Smith Wigglesworth, Man of God by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2013, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 Smith Wigglesworth was a precious man of God. As a young woman, my mother heard him speak in Los Angeles, California. My mother went to be with Jesus at age 99, eight years ago. But Wigglesworth was from England. Wigglesworth lived from 1859 to 1947. When Wigglesworth was about seventy, he felt that the Lord was showing him that his time on earth was about over. So Wigglesworth prayed, and asked the Lord for more time on earth, like King Hezekiah did in the Bible. The Lord gave Wigglesworth another fifteen years, like the Lord did with Hezekiah. I heard it was within a week of exactly fifteen years more for Wigglesworth. He didn't die of some disease. He died because God took his spirit out of his body. When your spirit leaves your body, the body will die. But there's an exception to that. Howard Pittman's spirit left his body, and he went up to outside of heaven, and spoke with God, and asked for more time on earth, and he received it, and his spirit went back into his body, and his life continued. I think that Pittman's spirit was not gone from his body for very long. Pittman was my friend, and spoke at a church service at my apartment in Houston, and I wrote a book about him. Wigglesworth was attending a funeral service and saw someone who knew a person that Wigglesworth had ministered to for healing. So Wigglesworth asked, "How is she?" The answer was somewhat disappointing to Wigglesworth, who said, "Aw...", and as he breathed out the word, God took him. A man standing behind Wigglesworth caught his falling body and eased it down. A doctor examined the body and said Wigglesworth's body was like a man who had come home from work and sat down in a chair and relaxed. Before Wigglesworth went into full-time ministry, he had been a Plumber. A Christian Plumber. And the Lord blessed his plumbing activities. But in his prosperity with the plumbing business, Wigglesworth grew cold toward the Lord. Wigglesworth backslid as a Christian. But his wife, Polly, helped him get through that. She was just a sweet Christian all the time. By being a sweet, loving Christian, Polly won her husband back to the Lord. Later, Wigglesworth said, "All that I am, I owe to my wonderful wife, Polly." Wigglesworth loved the Lord since his youth. He would try every day to witness to someone and win them for Jesus. He was willing to wait for up to an hour for someone so that he could witness to them. Wigglesworth heard about miraculous healings in another town in England. He would take his horse-drawn wagon over there, carrying people who needed healing, and they'd get healed, as in Mark chapter 16, verses 17 and 18. After a while, the people in the other town said Wigglesworth could just as well be healing the people in his own town. So they told Wigglesworth about an upcoming convention they wanted to go to, and asked him to take charge of the service that day. He said O.K., as long as he didn't have to be the speaker. They said O.K. But Wigglesworth couldn't find anyone to speak, so he preached. When it came time in the service for healing, he asked, "Who needs healing." A man stood up needing healing, and Wigglesworth was disappointed, because it looked like it was a rather serious ailment, not something easy. But Wigglesworth prayed for the man, and the man got healed. Wigglesworth admitted later, "No one was more surprised than I was, when the man got healed." So Wigglesworth began healing people at his own meetings in his town (Leeds, I think.) Wigglesworth obtained some small bottles for Christians to carry with oil in them for anointing people, before praying for their healing. (James 5:14,15) Wigglesworth heard how in another town in England people were receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues, just like in the book of Acts, chapters 2, 10, and 19. So he went there. They asked him why he had come. He said, "To get the tongues." They said, "You'll get the tongues when you get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost." Wigglesworth said, "I already have the Holy Ghost. I just need the tongues." They said, "You'll get the tongues when you get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost." After a week there, and not receiving, he went to the parsonage to say goodbye. The Pastor's wife laid hands on him, and he received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. (He spoke in a language he had never learned, and didn't understand.) Chapter 2 So, Wigglesworth went home and told his wife, Polly, that he'd received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues, just like in Acts chapter 2. His wife told him that she had as much of the Holy Ghost as he did. He said, "Well I used to believe that way, but I found out I was wrong." She said, "O.K., if you've received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, you preach tonight." They operated a sort of mission at their place. People would listen to preaching and get a free meal. Polly was the one who usually spoke. So Wigglesworth spoke that night. As he spoke, Polly sat alone on a bench toward the rear, a bench that would seat nine people. And she sat on every part of that bench, saying, "That's not my Smith. That's not my Smith," because he was so different after receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in other tongues. And that, of course, is what Jesus said, "But you'll receive power, after the Holy Ghost has come on you..." (Acts 1:8) You'll have more power after Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Ghost. Also see John 7:38,39-- 38 He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 39 (But he spoke this about the Spirit that those