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Like Brother Charles Parham, my heart is melting in gratitude to God for what my eyes are seeing. The Lord made me to know some years ago through Acts 26:16, that my ministry is that of a "witness." He positions me to see what He is doing, or what is happening prophetically in the earth, and I am to report it to others.

Well, I am so pleased to report that at last I am seeing a visible unity in the church that will allow the power of God to be manifest through her according to His plan and which may herald "the former and latter rain together" outpouring (Joel 3:23; James 5:7)!

"In About One Hundred Years"
It is my blessing to call Bobby Hromas my friend. A lady in every sense of the word, her humble whole-hearted "given-ness to God" is on a national and international scale. A Bible scholar and teacher, she is especially used to bless to Israel. Her ministry owns and operates a Prayer Embassy across from the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C.

It is impossible for me to list all her accolades, and she would not like me to do so. However, I must tell you that she is the granddaughter of Reverend Charles Parham of the Topeka outpouring.

Bobbie came to Prayer Mountain and shared this with our pray-ers. Her grandfather saw that Acts 2 was "the former rain" outpouring foretold by the Prophets. He saw that what was happening at the beginning of the twentieth century was "the latter rain" outpouring. And he prophesied that in about one hundred years, "the former and latter rain together" outpouring would come just before the Second Coming of the Lord.

I believe I have just witnessed one very important event which portends the beginning of those rains. I thank God He allowed me to be present for....

The Azusa Street Centennial Los Angeles, California April 25-29, 2006
It seemingly began in one man's heart. Everyone associated with him agrees that Dr. Robert Fisher of Cleveland, Tennessee was faithful to the heavenly vision he received. His wife, Mary, shared with me how several years ago his spirit was stirred about the approaching 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival.

He made inquiry among Pentecostal denominations to see if they planned to celebrate it. When he learned that none had plans to do so, it became clear to him that he was being divinely called and anointed to do something about it.

Early on, he sensed that a hurdle had to be cleared. The Pentecostals of today, all springing from the same Azusa Street root, were so divided into various denominations, movements, or camps that they had almost no fellowship. A God-given yearning grew in Robert Fisher's heart for a unity of fellowship to be established between them to celebrate their common Pentecostal heritage.

In about 2000, he took the first Spirit-led steps to accomplish it. He resigned his professional position in his denomination's headquarters to devote full time to this special task. Dr. and Mrs. Fisher literally stepped out in faith.

He was led to visit personally the heads of the divergent groups. God gave him favor with them. And they sensed the time was right. So they responded to Dr. Fisher's evident love and attended the "Gatherings" he began in 2000.

Gloria Copeland, my friend, told me how she and Kenneth received an invitation to one of the first meetings. It seems Dr. Fisher invited leaders of denominations and ministries to spend a few days together.

At meals, they sat in small groups at individual tables. Each one was invited to tell his or her testimony on assigned subjects to the entire group. How they were saved. How they received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. And how they were called to the ministry.

Gloria told me how their testimonies touched her. And how it was so evident that the working of God in their lives was of One Spirit.

Walls melted and vanished. As divine love prevailed, these men and women of God followed that love in true fellowship and the expression of mutual appreciation.

Annual meetings were held from 2001 through 2005, moving ever nearer to the planned celebration.

The celebration God placed in Dr. Fisher's heart was on a grand scale. Thousands of Spirit-filled Christians from around the world would assemble in Los Angeles. They would spend several days together in praising and thanking God for the past—and in looking to Him for the future.

Dr. Fisher faithfully recorded God's dealings with him in a journal. He shared in detail with his beloved wife, Mary, all that was happening and his innermost leadings.

No one knew just how important this sharing was, until Dr. Fisher rather suddenly departed from earth to Heaven in September of 2005.

The three million dollar plus budget without the visionary's blind faith and anointing seemed huge. But the anointing moved over onto Mary and others to do the job. William (Billy) Wilson, who'd walked closely with Dr. Fisher became the CEO of Azusa Street Centennial.

