The Blade, The Ear,
The Full Corn

by Robert D. Kalis

A long, harsh wail of the air raid siren, sometimes almost drowned out by the howling of the wind, was the official signal that the anticipated hurricane had arrived. The date - September 14, 1944. The place - The Full Gospel Tent on a downtown corner of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Evening had come early after a dark day of constant, torrential downpour. The city was "at home" having heeded the repeated warnings to take shelter.

Inside the tent was another scene. Here were a half dozen "volunteers," mustered by Pastor Rudolph Kalis of the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, standing on tables and chairs, holding onto the slowly ripping seams in the roof of the tent, singing, praising, and crying to God for help, all at the same time. The rain poured in the opening seams and down their arms. Then the wind would whip in and lift tent and all right off the ground. The enemy brought visions of the tent flying through the air and dropping into the ocean with the gallant band still holding on.

To the pastor, Brother Kalis, this was not the first storm unleashed against the tent. It had been one storm after another, since the Lord had led him to hold these meetings. Permits and inspections had delayed the opening date. Several of the leading brethren were apathetic toward this new endeavor. But through each trial the Lord had led swiftly and surely. But now, this! The culmination of all the wrath of the enemy who seemed literally to huff and puff to blow the tent in.

And then suddenly it was all over. The rain stopped. The wind slackened. The sky cleared and the stars appeared. A cold, wet, and tired group disbanded and carefully wound their way home over some of the three hundred trees that had blown down in the city and around the countless electric wires that were down. They had left the tent scarred in one corner and ripped on several seams, but STILL STANDING, to become the talk of the town.

"ATLANTIC CITY STEEL PIER SMASHED" - "ASBURY BOARDWALK WASHED AWAY" - ELECTRIC AND TELEPHONE SERVICE SUSPENDED" - "ROOF BLOWS OFF CITY'S LARGEST THEATRE." So read the front-page headlines in the next day's paper. The victorious band came to the tent meeting early that evening in anticipation of a praise and thanksgiving service. So did many others. Some came to see for themselves this miracle. Some came to praise the Lord for the victory. Everyone sensed the spirit of victory and glory. The revival was on. Souls began to find Jesus. The neighbor lady who had supplied the electricity for the tent came in and was saved. The young people all were inspired. New young people began to come. The revival kept right on after the tent meetings through the winter, and when the repaired tent was erected on the same corner in 1945, the same spirit of victory was manifested.

It was during this year that one night an elderly lady stood to testify. She just "wanted to thank God that all of her eight children and twenty-five grandchildren were in attendance that night." Not only were they there, but one by one they began to find Jesus as Lord and Savior. Sister Beatrice Streep was one of those grandchildren. She left in a rage one night, thinking that her mother had told the preacher all about her. But she could not stay away and finally was thoroughly converted. Mrs. Vence and six of her children also were among them. The Lord had prepared these children by bringing them to Daily Vacation Bible School several years before. Now one by one they were genuinely saved.

March, 1946, marked the tenth anniversary of the Emmanuel Pentecostal Church, and special meetings were planned. However, each of the three evangelists invited declined in order. Sister Kalis suggested we have special prayer instead. These prayer services were surely ordained of God. The power of God immediately began to fall, and one after another received mighty baptisms of the Holy Spirit. One week led to another until the prayer services had lasted eight glorious weeks. Many of the new converts were among those baptized. The outpouring continued for more than a year until almost all of the young people had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

God began to deal with several about full surrender and full-time service. Sister Beatrice was first to answer the call. The Lord opened the way for her to leave her job and go to train in the pastor's home and give her full time to ministering to the boys and girls and the young people. After several years Sister Bea felt led to prepare to go to India. Preparations were made. Supplies were packed. All was in readiness, and then - at the last moment - the assured visa was denied. The door was closed.