Heaven gained a great man of God when Billy Cole passed into glory. Friends of mine said TD Jakes mentioned him on TBN. That's a class act.
I've heard Billy Cole in person a couple of times. I didn't think he was a great preacher but I do believe he was a great faith builder. The Good News Cafe has a link to some of Billy Cole's seminars. I've listened to them repeatedly when I was in the mode of wanting everybody to get the Holy Ghost with tongues as the evidence. Again, not much substance but great stories to build one's faith.
Cole was involved in controversy early on in his ministry. I think it was because he was light years ahead of everyone in his gift combined with personal jealousy of some of his peers. I believe he was as sincere as he could be. It is nice know he didn't have to fight the battle against the establishment the last 25 years of life. It was good to see his peers honor him, and the next generation pick up his burden and passion.
One of the drawbacks to his success in the Holy Ghost crusades is that Cole made it vogue to focus on the infilling of the Spirit. I think until Cole's successful Ethiopian crusades, the upci's put greater emphasis on baptism. When Cole became successful, everyone wanted know how to pray people thru.
Nowdays, one would find it difficult NOT to find a Holy Ghost seminar or Holy Ghost crusade coming to a city near you.
I noticed the upci has gotten away from emphasizing repentance and emphasizing baptism and spirit filling.
I think the dozens of Holy Ghost ralleys and Holy Ghost seminars I've sat through are a water down copy cat version of the standard Billy Cole set.
Cole's success means an organization took a step further from emphasizing repentance.
I believe repentance is more important than baptism and the Holy Ghost. While scripture and epirical evidence clearly suggest all three are important for salvation, one can be missing one or two parts of the process.
I don't believe Billy Cole deliberately intended for repentance to be an afterthought or something rushed through. I've sat through enough HG crusades to know saying I"m sorry isn't enough for repentance.
Why do I think repentance is the most important part of salvation?
1. Angel rejoices not when someone speaks in tongues for the first time, but when a person repents.
2. God desires for ALL people to come to repentance.
Billy Cole did for the infilling of the Holy Ghost what Billy Graham did for repentance. When will the person who can successfully merge the two come on the scene?
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A religious spirit allows people to tolerate hatred and anger under the guise of passion and holiness. Bill Johnson
Legalism has no pity on people. Legalism makes my opinion your burden, makes opinion your boundary, makes my opinion your obligation-Lucado
Some get spiritual because they see the light. Others because they feel the heat.Ray Wylie Hubbard
Definition of legalism- Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. TV
Bro. Cole held a street meeting during the General Conference in Dallas.FT Worth in the 1970's and I remember him praying a drunk man sober and the man received the Holy Ghost.
Back in the 1960's he lined chairs up in our church: Grace Apostolic Church Elyria, Ohio and had everyone who wanted the Holy Ghost to sit in the chairs. I remember my Dad going and sitting in the chair and sat waiting for it to happen. My Dad was pretty shy and didn't say much but he felt a geniune touch of the Lord in that services. I was thankful for Bro. Cole's method.
If my understanding is correct Bro.Cole used to ask people to repent before they prayed to receive the Holy Ghost.
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People who are always looking for fault,can find it easily all they have to do,is look into their mirror.
There they can find plenty of fault.
ONE of the most outstanding messages I heard Bro. Billy Cole preach via cassette
tape is "The End Result Of Hatred And Bitterness". I don't recall where he preached
it but it was PROFOUND. My daughter well remembered it also. Said it was preached
in a Louisiana CampMeeting possibly in the late 80's or early 90's.
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