Eight years passed after God revealed Jesus the healer to me. I had been practicing the ministry of healing. During that eight years, every answer to prayer, Every miraculous touch of God, every response of my own soul to the Spirit had created within me a more intense longing for an intimacy and a consciousness of God like I felt the disciples of Jesus in a primitive Church had possessed. He received special anointing of the Spirit. Shortly after my entrance into the ministry of healing, while attending a service where the necessity for the baptism of the Spirit was presented, As I knelt in prayer and reconstruction to God, an anointing of the Spirit came upon me. Waves of holy glory passed through my being, and I was lifted into a new realm of God’s presence and power. After this, answers to prayer were frequent, and miracles of healing occurred from time to time. I felt myself on the borderland of a great spiritual realm, but was unable to enter into it fully, so my nature was not satisfied with the attainment. Finally, I was led to set aside certain hours of the day that I dedicated to God as times of meditation and prayer. Thus, a number of months passed until one morning, as I knelt praying, the Spirit of the Lord spoke within my spirit and said, Be patient until autumn. My heart rejoiced in this encouragement, and I continued my practice of meditation and prayer as formally. It became easy for me to detach myself from the course of life, so that while my hands and mind were engaged in the common affairs of every day, my spirit maintained its attitude of communion with God. At this time, in addition to my work as minister of the gospel, I was engaged as a manager of agents for a life insurance company. During the period of which I speak, I preach practically every night. After the services, I was in the habit of joining a circle of friends who, like myself, were determined to pray through into God where we could receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. As we believed the early disciples had received it, I said, God, if you will baptize me in the Holy Spirit and give me the power of God, nothing shall be permitted to stand between me and a hundredfold obedience. He receives the baptism of the Holy Ghost. One afternoon, a brother minister called and invited me to accompany him to visit a lady who was sick. Arriving at the home, we found the lady in a wheelchair. All her joints were set with inflammatory rheumatism. She had been in a condition for ten years. While my friend was conversing with her, preparing her to be prayed with, that she might be healed, I sat in a deep chair on the opposite side of a large room. My soul was crying out to God in a yearning too deep for words. when suddenly it seemed to me that I had passed under a shower of warm tropical rain, which was not falling upon me, but through me. My spirit and soul and body, under this influence, was soothed into such a deep still calm as I had never known. My brain, which had always been so active, became perfectly still, and awe of the presence of God settled over me. I knew it was God. Some moments passed. I do not know how many. The Spirit said, I have heard your prayers. I have seen your tears. You are now baptized in the Holy Spirit. Then currents of power began to rush through my being, from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. The shocks of power increased in rapidity and voltage. As these currents of power would pass through me, they seemed to come upon my head, rush through my body, and through my feet into the floor. The power was so great that my body began to vibrate intensely, so that I believe if I had not been sitting in such a deep, low chair, I might have fallen upon the floor. At that moment I observed my friend was motioning me to come and join him in prayer for the woman who was sick. In his absorption he had not noticed that anything had taken place in me. I rose to go to him, but I found my body trembling so violently that I had difficulty in walking across the room, and especially in controlling the trembling of my hands and arms. I knew that it would not be wise to thus lay my hands upon the sick woman, as I was likely to jar her. It occurred to me that all that was necessary was to touch the tips of my fingers on the top of the patient’s head, and then the vibrations would not jar her. This I did. At once the currents of holy power passed through my being, and I knew that it likewise passed through the one that was sick. She did not speak, but apparently was amazed at the effect on her body. My friend, who had been talking to her in his great earnestness, had been kneeling as he talked to her. He arose, saying, Let us pray that the Lord will now heal you. As he did so, he took her by the hand. At the instant their hands touched, a flash of dynamic power went through my person and through the sick woman, and as my friend held her hand, the shock of power went through her hand into him. The rush of power into his person was so great that it caused him to fall on the floor. He looked up at me with joy and surprise, and springing to his feet, said, Praise the