Old Time Pentecost, by Pastor Kenneth Bow
Pastor Kenneth Bow
Received in an email today from Brother Kenneth Bow. He is Pastor of The First Pentecostal Church of Puget Sound, Lake Tapps, WA.
Used by permission
“Old Time Pentecost”
This is a big subject and not easily defined.
I will begin with the people. We were poor. Cars were used, jobs were menial. No one, literally had an education.
Our music was a piano, organ, accordion, and guitar. It was a big day when we got the first set of drums in the church. Lots of tambourines. Lots of hand clapping.
Simple buildings and store fronts. No carpet, wooden benches.
People did not pray out of obligation, they prayed out of desperation. We had no savings, no insurance, nothing but God and each other. When we were sick we touched God or we suffered.
Revival had no competition. We had no TV, no vacation (no money to go), no hobbies. Church was our life. We had nothing else but church. We knew no different.
We had few clothes, and wore our best to church. We expected to stay for church a long time. We had no where else to go and no money to spend if we went anywhere.
Our meals were at home. We had prayer at home, and family devotions. When a neighbor came by we all came in the front room and talked.
After school we worked our garden and took care of our cows and chickens. We raised most of our food and lived very simple lives.
God had NO competition!
When we went to church it was just straight forward straight to the throne. Shouting over I’ll fly away and Jesus hold my hand. It was singing loud and long and praying in the altar sometimes till midnight.
The messages were so simple and uncomplicated, exactly what the crowd needed, many of which did not have even a high school education. We worked in the fields in the hot sun for minimum wages. Our tithes were 6-7 dollars a week.
There was no air conditioning, no sophistication, no real comfort for our bodies, so we sought solace for our weary souls.
We sang of a land far away beyond the river and dreamed of a land where we’ll never grow old. Heaven was a place we longed to see, and we sang of it, dreamed of it, lived for it, and nothing else.
Life was simple, God was real, and life was hard. We asked God for everything, even the food we ate that day and the rent that was due with no way to pay.
To me it was hard, but in many ways it was better than today where we do not need God. We have plenty, we have fine things, we have goods laid up for many years…..but we do not have God like we once did!
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 
Well said! Sad, but so true. God have mercy on this generation.
Nila Marxer
November 1, 2011 at 11:50 am
How I long to take hold of the true nature of Pentecost. Not the over hyped emotionalism and displays of flesh….but true, heart changing breath of heaven in our midst. Thanks for the reminder.
Pastor Davis
November 1, 2011 at 2:16 pm
My prayer lately is this Lord make my praise one with you my worship one my desire one my passion one . When we get into the place where become one with the Father, He will bring his anointing on us . So let’s start seeing it first and than living in it to where it becomes apart of who we really are, we won’t be asking we’ll be saying wow !
What a mighty God…!
bro.Louis Sanchez
November 6, 2014 at 9:50 pm
This is exactly what I’ve been longing and praying for for weeks. I miss the old time Pentecost. The old time Separation from the world/Holiness preaching that brought me to an altar of repentance. I am not that old yet, and was saved in 1981, but I see such a vast difference in church today compared to back then.
I pray for a return to the way church was back then. Jer 6:16 says “Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ASK FOR THE OLD PATHS, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls……” Lord give us all a renewed desire to walk in the Old paths. Your way is the only way!
Diana Klask
November 1, 2011 at 5:41 pm
“Back to Bethel I must go…”
I never want loose my deep desire to go to HEAVEN!
“When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!”
Thank you so much for this writing.
Gina Haymon Chatagnier
November 1, 2011 at 7:25 pm
I remember early morning prayer meetings when as a child I lay on the floor of the church and listened to people travail and pray in the Holy Ghost! I remember when the ladies worshipped until they shouted their hair down. I remember altar services when every one was on their faces before God. I remember people drunk in the Holy Ghost. And sadly it hasn’t been so long ago! What has happened to us that we don’t aspire to this kind of service any more??
Crystal Smith (Morris)
November 3, 2011 at 5:01 pm
I remember most of that, I have had the Holy Ghost 49 years, sat under Bro. Bye for most of them, still holding on to what we were taught
norma wike
March 13, 2013 at 1:01 pm
As a litter girl i remember the tent meeting they were around .women wore white nothing fancy and there healing and praising God. I do agree.Its not the same.God do not man does
Sister willingham
March 23, 2014 at 10:40 pm