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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 the essence of true worship as being detached from self and lifted by the Spirit into the realm of adoring and glorifying God for who He is, beyond what He does for us. While praise expresses gratitude for God's actions, worship focuses on God Himself, born of the Spirit and not produced by us. As we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in worship, we move beyond mere words into a deep expression of adoration, acknowledging God's worthiness and glory.
Worship and Praise
In true worship, we become detached from self and are lifted by the Spirit into the realm for which we were created, to worship and adore God. In real adoration, there are only three words which can be used in English, "worthy, worthy, worthy;" "glory, glory, glory," and "holy, holy, holy." Worship is the adoration of God for who He is, above and beyond all He could do, or has done for us. Praise expresses our gratitude for the things that God gives us. He does something for us, so we offer praise and thanksgiving for that which He has done. Thus, in praise, we are occupied with the thought of things. But when we are caught up in the Spirit, we no longer think of praising the Lord for things, but rather we become occupied with the Lord Himself. This worship is born of the Spirit, as it cannot be produced by us. Whenever we give the Holy Spirit opportunity to really pour forth worship and adoration, it is unto God for who He is in Himself. When we come into this level of adoration, we are no longer able to give expression to our feelings, as we do in the realm of praise. The Holy Spirit often catches us up from the realm of praise into another level, in which an anointing is released from within us and all we can do is move along with the Spirit in the expression of adoration. This adoration finds its expression in "holy, holy, glory, glory, worthy, worthy." We are not merely saying words, but worshipping the Lord for who He is in Himself. He is worthy, for worthy is the Lamb of all glory and adoration. Our Lord greatly desires a people who will come beyond the realm of praise into a pure worship, which will bring Him forth into view, in all His beauty and power. Our worship alone will do this.
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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.