Jonathan Goforth – birth, Feb. 10, 1859

Jonathan Goforth was born this date, 2/10/1859, on his father’s farm near Thorndale, Ontario, Canada.  He was number seven in a family of eleven.  Even after missing some schooling because of farm work, he graduated at the head of the class. After Jonathan was converted (18 years of age) he enrolled in Knox College, Toronto. He did personal work while a college student walking as high as 40 miles fromKnox College in this ministry.  Florence Rosalind Bell-Smith, a young lady of some means, was attracted to him and became his bride. China became their destination laboring together for 47 years, pioneering in the dangerous North Honan Province.

 

I highly recommend Rosalind’s book Goforth of China and his book, By My Spirit.  He died 10/8/1936  back in Ontario.

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Jonathan Goforth – death, Oct. 8, 1936

If we all had faith to wait upon God in intense believing prayer there would be genuine Holy Ghost revival, and the living God would get all the glory. In Manchuria and China, when we did nothing else than give the address and let the people pray, and kept out of sight as far as possible, we saw the mightiest manifestations of Divine power.

            – Smith, Oswald J. The Revival We Need, London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1953,  –  from preface by Jonathan Goforth,

 

…We speak of the manifestations at Pentecost as being abnormal, yet we maintain that Pentecost was normal Christianity.

                Jonathan Goforth, By My Spirit (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1964), 10.                                       

 

Our Lord did not permit His chosen followers to witness a word in His name until endued with power from on high. It is true that before that day they were the “born-again” children of the Father and had the witness of the Spirit. But they were not the Lord’s efficient co-workers and never could be until Spirit-filled.

                Jonathan Goforth, By My Spirit, (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1964), 11.      

 

There can be no alternative; it is either Holy Ghost revival or apostasy.

                Jonathan Goforth, By My Spirit, (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1964), 13.      

 

We cannot emphasize too strongly our conviction that all hindrance in the Church is due to sin.

                Jonathan Goforth, By My Spirit, (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1964), 13.      

 

Surely, since the sinless Son of God had to be made sin for us an over‑emphasis upon sin is in the nature of things impossible.

                Jonathan Goforth, By My Spirit, (Minneapolis: Bethany Fellowship, 1964), 16.      

 

Jonathan Goforth died this date, 10/8/1936, at Wallaceburg, Ontario.  He was a product of Knox College, who married Rosalind Bell-Smith and went to China.  Goforth was born 2/10/1859 at Thorndale, (near London) Ontario, Canada.

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