I would like to personally share with you what I call my Royal Spiritual Lineage Background and where my roots come from so please follow the story and the time line as this is real history. As you already know I was raised in the ministry with my parents. Thank God I was brought up in a Christian home and was taught the Word of God and had the knowledge of truth fed into my spirit. We were at church every time the church doors were opened. I also went to a private Christian School. You know what they say about the Preacher Kid's they usually are the wildest. Though I was not a Preacher's Kid I was definitely one of the wildest. The good news is I was still taught the truth. Though I decided to check out for a while and venture into the world the truth never left me I left the truth. Once you receive the Holy Spirit he comes inside and dwells with you forever. You might not be fellowshipping back at times but He is always there waiting for your return, Hallelujah!
My mother's parents were also in the Ministry. My Grandfather, Pastor and Rev. B.V. Jones & Vivian Jones. My Great Grandfather, Oscar Jones originally from Oklahoma, was also a Minister. I found out in 2004 that my Grant Grandfather Oscar Jones was one of the original founders of the "Assemblies of God" that was established in April 1914. April 2, 1914 there were 300 workers and saints that gathered in Hot Springs, Arkansas. They came from 17 states, primarily in the Midwest, Egypt and South Africa. After days of prayer, worship, preaching and discussion, they formed "The Assemblies of God".
The one undisputed fact is that a committee was appointed to pray for God's direction in the choice of a name. Oscar Jones (my Great Grandfather), later chairman of the Oklahoma District, led the prayer meeting on the mountain behind the opera house the night before the convention finally chose the name, "The Assemblies of God".How awesome is that! My Great Grandfather led the people up on the mountain behind the opera house and prayed and God gave them the name "Assemblies of God!" Oscar Jones was District Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in Oklahoma from 1922-1927.That is the highest position in the Assemblies of God for the State of Oklahoma. When I found this information out I did not take it lightly. I was amazed! I begin to ask more and more questions. My mother told me about a book my grandmother had that was about the History of the Assemblies of God. I went on the internet and found the book written by Bob Burke called, "Like a Prairie Fire" A History of the Assemblies of God in Oklahoma and was amazed at all the information I found out. My Great Grandfather Oscar Jones served a total of 12 years as a District Officer for the Assemblies of God.
April 1914 Assemblies of God (formed and established)
Nov. 1917 to Oct. 1920 Oscar Jones was elected as Presbyter and served three years
Oct. 1922 to Aug. 1927 Oscar Jones was elected District Superintendent and served for five years
Oct. 1928 to Oct. 1930 Oscar Jones was elected as Presbyter and served two years
Oct. 1931 to Oct. 1932 Oscar Jones was elected as Presbyter and served one year
As most of you may be aware, the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement began in April 1906 at 312 Azusa Street lead by William J. Seymour. God used William J. Seymour as he began to pray in 1903 for 5 hours a day for two and a half years and had an uncommon spiritual hunger for God. This year 2006 marked the 100th year Centennial Celebration of the Pentecost Revival at Azusa Street. What an awesome year of rejoicing and celebrating this has been. Happy Anniversary Pentecost!
January 1, 1901
I want to take you on a journey as we go back a little further in history. This is known as the very beginning of the modern Pentecostal Revival. In 1901 a man by the name of Charles F. Parham from Topeka, Kansas had started the Bethel Bible College that was held at the mansion known as "Stoney's Folly".
Charles Parham had his students of 40 at the time begin to study about what the Bible said about the evidence of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. On January 1, 1901 a lady by the name of Agnes Ozman was one of the first students to receive the evidence of speaking in tongues by the power of the Holy Spirit. She said, "The presence of the Lord was with us in a marked way, stilling hearts to wait upon Him for greater things. The spirit of prayer was upon us in the evening. It was nearly eleven o'clock when it came into my heart to ask that hands might be laid upon me that I might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. As hands were laid upon my head, the Holy Spirit fell upon me, and I began to speak in tongues, glorifying God?. It was as though rivers of living water were proceeding from my innermost being".
The power of God moved so heavily on the students that they had to suspend school. Also Charles Parham was filled with the Holy Ghost. As the news began to spread quickly, reporters begin to come from Kansas City and St. Louis.
