Fiery Side Chat in The Holy Scripture with Jamaica's US Missionary Rick Jones

Another Jamaica memoir

The night I was sanctified “women’s way” in Jamaica

The night the Lord saved me the Apostle Paul said it best in 1 Co 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God”

One dark night in Jamaica, not even a star sparkled in the sky. I attended a crusade, definitely a religious experience and not a bit spiritual.

Battersea community, a lofty hill which rose above Williamsfield in Manchester parish was the setting for a tent crusade by candlelight.  Deacon Dwen, my Jamaican fellow-laborer and I sat on the chairs on the back row. Little did I know the pastor would come and ask me to fill in for the evangelist that night!

Then one of the young men off the platform came to inform me they like to pray for the preacher.

I consented and followed him outside the tent. His complexion was a little darker than mine, so he blended well with the darkness. I was standing in the grassland with hands folded in front of me and could see nothing everything went mysteriously quiet. Then four women’s voices began reverberating; mumbling sounds rumbled as I could feel their fingers running downward touching all four sides of my generously-proportioned frame; and all I could distinguish from their intonations of clatter was “in Jesus name” it was as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. I did not know whether to stand still or high tail - it and run.

I have never found written down (or the need of it) in the Holy writ where women were admitted to sanctify the preaching brethren. The Apostle Paul said to the Galatians (5:9) “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Jesus referred to doctrine & form of worship as leaven.

Much of the forms of worship today are not sanctioned from heaven, rather religious men and women have introduced into the worship service skits that should make us all nervous for the Lord seeks “true worshippers” who are led by his Holy Spirit and not some “Brother or Sister Simon” who dictates our form of worship.   

The Lord sanctified or set me apart from this world and anointed me with the Holy Ghost enabling me to preach the gospel and in spite of the religious women’s clatter and crawling touch over much of my body I will give the Holy Spirit the credit for the sermon that gloomy night in Jamaica.