who believe on him would receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) When we speak, we speak out of our bellies. Actor William Shatner was a good example of that. As he delivered his lines, you could see him punch the words with his belly. RIVERS OF LIVING WATER, it says, after the person gets baptized with the Holy Ghost. And that is why Wigglesworth's wife, Polly, said about Wigglesworth, "That's not my Smith." It wasn't her Smith because he was a different man after receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. A better man. A stronger Christian, because Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "You'll receive power, after the Holy Ghost has come on you, and you'll be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth." We are better witnesses for Jesus after receiving the Baptism with the Holy Ghost. Jesus said in Matt chapt 28-- 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, "All power has been given to me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 20 Teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you, and see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen." And also in Mark chapt 16-- 15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that doesn't believe shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll speak with new languages, 18 They shall pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it won't hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they'll recover." We had better obey Jesus, and preach the gospel to every creature in all the world. But when we do, we'll be more effective if we've received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in other tongues (languages). Please see my book, "How to Receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost." Jesus said-- 7 Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek, and you'll find. Knock, and it shall be opened to you, 8 For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened. (Matt chapt 7) So ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Jesus is the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost, says John the Baptist in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Ask him for it, if you're first a born-again Christian. (Rom 10:9,10) When you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them. (Mrk 11:24) An excellent biography about Wigglesworth is, "Smith Wigglesworth, Apostle of Faith," by Frodsham. The Publisher is Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO. And they have an Internet website. But I purchased an inexpensive paperback copy of the book at a Christian book store Wigglesworth won many souls to the Lord, and healed many, and cast out demons. And I believe that he raised one or more people from the dead. Well, one of those that he raised from the dead was his wife, Polly. In one of the Scandinavian nations, Wigglesworth was preaching, and the Lord spoke to him, "If you'll ask me, I'll give you every soul in the auditorium." Wigglesworth kept preaching. The Lord repeated, "If you'll ask me, I'll give you every soul." Wigglesworth said, "O.K. Lord, give me every soul." And the Lord did. In crowded auditoriums with crying babies, Wigglesworth would first pray for peace for the babies, which the Lord granted. In one of his services, Wigglesworth sensed that something was not right in that place. There was a hindrance. Wigglesworth asked the Lord, "What's wrong, Lord?" The Lord showed Wigglesworth that there was a bench in the auditorium with servants of Satan there that were hindering the service. Wigglesworth was a pretty husky guy. He went to that bench, lifted up one end of it, and they slid off on the floor, got up and left. And after that, the service went right. There was a nation, Sweden I think, where the medical people opposed Wigglesworth, and obtained a decree that no one could lay hands on people for healing. When it came time in the service for the healing, Wigglesworth asked the Lord what to do. The Lord showed him a woman who was elevated by standing on a stump or something. Wigglesworth asked if she wanted healing. She said yes, and he told her to lay hands on herself, and he would pray. He prayed, and she got healed. (They can't make a law against your laying hands on yourself.) Then Wigglesworth told everyone who wanted healing to lay hands on themselves, and he would pray. They did, and many were healed that day. It was said that Wigglesworth would punch people. He was asked why he punched people. He answered, "I don't punch people, I punch demons. I can't help it if the people get in the way." One time, Wigglesworth punched a woman with cancer, and the cancer dropped out of her. I don't think she complained about being punched, for joy that she had gotten rid of the cancer. When Wigglesworth was old, he came home to be told by people in the house that his wife had died. He asked, "Where is the body." They said, "Upstairs in the bedroom." Wigglesworth went upstairs, and picked up his wife's dead body off of the bed, and stood her up against the wall, and commanded her to walk. And she walked. And then she talked. She said, "Smith, why have you done this?" He said, "I need you in my ministry." She said, "My work on earth is finished," and they argued some. Then, the Lord said to Wigglesworth, "She's mine." So, Wigglesworth let her die the second time. What a blessing to the world to have had that man of God, Smith Wigglesworth. I'm looking forward to sharing heaven with him. Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." (John chapt 3) To become a born again Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10-- "That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made for salvation." ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.