J. Roswell Flower an executive officer of the Assembles of God for many years explained what happened this way:
"It was as though a spiritual atom had been exploded, which produced a spiritual mushroom effect, that activated particles spreading to all parts of the earth."
October 1903
Charles Parham went on to Galena, Kansas in October 1903 and had one of his most successful revivals. Hundreds were saved, healed, and filled with the Spirit. The Galena revival had a significant impact on Pentecost in Oklahoma. Several future leaders of the Assemblies of God in Oklahoma came in contact with Parham as a result of the Galena crusade. This is where Howard A. Goss was gloriously saved who was a young high school football star. Howard Goss said, "God had surely changed my life. I was so happy that everything around me seemed scintillating with joy. God had changed my outlook on life so completely that even the old mine dumps around Galena suddenly seemed beautiful".
Oscar Jones traveled to the Galena revival and was also filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit as just another witness of the great movement of God spreading like a "Prairie Fire". This was the beginning of his journey as he gave up everything and he and his wife Ethel joined in with the movement of the Holy Spirit and traveled around with Charles Parham and Howard Goss spreading the gospel from revival to revival, to camp meeting to camp meeting, to church to church.
In July 1905 Oscar Jones (my Great Grandfather), Howard Goss, Charles Parham and Will Pennock had come together and went on a landmark trip to Houston, Texas. There they conducted a citywide crusade revival in Bryan Hall. They were still there by winter of 1905 and approximately 25,000 people had been saved at the revival.
One convert, a black Holiness preacher by the name of William J. Seymour attended the Charles Parham, Oscar Jones, Howard Goss, and Will Pennock crusade and was filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. William J. Seymour would provide the link between Parham's ministry and the Pentecostal "explosion" that would soon occur on Azusa Street in California the following year in 1906.
April 9, 1906
William J. Seymour lead the breakout of the famous outpour of the Holy Spirit at 312 Azusa Street, which was held in an old two-story frame structure building in the industrial area of Los Angeles. This is what as known as the Azusa Street Revival.
2006
I stand in awe still today at what part my Great Grandfather Oscar Jones played in his contribution to the beginning movement of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Along with his obedience to God, to be used as God's vessel, to go where God sent him, to do what God told him. Through the obedience of Oscar Jones, Howard Goss, Charles Parham and Will Pennock and the others that followed God's call and direction that ultimately lead William J. Seymour to their meeting in Houston, Texas.
What if they didn't listen to God nor follow His direction to go to Houston, Texas and William J. Seymour would have missed out on the revival "What if there was never an outbreak at Azusa Street" I just thank God for there obedience and faithfulness!
I am so grateful, proud and appreciative for each and every person that played any role or part in the very beginning of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement all the way down the road to where we are today. By their obedience to God, for allowing God to use them as His vessels to continue to carry out the Gospel throughout the World and spread the power of the baptism of the Holy Spirit around the World like a "PRARIE FIRE" .A "SPECIAL" thank you from the bottom of my heart!
To my Great Grandfather Oscar Jones, to my Grandfather Rev. B.V. Jones and to my Great Uncle Rev. Ossie Jones, also a preacher, I thank you for your obedience to your calling and giving of yourselves and your life to God and His people to continue to demonstrate excellent disciples unto God. As your Great Granddaughter and your Granddaughter I want you to know that I am picking up the cross and running the race to continue this royal bloodline lineage of the spiritual race to the Glory of God Almighty that reigns above. I hold the utmost respect and honor to you both up in heaven and may your spirit along with the Power of God continue to lead, guide and direct my paths I pray in Jesus- name. Amen.
Now that you have heard my story and as I look back over my life and reflect on all that I have been through I can see why Satan has tried to destroy me and keep the pull of the world on my life and keep me from finding out the truth. Because Satan knew what royal spiritual bloodline that I came from, he actually knew before me because I just found out in 2004! I thank God that He had a greater superior plan to turn my life around for His glory to be exalted on high! I am so honored, humbled, thankful and grateful I don't think there are enough words to describe the ultimate feeling I feel to realize the spiritual significance of the mantel and torch that needs to be continued to do Gods work that comes from the lineage of my family. To be able to trace my roots back to the very beginning of the Pentecostal movement is beyond words.......... humbling to me.