Lord, John! Jesus has baptized you in the Holy Ghost. Then he took the crippled hand that had been set for so many years. The clenched hands opened and the joints began to work. First the fingers, then the hand, and the wrist, then the elbow and shoulder. These were the outward manifestations, but oh, who could describe the thrills of joy inexpressible that were passing through my spirit? Who could comprehend the peace and presence of God that thrilled my soul? Even at this late date, ten years afterward, the awe of that hour rests upon my soul. My experience has truly been as Jesus said, He shall be within you a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. That never-ceasing fountain has flowed through my spirit, soul, and body, day and night, bringing salvation and healing, and the baptism of the Spirit and power of God to multitudes. The Result of the Holy Spirit Baptism Shortly after my baptism of the Holy Spirit, a working of the Spirit commenced in me, that seemed to have for its purpose the revelation of the nature of Jesus Christ to me and in me. Through this intuition and remolding of the Spirit, a great tenderness for mankind was to awaken in my soul. I saw mankind through new eyes. They seemed to me as wandering sheep, having strayed far, in the midst of confusion, groping, and wandering hither and thither. They had no definite aim and did not seem to understand what the difficulty was or how to return to God. The desire to proclaim the message of Christ and to demonstrate His power to save and bless grew in my soul until my life was swayed by this overwhelming passion. The Call vs. Business Interests However my heart was divided, I could not follow successfully the ordinary pursuits of life and business. When a man came into my office, though I knew that twenty or thirty minutes of concentration on the business in hand would possibly net me thousands of dollars, I could not discuss business with him. By a new power of discernment, I could see his soul, understand his inner life and motives. I recognized him as one of the wandering sheep, and longed in an overwhelming desire to help him get to God for salvation and find himself. I determined to discuss the matter with the president of my company. I frankly told him the condition of the soul that I found myself in and its cause. He kindly replied, You have worked hard, Blake. You need a change. Take a vacation for three months, and if you want to preach, preach. But at the end of three months, $50,000 a year will look like a lot of money to you, and you will have little desire to sacrifice it for the dreams of religious possibilities. I thanked him accepted an invitation to join a brother in evangelistic work, and left the office, never to return. During the three months, I preached every day to large congregations, saw a multitude of people saved from their sins and healed of their diseases, and hundreds of them baptized in the Holy Ghost. At the end of three months, I said to God, I am through forever with everything in life, but took a proclamation and demonstration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I disposed of my estate and distributed my funds in a manner I believed to be for the best interests of the Kingdom of God, and made myself wholly dependent upon God for the support of myself and my family, and abandoned myself to the preaching of Jesus. The Call of Africa While ministering in a city in Northern Illinois, the tour boy at the hotel where we were stopping was inquiring for someone to assist him in sawing down a large tree. I volunteered to assist him, and while in the act of sawing down the tree, the Spirit of the Lord spoke within my spirit, clear and distinct, Go to Indianapolis. Prepare for a winter campaign. Get a large haul. In the spring you will go to Africa. I went to Indianapolis. The Lord directed me in a marvelous way, so that in a few days I had security, large hall, and was conducting services as He directed. About this time the following incident took place, which has had so much to do with the success of my ministry ever since. He receives power to cast out demons. One morning, when I came down to breakfast, I found my appetite had disappeared. I could not eat. I went about my work, as usual. At dinner I had no desire to eat, and no morning evening. This went on till the third day. But toward the evening of the third day, an overwhelming desire to pray took possession of me. I only wanted to be alone to pray. Prayer flowed from my soul like a stream. I could not cease praying. As soon as it was possible to get a place of seclusion, I would kneel to pour out my heart to God for hours. Whatever I was doing, that stream of prayer continued flowing from my soul. On the night of the sixth day of this fast that the Lord had laid on me, while in the act of washing my hands, the Spirit said to me once again, Go and pray. I turned around and knelt by my bedside. As I knelt praying, the Spirit said, How long have you been praying to cast out demons? And I replied, Lord, a long time. And the Spirit said, From henceforth thou shalt cast out demons. I arose and praised God. The Case