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever." -- Psalm 86:11-12 20

(The Revival Legacy of Smith Wigglesworth; By Gary B. McGee)21

Other evangelists have shown bold faith; perhaps it's significant that Roberts Liardon was told by God to study his famous generals "to learn from their mistakes."  That's right, learning from the best makes us better witnesses of the inspired word of Truth. In contrast, though, most Christians either conclude that miracles had ceased with the Apostolic Age; or when they do occur it's through God's sovereignty only. In either case, Jesus promised: "these signs shall follow them that believe" (Mark 16:17,18).22