Dr. Frederick K. C. Price stepped up to the plate especially in giving funds and providing people from his congregation to finish the task. His daughter Angela Evans took on the demanding job of Operations Officer in assisting Billy Wilson.

Many others, whom I do not know, agreed in faith to press on with the project. So much work was evidently put forth. Oh! What the Body of Christ can accomplish when we work together in love and unity!

I saw what the Copeland's did. They dedicated lots of television time advertising the meeting. Gloria and I did weeks of broadcasts giving the history of the Holy Spirit outpourings and encouraging people to come to Los Angeles.

Mary Fisher told me how the phones would all of a sudden light up where she and a team were manning them to assist people in registering for the meeting. She said we would say, "The Copeland broadcast must just have been on the air."

As one of the over 300-member ministry team I received a letter dated March 28 from Jack Hayford, Ministry Team Chair, and Billy Wilson. One paragraph read:

We believe that God is going to use the Centennial in challenging today's church toward the deep, spiritual renewal we desperately need and toward a new level of relational unity that will give testimony to Jesus' prayer that we would be one, recorded in John 17.

When the centennial finally happened it seemed to me that Robert Fisher's vision and what the committee believed for manifested before our very eyes.

Sessions, meetings, and celebrations in significant venues went on all day four days and nights. In the Faith Dome of Crenshaw Christian Center each night we celebrated a Believer's Convention with the ministry of Brother Price and his son, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, and Jerry Savelle. It was especially blessed to see Fred Price, Jr. conducting the meeting in the flow of the Holy Spirit.

Women ministered each night in Angelus Temple, the church Aimee Semple McPherson built. The place was alive with the music and testimonies of youth touched by the Holy Spirit through the ministry of Tommy and Matthew Barnett, co-pastors of The LA Dream Center now housed at Angelus Temple.

Many venues from the LA Convention Center to the spot where the Azusa Street Mission once stood were filled with happy Spirit-filled Christians attending four days of events. Pagebreak

Bonnie Brae House
One night at the Faith Dome, Carolyn Savelle, looked around Jerry, to speak to me where I was seated on the other side of her husband. "Have you been to the Bonnie Brae Street house?" she whispered. When I answered that we hadn't been there yet, this very sensitive-to-the-Holy Spirit lady rolled her eyes and told me about the supernatural happenings they had experienced there that day. The next day as we walked up to the only remaining building from the time of the latter rain outpouring I sensed the Presence of God. I don't know if God was allowing a special anointing for this occasion, or if it is something that can always be sensed there.

Guides took people through the house in groups of 15 or so. The lovely lady, who led us, literally spoke in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as we flowed through the house in a worshipful attitude. An anointing for prayer fell upon us. (I want to take television cameras back there to make a documentary and to see if there is an anointing that remains.)

The Centennial Assembly
On Saturday, April 29, according to Robert Fisher's vision, everyone assembled at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena. This statement from advertising for the event foretold what eventually happened:

If you have ever dreamed of a moment when God's people would lay down their differences and connect together in unity to change the world, you must not miss the Centennial Assembly!

As thousands filled the arena, the air was electrified! The Power! The Spirit! The Music! The Glory!

An order of proceedings had been printed. I must admit that when I saw it I wondered how the Holy Spirit could have free course. But, oh! How He did indeed!

Various speakers were given 15 minutes on the assigned subjects of: History, Hunger, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Healing, Harvest, Harmony, and Humility.

When Reverend Charles Blake spoke powerfully on "Spiritual Hunger: Predecessor to Revival," we were all hungry. Such a divine flow moved from one speaker to the next. In his 15 minutes Stephen Hill gave an altar call for salvation. I would be remiss to attempt to say how many responded. It was many.

