Page 45 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Moving On
W ord spread of wonders done in the name of Jesus, and people streamed to the fellowship in such numbers that the state church became alarmed and launched severe persecutions against the Pentecostals. Enraged church leaders ordered many of them cruelly beaten, castrated, strangled, or thrown into prison. This effectively stopped the huge campaigns in rented buildings and scattered the believers into home churches.
Sadder than the atrocities, though, were internal weaknesses that brought division. Moved by jealousy, church leaders sent a man to one of Tekle's meetings to "prophesy" against him.
The man stood and spoke as though moved by the Spirit, "Thus says the Lord. You who sow tares among My people, I will deliver them from your hand, and I will deliver you to death and destruction. Return to your flock, my people, and beware of this deceiver."
Tekle and the congregation chose to ignore the "prophecy," and the service continued with God's bless ing. Not long afterward, the so-called prophet preached at a conference in Awasa. Suddenly he fell to the floor with blood and foam gushing from his mouth. Tekle and the whole church fasted and prayed for him, but he died insane three years later.
From the time the leaders began to follow their own imaginations, the revival waned. Tekle witnessed a traves ty in an all-night prayer fellowship that the Lord led him to observe but not to take part in. A demon-possessed man started shrieking early in the evening, and all ex cept Tekle rebuked the devil in various ways. The evil spirit recognized the lack of firm faith and did not vacate the man's body. Though the man came from Haragie
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