PENTECOSTAL HEROES.

John G Lake 1870 - 1935

One of the most amazing ministries was that of the Pentecostal Evangelist, John G. lake, who had an incredible healing ministry. He was a man who studied the word of God and then put it into practice, a man of great faith and Godliness!

Born in 1870 in Ontario, Canada, John G Lake was one of 16 children. He was born sickly, which seemed to be a common thing in his family. By the time he was a young boy, eight of his family had died.

At the age of sixteen he was saved and joined the Methodist church. He decided to trust in God alone for his healing. He was healed but as he grew into manhood he was afflicted once again with disease, this time it was rheumatism, which caused his legs to grow out of shape and distort his body.

After hearing of the healings taking place under the ministry of John Alexander Dowie, he went Chicago to be prayed for. After prayer was offered and hands laid in him in the name of Jesus, he was totally healed and his legs were straightened.

Following his miraculous healing, John G Lake became determined that no more of his family should die. In 1891 he married Jennie Stevens of Newberry, Michigan. They had seven children. Less than five years after they had married, Jennie was diagnosed as having tuberculosis and an incurable heart disease, and shortly thereafter she became an invalid. Now he was surrounded by sickness and disease.

His brother was an invalid, his sister was dying of breast cancer and another sister was suffering from severe bleeding. To top it all his own wife was desperately ill.

He then made up his mind to take the sick members of his family to John Alexander Dowies Healing Rooms in Chicago where he had been so miraculously healed. The first one he took there was his brother who had been an invalid for 22 years. They laid hands on him and in a matter of moments he arose perfectly healed and walked out. Next was his sister who had breast cancer. She too was miraculously healed.

Before he had a chance to take his other sister to Chicago, he received a phone call one night to tell him that his sister was very close to death. He rushed over to her house but when he arrived he found no pulse in her lifeless body.

He immediately sent a telegram to Dowie in Chicago. It read: " My sister has apparently died, but my spirit will not let her go. I believe that if you will pray, God will heal her." Dowie sent a reply: ' Hold on to God. I am praying. She will live." God once again answered their prayers and within an hour she was raised up totally healed.

Then came the turning point in john G Lake's life. After well meaning friends had counseled him to be reconciled to Gods will about his wife being ill and dying, he opened his bible seeking light on the matter. His bible fell open to Acts 10: 38 " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Suddenly he saw it: Sickness was of the devil, not of God.

With a new faith in God he called and telegraphed all his friends and told them he was going to pray for Jennie at 9:30 the next morning and God would heal her. The next morning at 9:30 he laid hands on his wife and she instantaneously healed. Praise God!

These events led John G Lake to follow his calling into the ministry which would shake two continents, Africa and America. He had become extremely wealthy while these events were taking place but the call of God was so strongly on His life that he sold all that he had, and took his family to Africa where he believed God was calling him to minister the gospel. That trip in itself is a story of Gods miraculous provision.

After a fruitful life during which he served God, and was used of God in the most extraordinary ways, he finally died on 16 September 1935.

What an extra-ordinary story of an extra-ordinary man! What an example of faith and godliness to follow today!

GBYAY