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John Follette
John Wright Follette (1883 - 1966). American Bible teacher, author, and poet born in Swanton, Vermont, to French Huguenot descendants who settled in New Paltz, New York, in the 1660s. Raised Methodist, he received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1913 while studying at a Bible school in Rochester, New York, later teaching there until its closure. Ordained in 1911 by the Council of Pentecostal Ministers at Elim Tabernacle, he affiliated with the Assemblies of God in 1935. Follette taught at Southern California Bible College (now Vanguard University) and Elim Bible Institute, mentoring thousands. His books, including Golden Grain (1957) and Broken Bread, compiled posthumously, offer spiritual insights on maturity and holiness. A prolific poet, he published Smoking Flax and Other Poems (1936), blending Scripture with mystical reflections. Married with no recorded children, he ministered globally in his later years, speaking at conferences in Europe and North America. His words, “It is much easier to do something for God than to become something for God,” urged deeper faith. Follette’s teachings, preserved in over 100 articles and tapes, remain influential in Pentecostal and charismatic circles.
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John Follette emphasizes that suffering brings believers into the fellowship of the Trinity. He explains that the Father disciplines us as sons, the Son learned obedience through suffering, and the Holy Spirit works in our spirits amidst suffering. As part of the Body of Christ, we are called to partake in the suffering of our suffering God, who is also a God of love. Paul's example of dying daily illustrates the necessity of suffering in our spiritual journey, as it is through suffering, discipline, and obedience that we truly enter into God's presence.
Suffering
Suffering brings us into the fellowship of the Trinity: 1. Father -- Disciplines us as sons, and we recognize Him as our heavenly Father. Discipline entails or spells suffering, which is necessary and needed; otherwise we are bastards. 2. Son --Jesus, as Son of Man, learned obedience by the things He suffered. So will we as He conforms us to his image. Again, this entails suffering. 3. Holy Spirit- We will suffer in our spirit. Jesus suffered in His spirit. The physical suffering really is nothing compared to what the spirit suffers. He is a suffering God -- a God of love, but a suffering God. So we, as cells in that Body, partake of the same. There are hidden treasures in Christ; He is a wonderful Redeemer, but He is a suffering Redeemer. The Body is being formed and shaped, and we are the cells, and members. This Body will have to partake of the same characteristics that we find in our wonderful Lord. Paul said, "I die daily." Paul knew something of the program of God. There is no getting into God without suffering. In school, there is no education without studying. Without discipline, there is no getting into God. Obedience -- we never know real obedience Unless we know these three: suffering, discipline, obedience. They, as the media by which We enter into God, are interrelated. In our hearts, we feel perfectly sure He is right in permitting the suffering, though we cannot answer the "why" every time. "When I came into the house of the Lord, I understood." We will have a spiritual consciousness of reality and Truth; it does not come by natural reasoning. Where revelation ceases, speculation begins. I can give as my personal testimony that these deeper revelations of Truth, and Clear understanding of the things of God, have come only through suffering.
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John Wright Follette (1883 - 1966). American Bible teacher, author, and poet born in Swanton, Vermont, to French Huguenot descendants who settled in New Paltz, New York, in the 1660s. Raised Methodist, he received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1913 while studying at a Bible school in Rochester, New York, later teaching there until its closure. Ordained in 1911 by the Council of Pentecostal Ministers at Elim Tabernacle, he affiliated with the Assemblies of God in 1935. Follette taught at Southern California Bible College (now Vanguard University) and Elim Bible Institute, mentoring thousands. His books, including Golden Grain (1957) and Broken Bread, compiled posthumously, offer spiritual insights on maturity and holiness. A prolific poet, he published Smoking Flax and Other Poems (1936), blending Scripture with mystical reflections. Married with no recorded children, he ministered globally in his later years, speaking at conferences in Europe and North America. His words, “It is much easier to do something for God than to become something for God,” urged deeper faith. Follette’s teachings, preserved in over 100 articles and tapes, remain influential in Pentecostal and charismatic circles.