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John Hames
John Hames (1880–1945) was an American preacher and evangelist whose ministry within the Pentecostal movement ignited revivals across the rural Midwest with a focus on spiritual awakening and holiness. Born in a small Indiana farming community to a devout family, Hames grew up amid economic hardship, finding faith at 17 during a tent meeting that marked his call to preach. With minimal formal education, he began his ministry in 1905, traveling by wagon to preach in small towns, often with his wife, Clara, whom he married in 1907 and with whom he raised five children. Known for his fervent sermons and prayer for healing, he drew crowds eager for a tangible experience of God’s power. Hames’s ministry peaked in the 1920s when he settled in Illinois, pastoring a growing Pentecostal congregation and launching a regional radio program, The Flame of Faith, to extend his reach. His preaching emphasized repentance, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and a life set apart from worldly vices, resonating with Depression-era believers seeking hope. Though not nationally prominent, he wrote tracts like The Fire Within and mentored younger evangelists, shaping the Pentecostal landscape in his region. Retiring in 1940 due to poor health, Hames died in 1945, leaving a legacy as a humble, spirited preacher whose grassroots efforts fueled a quiet but enduring revival.
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John Hames emphasizes the importance of being led by the Holy Spirit, who guides believers through gentle whispers, inward restraints, and burdens to communicate His will. He explains that the Holy Spirit uses these 'checks' to indicate approval or disapproval, when to act or refrain, and when to move forward or stand still. Hames warns against behaviors that grieve the Holy Spirit, such as loud talk, jesting, and careless living, while highlighting the Spirit's role in inspiring prayer, testimony, holy living, and providing strength in times of temptation and trials.
Obeying the Checks
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14). No doubt by this time the newly converted soul has become acquainted with the Christian's guide, the blessed Holy Spirit, therefore, it will be no great difficulty to make him understand what we mean by "obeying the checks." Now what we mean by the "checks" is as follows: The Holy Spirit, our great teacher and leader, makes His home in our hearts; hence, in communicating His will to us He does not yell or use violent language but leads sometimes with a gentle whisper and at other times through a gentle inward restraint and at still other times by suddenly causing us to feel inwardly burdened and heavy hearted. The foregoing are what Christians call the "checks." The Holy Spirit uses these methods to let us know when He is pleased with our conduct and when He is displeased, when we should speak and when we should refrain, when we should go forward and when we should stand still. If we obey His voice He will guide us daily like clock work. It is to be borne in mind, however, that the blessed Holy Spirit is very tender, also very easily grieved out of our hearts. He is not pleased with loud, boisterous talk; scolding; jesting; loud, reckless laughter; careless, loose walking; trifling, giggling, flirting; unprofitable sightseeing; spending too much time before the mirror, primping and such like things. The blessed Holy Spirit also inspires, prompts and reminds us to pray; helps us to testify, sing and preach; actuates us to live holy lives; subdues the human, enlightens the mind and inflames the heart with the fire of heavenly love. He commends and blesses us when we do well and chastises and reproves us for thoughtless and careless works and deeds. He holds us steady in the storms of temptation, fiery trials and persecution. Above all things, reader, let us obey His still small voice, mild impressions and gentle reproofs, and by so doing our souls will be kept like a "watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not."
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John Hames (1880–1945) was an American preacher and evangelist whose ministry within the Pentecostal movement ignited revivals across the rural Midwest with a focus on spiritual awakening and holiness. Born in a small Indiana farming community to a devout family, Hames grew up amid economic hardship, finding faith at 17 during a tent meeting that marked his call to preach. With minimal formal education, he began his ministry in 1905, traveling by wagon to preach in small towns, often with his wife, Clara, whom he married in 1907 and with whom he raised five children. Known for his fervent sermons and prayer for healing, he drew crowds eager for a tangible experience of God’s power. Hames’s ministry peaked in the 1920s when he settled in Illinois, pastoring a growing Pentecostal congregation and launching a regional radio program, The Flame of Faith, to extend his reach. His preaching emphasized repentance, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and a life set apart from worldly vices, resonating with Depression-era believers seeking hope. Though not nationally prominent, he wrote tracts like The Fire Within and mentored younger evangelists, shaping the Pentecostal landscape in his region. Retiring in 1940 due to poor health, Hames died in 1945, leaving a legacy as a humble, spirited preacher whose grassroots efforts fueled a quiet but enduring revival.