Aimee Semple McPherson Quotes Controversial Evangelist

Aimee Semple McPherson was an evangelist who founded the Foursquare Gospel Church. Though hugely successful through using modern technology (automobile, radio), a kidnapping scandal is what many remember most about her.   Selected Aimee Semple McPherson Quotations Its my story and Im sticking to it. [in response to questions after her return from a 1926 kidnapping. As I ponder and pray in the stillness, I dream as a dreamer of dreams. A steepled church stands before me -- a church with open doors. Within it I see the preacher stand; hear his voice in earnest call. But tis the throng that flows through the street outside that holds my anxious gaze. With God, I can do all things! But with God and you, and the people who you can interest, by the grace of God, were gonna cover the world! What is my task? First of all, my task is to be pleasing to Christ. To be empty of self and be filled with Himself. To be filled with the Holy Spirit; to be led by the Holy Spirit. O Hope! dazzling, radiant Hope! -- What a change thou bringest to the hopeless; brightening the darkened paths, and cheering the lonely way. I notice those who dont believe in uniting with a church or organization. I notice yall use electric lights - thats organized! If it wasnt, youd be electrocuted. In the world, you know, they use slang once and a while, and they say, The world is my oyster. Well, I wouldnt put it that way. But the world is my little problem. It just seems so big! Some people say, The worlds a big place! I never think of it that way - it sits in my hand, there - you could hold a ball. And my task, as I see it, is to interest you folks to help me, to help them, to join the line right around the whole world! Not only to help the heathen abroad, but to help the heathen in Los Angeles. In America, too. By Gods grace, if we can see our task and join hands and get together, we can spread the gospel around the world. Its for your good! You have no business being sick - everyone of you should get well and get up and go to work, huh? Get up and go to work and earn some money and help send the gospel out! Amen! All at once my hands and arms began to tremble gently at first, then more and more, until my whole body was atremble with the power ... Almost without my notice my body slipped gently to the floor, and I was lying under the power of God, but felt as though caught up and floating. Lift up your heads, ye people,lift up your faces, too,open your mouths to sing His praise,and the rain will fall on you. We are all making a crown for Jesus out of these daily lives of ours, either a crown of golden, divine love, studded with gems of sacrifice and adoration, or a thorny crown, filled with the cruel briars of unbelief, or selfishness, and sin.