Entering Into Clouds of Glory by Carrie Judd Montgomery

This excerpt comes directly from Carrie's autobiography Under His Wings (1936) from a chapter entitled “Ocean Depths of Blessing, and Further Service." 

This account happened sometime in the later 1800s when Carrie was likely in her 20s.

“As I went on with the Lord I felt an unspeakable hunger springing up within me for more of God. I hardly knew how to pray, but would sometimes turn to my Heavenly Father and say to Him, ‘What dost Thou want?” ; because it seemed to me it was more His desire to obtain full possession of me than my desire for Himself. Previously I have spoken of the great blessing I received when I was healed, and my consciousness that the Holy Spirit had come to abide with me. Now, it seemed that He was longing to get full control of me and to fill the temple although I scarcely knew how to put this into words. 

While still feeling this great hunger after more of God, I heard of Christian people farther East who had had a great anointing from the Lord and my heart cried out for fellowship with these dear people. I heard much about one sister who lived a very victorious life, and who was much used of God in His work. The Christian woman [this was likely Mary H. Mossman] had a Home in New Jersey, where she entertained those who were waiting on the Lord for a deeper spiritual life and for healing of the body. I got in touch with her and made arrangements to go to her for a little stay. I well remember how my hunger seemed to deepen more and more even while I was on the train journeying from Buffalo to this sister’s place of residence. 

When I arrived at the Home I was met in the most affectionate and motherly way by this dear saint, who informed me, after she had given me her welcome, that the evening meal was just about ready. My reply to her was as follows: 

‘Oh, I do not want anything to eat; I want God.’ 

She had herself, been led into depths and heights of spiritual blessing, so she thoroughly sympathized with me in the desire which I thus expressed. She left me alone in the upper room waiting on God, while she looked after some household duties, and then she returned to me. We knelt quietly together and I do not remember that there was much, if any, audible prayer by either of us, but the presence of the Lord became more and more manifest as we continued our worship together. 

All at once I experienced a blessing that is difficult to put into words. It seemed as though God manifested Himself in a cloud of Heavenly dew which descended gently upon my head and entered into my being, taking full possession of me. At the same time a sweet, restful feeling almost overpowered me so that my own strength somewhat left me and I leaned over and rested my head upon this sister’s shoulder. No words were given me, but the dear one by my side seemed to be so one with me that she fully understood the cloud of glory into which I was entering, for His presence seemed to surround me, and at the same time to fill me. 

After a little while something called my friend away from my side, and I lay down upon a bed in the room, still feeling the wonderful presence of the Lord and silently adoring Him. While waiting on the Lord a few more days in this hallowed Home, the manifestation of the Lord’s presence about me, and within me, became still more glorious until my whole being seemed to be filled with ‘rivers of living water’ and Jesus Himself revealed as the One among ten thousand, the Lily of the Valley. 

I was so conscious that my body, as well as my soul, became so hallowed with the Lord’s presence that I was made to realize as never before that I was indeed a temple of the Holy Ghost. The Life of God came even into my tongue; not that my tongue moved, but I could feel the moving of God’s life distinctly through that member of my body. I was held silent in adoration of the glorious Being who was thus revealed to me, conscious of great joy in his immediate presence, and especially delighting in the thought of entire yieldedness to His perfect will…

On my way home on the train I had occasion to speak to a lady about her soul and great anointing was upon me as I talked to her, such as I had never experienced before. When I reached my home I quietly confided to my dear mother my joyful experience, and she praised God with me. The power of God continued to rest upon me in my meetings so that it was told me by one of my friends that it was quite noticeable to others who attended the meetings that I had received an anointing which they had never discerned in me before. The Word of God became more and more precious and it was opened to me increasingly as I expounded it to others.”

This account of Carrie hungering after more of God and getting overwhelmed in His glory happened early on in her life. To see another one of her God encounters that happened in 1908 where she also spoke in tongues, see Spirit Flood book, her  “Life on Wings: The Possibilities of Pentecost”, or listen to a recording of the article here. 

University of Birmingham, UK video clip for CJM

Jennifer Miscov: PhD Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies from Arts at Birmingham on Vimeo.

A NEW KIND OF "HOLY" CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Is there even more freely available to us in this moment if we just ask? See what one woman of God wrote over 100 years ago in relation to this...
“There is no joy that in any way compares with the joy of the fullness of the Holy Ghost. Reader, do you know the joy of the Lord? Have you received that peace that passeth understanding? Are you able to bear ridicule for Jesus’ sake, with sweetness and forbearance? Are you able to give witness day by day in your daily life, and by your words, of Jesus’ power to save? If not, then you need to be empowered by the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire to live a victorious life, and to obey the command to Jesus to make disciples. Matt. 28:19,20. Let me urge you to seek this great blessing which was promised to us by the Father. ‘How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.’ ‘Ask and it shall be given you.’ Luke 11:13,9.”
Written by Minnie Abrams in 1906 and taken from her booklet The Baptism of the Holy Ghost and Fire. She was a missionary with Pandita Ramabai in the Mukti Revival in India.

Have we experienced this full measure of God’s presence and Spirit in our lives today? It was at the heart of the Azusa Street revival and other global centers during the birth of the Pentecostal movement at the beginning of the twentieth century. People hungry to experience the Holy Spirit completely through Spirit baptism is at the heart of early Pentecostal history.

I do think it is important to not become too obsessed in seeking out an experience. But at the same time, what if we are missing out on something because God has such a wonderful gift He wants to give us, yet we are not seeking it out, not taking hold of the already promised gift. This already promised gift that people in the early twentieth century took hold of affected their lives greatly. From 1906-1910, more than 50 countries were visited by missionaries that came out of the Azusa Street revival. That is a pretty amazing statistic coming from a movement that at its core was made up of people hungry to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The gift of tongues following that experience was also of great importance for the people back then. Many people experienced greater anointing, increased satisfaction in Christ, more conviction to evangelize, and deeper love than they had before.

So what if this CHRISTmas time, God wants to give us a new gift, a new present that we haven’t experienced thus far. This gift won’t save us, for we have already received His Son. But this new present coming in the form of the Holy Spirit rather than a baby wrapped up in swaddling cloths may have a significant and profound effect on our lives as it did others a century before us. This CHRISTmas time, maybe it is time to specifically ask God for a new gift. It doesn’t hurt to ask and the results may be astonishing, as they were in the early 1900s. And even if we have already experience this Spirit baptism, why not ask to be baptized again in the floods of His immense love? Holy Spirit flood us afresh today I pray!

To hear my honest introduction to Spirit Baptism that came just a few years ago go here.