of the Demon-Possessed Man The following night at the close of the service, A gentleman came to me, pointing to a large red-letter motto on the wall, which read, In my name they shall cast out devils. He said, Do you believe that? I replied, I do. He said, Do not answer hastily, for I have gone around the land seeking for a minister who would tell me he believed that. Many said that they did, but when I questioned them, I found they wanted to qualify the statement. I said, Brother, so far as I know my soul, I believe it with all my heart. Then he said, I will tell you why I asked. Two and one-half years ago, my brother, who was a manager of a large elevator, suddenly became violently insane. He was committed to the insane asylum, and is there today. Somehow, he became possessed of an evil spirit. Physicians who have examined declare that every function of his body and brain are apparently normal, and nay cannot account for his insanity. I replied, Brother, bring him on. On Sunday, in the midst of the service, the man came, attended by the brother, the mother, and attendant of the institution. I stopped preaching, selected a half-dozen persons whom I knew were people who had faith in God to join me in prayer for his deliverance. I stepped from the platform, laid my hands on his head, and in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, commanded the devil that possessed him to come out of him. The Spirit of God went through my being like a flash of lightning. I knew in my soul that evil spirit was cast out, and was not surprised when in a moment the man raised his head and spoke intelligently to me. A few days later he was discharged from the institution, returned home a healed man, and resumed his former position as manager of a grain elevator. Thus God verified his word to me, and from that day to this the power of God has remained upon my soul, and I have seen hundreds of insane people delivered and healed. Money comes to provide passage to Africa. One day during the following February, my preaching partner said to me, John, how much will it cost to take our party to Johannesburg, South Africa? I replied, 2,000 dollars. He said, If we are going to Africa in the spring, it is time you and I were praying for the money. I said, I’ve been praying for the money ever since New Year. I have not heard from the Lord or anyone else concerning it. He said, Never mind, let’s pray. A few days later, he returned from the post office and threw out upon the table four $500 drafts, saying, John, there’s the answer. Jesus has sent it. We’re going to Africa. We left Indianapolis on the first day of April, 1908, my wife and self and seven children and four others. We had our tickets to Africa, but no money for personal expenses en route, except a dollar and fifty cents. At this point in the narrative, Dr. Lake relates several remarkable providences of God which supplied their expenses en route. Through my knowledge of the immigration laws of South Africa, I knew that before we could be permitted to land, I must show the immigration inspector that I was possessor of at least $125. We prayed earnestly over this matter, and about the time we reached the equator, a rest came into my soul concerning it. I could pray no more. About eight or ten days later, we arrived in Cape Town Harbor, and our ship anchored. The immigration inspector came on board, and the passengers lined up at the purser’s office to present their money and receive their tickets to land. My wife said, What are you going to do? I said, I’m going to line up with the rest. We have a begged God thus far. It is now at the Lord. If they send us back, we cannot help it. As I stood in line awaiting my turn, a fellow passenger touched me on his shoulder, indicated to me to step out of the line and come over to the ship’s rail to speak with him. He asked some questions, then drew from his pocket a traveler’s checkbook and handed me two money orders aggregating $200. I stepped back into line, presented my orders to the inspector, and received our tickets to land. God provides them a home in Africa. Johannesburg is 1,000 miles inland from Cape Town. Throughout the voyage and on the train, we earnestly prayed about the subject of a home. We were faith missionaries. We had neither board nor friends behind us to furnish money. We were dependent on God. Many times during the trip to Johannesburg, we bowed our heads and reminded God that when we arrived there, we would need a home. God blessed and wondrously answered our prayer. Upon our arrival at Johannesburg, I observed a little woman bustling up. She said, Are you an American missionary party? The reply was, Yes. Addressing me, she said, How many are there in your family? I answered, My wife, myself, and seven children. Oh, she said, you are the family. The Lord has sent me to meet you, and I want to give you a home. That same afternoon, we were living in a furnished cottage in the suburbs, the property of our beloved benefactor, Mrs. C.L. Goodenough of Johannesburg, who remains in this to this day our beloved friend and fellow worker and Lord. She is now a resident of Florida.
By John G Lake