Azusa Street 100 Centennial -- Update
As I arrived in Los Angeles, California for the Azusa Street 100 Centennial. Pastor Randy Bernatson came to the bus station to bring me to his home. It was close to midnight. On our way to his home at Santa Fe Springs, we made a stop at the historic site of the Azusa Street. It was already past midnight. The only people we saw hanging out as we drove by were the street people of Los Angeles. Most of them Blacks. Randy guided me to a spot with a plaque on the floor and said to me, “This is Azusa Street.” I bent down and read the inscription on the Azusa Street Plaque. Then I asked my friend, “Where is the building?” He told me the story of how the building had gone and the arena is now called “Little Tokyo.” We stood over the Azusa Street plaque prayed and gave thanks to God for His visitation 100 years ago. Visiting the Azusa Street those early morning hours was very significant to me because I felt like one on a spiritual pilgrimage. But as we walked back to Randy’s car and began the forty minutes drive to his home at Santa Fe Springs, I suddenly felt highly disappointed that the Azusa Street building was gone. And the next flash of thought in my mind was this, “How come Christians in Los Angeles, California allowed the Azusa Street spot to be taken over by some cultural community?” Anyway, on arrival at my friend's home, I was so tired from my journey that I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow. As I woke from sleep the next morning, the same disappointment I felt the previous night with regards to the loss of the Azusa Street building came back to mind. Then God spoke to my heart. The voice was very loud. This is what He said to me. “The building may not be there but my power which came down 100 hundred years ago at Azusa Street is still on the spot.” I was still reflecting over what the Lord had just said to me. Suddenly, a Scripture came to my mind, 2 Kings 13 verse 21. “So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders, and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha, and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet .” I was yet thinking about the Scripture of the dead man who came back to life as his body touched the bones of Prophet Elisha. Then the Lord spoke a second time in my heart. Here is what He said. “As my people come from all over the world to the Azusa Street. As they begin to praise and pray. My power which came down on Azusa Street 100 years ago will begin to flow into their lives. As the body of the dead was revived when he touched the bones of Elisha. Even so, I will revive my people. And they will go back to their nations, ministries, churches, business and families to bring forth revivals.” After this encounter with the Lord, the disappointment I felt earlier over the loss of the historic Azusa Street building was lifted. Great peace, joy and satisfaction just filled my whole being. Because now I know God’s presence is still very much at the Azusa Street even if the building is gone.
Continued the next week...
BONNIE BREA HOUSE TO AZUSA STREET
April 25th, 2006 was the official opening for the Azusa Street Centennial Celebration at downtown Los Angeles. But there were two major pre- centennial events. Firstly, there was a procession on Saturday morning from Bonnie Brea House to Azusa Street. Followed by the sixty hour, non-stop praise and worship coordinated by Dr. Bola Arowolo, a Nigerian missionary and director of the International Worship Commission. I arrived in Los Angeles a week earlier and had the privilege of sharing God’s Word at a Native American Four Square Gospel Church before the Azusa event. Because of the visitation I received from the Lord on my first day at Los Angeles, I was in expectation of a Spiritual experience of a life time. More than 3,000 people gathered on Saturday morning at Bonnie Brea House to begin the procession to Azusa Street. Several months before the Azusa event, there had been fasting, prayer gatherings and worship services at different churches at the Los Angeles area which gave the event a spiritual covering. The Bonnie Brea House was the original place pioneer William Seymour held his meetings before the group transferred to the Azusa Street. Before the procession began, Fred Berry and other members of the Centennial Committee led the over 3,000 participants in prayer and brief exhortation. People from every continent were represented at the Bonnie Brea House historic site. With different colorful flags, worshipers from all races, creeds, ages and denominations reflected the crowds that gathered exactly 100 years earlier. The impressive Bahama Brass Band led the procession and God’s people marched with exuberant joy and spontaneous shouts. By providence, I and three others were chosen to bear the 8 x 3 feet wide Azusa Street 100 Year Centennial banner in front of more than 3,000 participants as the procession began from Bonnie Brea House to Azusa Street. On arrival at the Azusa Street, the official opening ceremony included a dedicatory prayer by Dr. Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Four Square Gospel. Hayford prayed as Seymour did, with his head inside the crate pulpit recreated for the ceremony, demonstrating the humility of the Azusa pioneer.
Pastor Justin Ajuruchi
justinajuruchi@hotmail.com
At Willmar, MN (Apr-Jun '06)
Phone: (213) 210-1568
Related links:
http://www.azusastreet.org/
http://www.azusastreet100.net/