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THE LEGACY OF AZUSA STREET

Yashah Ben Yahushua

Servant and Royal Emissary

The House of Davïd

  APOSTOLIC ADDRESS 

In the late winter of 1906, in the tiny 'colored' section of Los Angeles, California, a devout Christian woman made a history-changing recommendation to her fledgling congregation; a group of families just broken away from the local Second Baptist Church, and in search of a new pastor.

 

Sister Neely Terry recommended William J. Seymour - an itinerant holiness preacher whose sermon had impressed her while visiting Houston, Texas the previous year. Brother Seymour's message centered on her congregation's newly held belief in the "second work of grace" teaching of the landmark Holiness Movement of the late 1800's.

At the invitation of the church's leader, Julia Hutchinson, brother Seymour boarded a train in Houston; arriving at Los Angeles in February of 1906. The events that took place over the following three years forever changed the landscape of organized religion among "African Americans" - Hebrew Yisraelites - as well as in America at large, and around the world…

This humble servant of Christ, a son of former slaves, was used of Abba YAH in a mighty and miraculous way, to restore the baptism of the Ruakh-Holy Spirit to the lost Kingdoms of Yahudah and Yisrael, being held in religious bondage under the ritual-oriented European Protestant tradition.

 

Amazingly, every religious organization in the world that preaches the Full Gospel - the five-fold ministry and the gifts of the Ruakh - traces its roots back to 312 Azusa Street; the former livery stable-turned-meetinghouse of Pastor Seymour and his Apostolic Faith Mission. But ironically, although multiplied millions of professing believers from around the world profess to be Spirit-filled or Pentecostal, the teachings of brother William J. Seymour himself, have been all but abandoned by the very revivals and denominations they spawned…

Surely, it is no coincidence that Pastor Seymour left a final request in writing, that his successor be "a man of color." But this key historical footnote has been overlooked by most Yisraelite-unaware Pentecostals, 'blacks' and 'whites' alike, who in their cultural confusion, faithfully follow the leadership and doctrine of their Euro-Gentile "word of faith" brethren.

 

Likewise, in their national pride, many among the Hebrew Yisraelite-aware have overreacted to sellout "prosperity" preachers, and completely ignored the monumental spiritual legacy of Pastor Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival altogether, without so much as a casual study of the matter. Sélah. 

 

For example, history reveals that the greatest teachers of our true doctrine as Hebrew Yisraelites emerged from the Holiness Movement - the shared legacy of Pastor Seymour and his Azusa Street Mission, and ultimately, the Shavu'ot-Pentecostal and Messianic Hebrew Yisraelite Movements worldwide. Most notably, through the anointed leadership of Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), and the great Prince Shaleakh Ben Yehuda - Prophet L.A. Bryant of COGIC - founder of The School of the Prophets, for 'The Village of Peace' at Dimona, Israel. [May They Rest in Eternal Shal'm.]

In fact, Pastor Seymour taught his followers that speaking in tongues is not the initial evidence of being filled with the Ruakh! But clearly, his great legacy has been violated by the "word of faith" community, with its misuse of the gift of tongues, and its anti-Gospel prioritizing of material prosperity. And the same holds true for the Hebrew Yisraelite Movement, with its overreaction to Pentecostal excesses, and its overlooking of the key points of doctrine we all share.

Common roots.

 

So then, how has this great spiritual legacy, which began as a genuine move of the Ruakh among the lost children of Yisrael, degenerated into rampant spiritualism, materialism, denominationalism and theological chaos? In short, through America’s religious and social culture of "white supremacy."

Nevertheless, the amazing legacy of Apostle William J. Seymour is destined to be fulfilled by its true inheritors. By those in whom Abba YAH has placed the revelation of the legacy and destiny of Hebrew Yisraelites in Christ.

Although Pastor Seymour learned through hard experience that his successor must be "a man of color," presumably, the apostle never fully recognized the purpose of so-called blacks as Hebrew Yisraelites. Therefore, he was without the necessary understanding to establish Kingdom order within the Shavu’ot-Pentecostal Movement.

​And yet clearly, this Divine purpose itself is Abba YAH's end-time strategy to bring true racial and doctrinal unity to the Body of Christ; to the faithful remnant of the Kingdom Commonwealth of Yisrael. Sélah. 

All too often, Hebrews, we perceive those from among our Yisraelite-unaware, Spirit-filled brethren as "sell-outs," "house niggas," and "holy rollers." But the truth of the matter is, right from the outset, the Pentecostal-Apostolic Faith Movement, like the Hebrew Yisraelite Movement, was mercilessly ridiculed by the "white" establishment as well. And ironically, in the same manner that many carnal Hebrews among our ranks express their condescending attitudes toward our Greco-Romanized brethren today...

For the full downloadable address,

click on the link below:

The Legacy of Azusa Street.pdf

For a full listing of Kingdom resources, click here.

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