If there was
ever a man who walked in the revelation of “God in man,” it
was John G. Lake. A man of purpose, vision, strength and
character, his one goal in life was to bring the fullness of
God to every person.
He often said that the secret of heaven’s power was not in
the doing, but in the being. He believed that Spirit-filled
Christians should enjoy the same type of ministry Jesus did
while living on earth, and that this reality could only be
accomplished by seeing themselves as God saw them. Lake
lived his life and fulfilled his ministry in the earth with
this type of spiritual understanding.
Lake was responsible for raising over 1 million converts,
625 churches and 1,250 preachers in five years of ministry.
Because of his resurrection revelation, he had a deadly
plague germ die in his hand, yet at the start of his
ministry he thought one could only be healed in Dr. John
Alexander Dowie’s Healing Home. Lake had such an incredible
healing ministry that, according to statistics, the U.S.
Government declared his city, Spokane, Wash., to be the
healthiest city in America.
Lake was known as God’s “Apostle to Africa.” Born in Canada
in 1870, his family soon relocated to the United States,
where he grew up. His healing and preaching ministry spanned
the years 1898 (when he saw his wife instantly healed under
Dowie’s ministry) until his death in 1935. In 1908, God sent
him to Africa, where his anointed miracle ministry resulted
in what has been described as the most extensive and
powerful missionary movement in all Africa.
Gordon Lindsay, in his book “John G. Lake – Apostle to
Africa,” writes, “during that time he spent five
history-making years in South Africa, engaged in a ministry
which in some respects rivaled that of the early Church.”
Upon his return to America, Lake established a ministry in
Spokane, which resulted in no less than 100,000 astounding
miracles of healing within the space of about six years. He
then established a similar work in Portland, which also
attracted widespread attention.
Like Smith Wigglesworth, Lake had already experienced mighty
breakthroughs, powerful anointings and a real calling from
God for many years before Azusa Street and the Pentecostal
Revival.
But before obeying the call into full-time ministry, Lake
felt the need to dispose of his very successful business
interests. He sold everything, giving the money to God’s
work, and embarked on full-time ministry with a heart full
of the fire of God. Soon afterward, when he was ministering
in a Northern Illinois city, God spoke to him clearly and
distinctly: “Go to Indianapolis. Prepare for a winter
campaign. Get a large hall. In the spring you will go to
Africa.”
Lindsay recorded Lake’s personal testimony: “One morning
when I came down to breakfast, I found my appetite had
disappeared. I could not eat. I went about my work as usual.
At dinner I had no desire to eat, and no more in the
evening. This went on till the third day. But toward the
evening of the third day, an overwhelming desire to pray
took possession of me. I wanted only to be alone to pray.
Prayer flowed from my soul like a stream. I could not cease
praying.
“As soon as it was possible to get to a place of seclusion,
I would kneel to pour out my heart to God for hours.
Whatever I was doing, that stream of prayer continued
flowing from my soul... On the night of the sixth day of
this fast that the Lord had laid on me, while in the act of
washing my hands, the Spirit said, ‘How long have you been
praying to cast out demons?’ and I replied, ‘Lord, a long
time.’ And the Spirit said, ‘From henceforth, thou shalt
cast out demons.’ I arose and praised God.”
An opportunity to test this newly-given anointing to cast
out demons came the following Sunday, when a violently
insane man was brought to Lake, who commanded the demon to
come out of him in Jesus’ name. The man was instantly
delivered, and two days later was released from the
institution that he had been confined in.
In April 1908, Lake and his family left for South Africa.
Though they had no visible means of support, they were
miraculously provided for every step of the way. And thus
began a tremendous revival, with mighty healings, miracles
and deliverances, which was to profoundly impact the African
continent for years to come, even long after Lake was gone.
In 1913, following the tragic death of his wife, Lake
returned to America, but by this time the torch had been
passed on to Elias Letwaba and others in Africa, and the
work went on there in great power. Lake continued his
ministry in North America until his death in 1935, and like
Smith Wigglesworth, he fought an outstanding fight and ran a
great race, right to the very end.
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