One denominational leader after another spoke. All were thrillingly anointed. I was seated next to Kenneth and Gloria Copeland and behind Reinhart Bohnke, David Paul Yonggi Cho, heads of various denominations and ministries whose names were a veritable cross section roll call of the Pentecostal Charismatic world. When speakers took his or her seat, those around hugged them in true affection.

On the subject of healing, a video visit from Oral Roberts who was the keynote speaker of the 50th anniversary of Azusa Street brought us to joy and tears. Then his spiritual son, Kenneth Copeland, spoke on and ministered healing under a heavy anointing.

Unity of Worship
The music, under the coordination of Robert Stearns so fulfilled what such a meeting required in worship and praise. It seemed to flow over and glue together the ministry of the speakers.

As we all sang together, The Comforter Has Come, the theme song of the Azusa Street Revival, the past and the present seemed to me to be unified in one eternal moment.

During our singing, I could not help but be aware of the wonderful singing voice of Kenneth Copeland to my right. It lifted along with his hands in the highest praise. Tears rolled down his cheeks at the same time laughter sprang from his heart.

He once looked at me and said, "This is what Brother Hagin was talking about!"

Looking to the Future
On Saturday night at the sports arena, the anticipated climax came in full force. The evening was dedicated to the future. "Hope" was the assigned theme.

Words from the platform acknowledged wisdom in the older more experienced ministers. How true, I thought as I looked at Freda Lindsay of Christ for the Nations behind me. Jentezen Franklin challenged thousands of youth present to receive from their elders as they themselves launched out to live a life of service to the Lord.

After powerful preaching and worship, the ministry team lined up in three rows around the podium. The young people passed by between the rows and ministers laid hands upon each young person. The anointing oil they had given us shined on their foreheads as the young people passed down the line.

The power of God was manifested everywhere. In the halls outside the arena people fell under the power of His Presence. Tommy Tenney excitedly told me that a young man had gotten out of his wheel chair in the line where Tommy was ministering.

San Diego Proving
Pastor Greg Stevens invited me to minister in a "Monday Miracle" service the Lord had instructed him to have weekly in San Diego. So we went there directly from The Azusa Street Centennial.

Very desirous of the move of the Holy Spirit, Brother Stevens met me at the meeting and gave me an order of service. But the moment we began to worship, the Holy Spirit whom Greg so desired literally rushed in and took over the meeting.

What all happened, I cannot begin to say. Again, I can only give what I experienced.
We were sat upon by the Holy Spirit. The heavy glory blanketed us.

A personification of Jesus seemed to me to stand before me. Of course, he is everywhere present. But there are times when He seems to be invisibly embodied in our midst. I could not see Him. But I could, for lack of a better word, "feel" Him. My body swayed in worship. My body bent at the waist and my head dropped closer to the floor than I am normally able to perform.

I knew everyone was to remain silent. But to tell them to do so did not seem right. No one moved. No one spoke. Some lay prostrate on the floor.

After a long while, I heard, "Tell them to remove their shoes. This is holy ground."
Again, I did not want to break the silence. But the prompting came again. I did. And everyone did so. Pastor Lee Morgans said he had just heard the Lord tell him to remove his boots.

The long silence was followed with songs of vigorous dancing and praise.
Just as we were leaving, the pastor brought up to me one of his men who sits on the platform to give me a report of what he had seen.

The man said that an angel came before him, put his angelic finger to his angelic lips and whispered, "Shh. He is coming." Then with the speed of light the angel sped to from one person to the next with the same gesture and the same message. "Shh. He is coming."

Then, from the topmost back right hand corner of the sanctuary a Light Being swept down into the room and came to the platform where He stood before us.

I cannot begin to tell you all that happened in this San Diego meeting, but I believe it was a directly connected to what we had just experienced in Los Angeles. And I believe that we will see results everywhere of the unity of fellowship into which we are entering.

Let us pray and behave in a way that we maintain what is taking place to a full manifestation of the Spirit. And to the Coming Again of our Lord and Savior.