In 1910 William Seymour prophesied that in 100 years there would be an outpouring of God's Spirit and His Shekinah Glory that will be greater and more far reaching than what was experienced at Azusa.  2010 is the year prophesied about and we are about 1000 days away. 

 

Those involved in the Azusa Stories Project are convinced that They Told Me Their Stories is a vital part in preparing the people of God to make preparation for that outpouring and Glory.  We are committed to finding a way to send out one million books in 1000 days in preparation for God's visitation.

 

We are getting reports from around the nation about how this book is impacting lives and kindling the sparks of revival.  We know this book is not just another book, but is divinely ordained for 2006-2010!

 

 

Following is a chapter of the Stories book that talks about how God orchestrated the writing of this vital book.

 

 DIVINE APPOINTMENTS

Forward by the Editor

 

I made it a point to arrive early.  I had no idea where I was going, and I had an important appointment with potential authors. As I drove into the Faith Family Church parking lot in El Reno, Oklahoma, 45 minutes prior to my appointment, Pastor Samantha Roach, who was about to leave, greeted me.  Remember, I was 45 minutes early and just seconds before she was to leave the church, I “just happened” to run into the very person I was to meet with.  She had forgotten about our appointment, and if I had not arrived exactly when I did, she would have been gone for the afternoon.  Samantha apologized that she had double-booked her time and suggested we meet for lunch in an hour at a restaurant in Yukon. 

 

            Since there was another person in the parking lot of the church, and having time to kill, I greeted a man who introduced himself as Tom.  We exchanged a few friendly words and then spent the next several minutes talking about the 57 magnum he had holstered on his side.  Within minutes, I had met both the pastor and the man who, by divine appointment, “just happened” to be in the parking lot at that exact moment. 

 

            As I left the church parking lot, I could see Tom walk over to talk with his pastor.  Little did I know that their brief meeting would turn out to be the fulfillment of a 40 year old prophesy.

           

            Divine appointments!  Forty years ago?  Let me explain.

 

            Four weeks earlier, I was driving up and down the streets of Oklahoma City calling on pastors and introducing our publishing ministry.  I was having little to no success.  Even though it was Wednesday, I could not find a pastor in his study anywhere.  I called on Baptist Churches, Churches of God, Assemblies of God and Nazarene Churches.  Each time, the results were the same:  Nobody was in.  After about 90 minutes of this frustrating process, I had a clear message from God.  I was told to go back to my office and call pastors in my hometown and in the neighboring town.  With a huge sigh of resignation, I got on Interstate 40 and headed for Mustang.

 

 I went right to my office, opened the phone book to the church listings and began to call.  My very first call was to Faith Family Church.  Pastor Paul Roach answered and when I told him I was looking for pastors with a desire to publish, he asked me to hold while he got his wife, Samantha, on the phone.  In response to my introduction, I discovered that they were interested in publishing and that they had been in the process of trying to find a publisher.  We set a time to meet four weeks into the future, and I hung up certain that this truly was a divine appointment—I just didn’t know the magnitude of God’s plan.

 

            Four weeks later, I found myself at a restaurant with Paul and Samantha Roach and the man I had met in the parking lot—remember Tom, the man with the 57 magnum.  My assumption was that Tom must have been the other appointment and Samantha wisely combined the two meetings.  My assumption was wrong.   An hour earlier, God continued His intervention.  Samantha had invited Tom to join us because she believed that he was a vital part of why we were meeting.

 

            After brief introductions and a brief overview of my publishing company, Samantha explained why Tom had been invited to join us.  Tom also had a message that needed to put into print. 

 

            Tom began to tell his story.  It took me a few seconds to sort out what was happening.  I discovered during the conversation that he was a private investigator—hence the cannon on his hip.  I wasn’t sure what his story was, but I was a captive audience—a man with a 57 magnum has my undivided attention. As Tom began to tell his story, I forgot about the gun.  I knew immediately that his story had to be told.

 

Now remember, my agenda was to meet with Paul and Samantha and set up the process to publish their books.  But, on this day it wasn’t about my agenda!  It wasn’t about Paul and Samantha’s books.  It was about a divine appointment between Tom, Paul and Samantha, myself, and God that had been written into God’s day-timer forty years prior.

 

            Through an amazing work of grace, back in 1960, Tom found himself at the feet of several “Azusa Street Saints” listening intently to their stories about this great Movement of God.  Here’s Tom’s story in his own words about an amazing prophecy:

      

    The woman that prophesied to me was Jean Darnell.  She is the woman who took over for Aimee Semple-McPherson when she died in 1944.  At Pisgah, they had this publication called the Herald of Hope, and there was quite a large mailing list of about a quarter of a million names or more. 

 

If Jean was going to appear in some town, she would call Brother Smith and he would call me into his office and let me know what Jean needed.  Then I would go and get that city’s mailing list and some surrounding towns and with the envelopes Jean would send, I would print addresses for her.

          

  It just so happens that one time there was going to be an international convention of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship in 1966, which was the 60^th anniversary of Azusa, and it was to be held at Angelus Temple.  Demos Shakerien, the founder of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship, had come to Brother Smith, who was a member of the board of Pisgah.  He said that he wanted to get the Azusa Street Saints to come down to the convention and tell their stories.  Well, they only had time for about three of them. 

 

Jean Darnell was coming to Pisgah to get some envelopes I had finished, and stopped by to see some of the ladies who were to tell their stories.  During conversations, several of the ladies told Jean, “If you ever want to get the whole story, go talk to Brother Tommy over there at the Herald of Hope, because he knows every one of the Saints’ stories and can tell ’um better and more accurately than we can.”  That’s exactly where Pastor Darnell headed next.

 

Jean Darnell came to the Herald of Hope office and when she saw me, she just looked at me and said,  “Brother Tommy, come over here, I have a word from the Lord for you.  The Lord is showing me that all these stories that the Azusa Street Saints have been telling you, and you have been learning and memorizing will some day will be put into a book.”

        

    I thanked her for her kind words, thought about what she had said, and then hid her words in my heart.  I’m not one that goes and starts trying to make God’s prophecies come to pass.  If it’s prophesied to me, I just never forget ‘em; I never do forget, but I let God take care of it.  He will work the timing out.  What is it now, 40 years later?  He’s working it out for the 100-year anniversary.

           

    I remember a Christian song that was popular many years ago.  The lyrics said, “God has something to say to you, God has something to say.  Listen, listen, pay close attention, God has something to say.”  I don’t think there is a better application for these lyrics than the message in this book.  God has waited 40 years to have these stories told.  That is significant.  Noah was on the Ark for 40 days.  The Children of Israel wandered 40 years in the desert.  Saul, David, and Solomon each ruled 40 years each.  Jesus was tempted for 40 days. And now God waits 40 years to keep this divine appointment.  I think that if God had a specific time in mind to publish this message, there must be a divine reason. The stories that are told in this book are of particular relevance for today’s generation of Saints, and I believe are even the seeds of a new outpouring of God’s Spirit.  William Seymour and others prophesied during the days of Azusa that there would be another great revival and outpouring of the Shekinah Glory around the turn of the next century.