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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 warns the congregation about the deceptive tactics of Satan, particularly focusing on how untimely matrimony can be a tool used to hinder the spiritual growth of young converts. He emphasizes the importance of being vigilant and discerning in relationships, urging believers to prioritize their spiritual well-being over worldly desires. Hames cautions against rushing into marriage, highlighting how the enemy can use the desire for companionship to distract individuals from their walk with God and lead them astray.
Untimely Matrimony
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Pet 2:11). In looking the field over there seems to be no end to the wily methods Satan has adopted to wreck the human race. His warehouse seems to contain devices fitted to every walk and condition of life. A careful observation for many years has assisted us in arriving at the conclusion that untimely matrimony is one of Satan's most successful ways of destroying young converts. We are willing to admit that marriage in its proper place is one of God's greatest gifts to the human race, but on the other hand, when it is misused it often becomes a curse as boundless as eternity. If Satan cannot impede the progress of a newly saved soul any other way he will fill his mind with the idea of getting married. There is scarcely anything that we could mention that will more quickly rob a soul of the spirit of prayer, destroy a heavenly mind and open the floodgates for a thousand temptations than this thought. People who have walked with God for many years rarely ever cross this plot of the enchanter's ground without suffering some spiritual loss. Consequently our advice to those starting out in the Christian life is, defer this matter until you become more established in the things of God. Nowadays, almost as soon as single persons get converted, a troop of matrimonial devils get on their track to marry them off. Previous to their getting saved these persons may have been old maids and bachelors for years, but as soon as they get saved and commence living for Jesus the devil will send someone around who is on the lookout for a good companion. Oftentimes he will send some fellow who will even go to the mourner's bench and pretend to get converted just to succeed in carrying off some good, Christian girl. Oh, may the Lord open our eyes on these lines so that we may protect our converts from these vultures of hell.
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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.