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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 obedience in the Christian walk, highlighting how disobedience can lead to destruction and separation from God. He warns that past obedience does not excuse present disobedience, stressing the need for continual submission to God's will. Hames draws examples from the Bible, showcasing the consequences of disobedience from Adam and Eve to Saul, illustrating the severe outcomes of rebellion. He echoes Jesus' words that true entrance into the kingdom of heaven is through doing the will of the Father, not just professing faith.
Scriptures
The Curse of Disobedience
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Sam. 15:23). There is no theme in the blessed Book of God which converts need to be impressed with more frequently than the "Curse of Disobedience." It matters not how thoroughly we are saved or how high up the ladder of piety we may ascend, our continuance in the way of God depends wholly and solely upon our constant obedience. There is no place along our Christian pilgrimage where past obedience will atone for present disobedience. The Word tells us: "When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered" (Ezek. 3:20). It will be of infinite benefit to newly converted souls to frequently take a retrospect of the disastrous trail of disobedience and notice how it destroyed the unclouded bliss of Adam and Eve; drowned the old world; burned the cities of the plain; turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt; buried Korah, Dothan and Abiram alive; slew Nadab and Abihu; stoned Achan; slew Balaam, the disobedient prophet; and wrecked Saul, the pioneer king of Israel, and brought disaster upon all who practiced it. Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). Reader, your future success and happiness wholly depend upon your constant obedience to God.
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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.