Neon Dreams, The Story of the Texas Pegasus and the Man Who Created It.

Chapter Two:

God Comes Calling

The first person in the McMath family to have a relationship with the living God was Bunyan’s brother, Minor. I include this letter because it was Minor’s conversion to Christ that began to stir up the things of God in the life of J.B. McMath and eventually the rest of his family. The following letter Minor wrote to his family after his conversion to Jesus Christ. It was written on March 9, 1915 from Dallas, Texas. The letter is in his own words.

Dear Mama, Papa, and all,

I am out of practice at writing letters, it has been so long since I wrote to anyone but I must write you all tonight and tell of my wonderful experience last night for it concerns me more than anything else now and I pray that what I am going to say to you will be believed by you and that you will also receive the blessing. Yes, a blessing-one of the greatest blessings that man can receive.

For a long time I have been deeply concerned about my salvation –in fact that is really the cause of my long silence to you all, but glory to God I don’t have to worry about it now for there is an absolute assurance, without a shadow of a doubt that we are on our way to heaven (we meaning Ethel (his wife) and Minor). Yes, she has been blessed too and I am so thankful to God that I was given such an agreeable companion to accompany me through this temporal life, but what is even greater is that she shall accompany me to eternal life.

I am a different being now, dear parents—the world looks brighter—however I have lost all desire for the things of this world and all I seek is to know more about God and to get closer and closer to him.

You remember, mama, when I was at home last spring I talked to you about how I would like to be where I could attend some little, lowly country or suburban church and fellowship with a humble, poor, common class of Christians. My heart ached for that and at times I would almost despair of ever seeing a true Christian to know it, and a few times I would all but forsake the Lord, consequently I was very unhappy and even miserable at times. I continued to be that way until recently. But now I am happy and contented and am praising God that I realized the truth in the verse: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.”

Let me tell you, there are thousands of church members and churchgoers and even Christians that don’t know anything about serving God. Ethel and I started going to the Central Congregational Church and were attending regularly but when I began to feel that I was still just doing the same old thing and my desires hadn’t been filled, I lost interest and so did Ethel and we just quit going. But just before Christmas Mr. Aaron Pickett, the fine workman you have heard me speak of so much that was working for Borich when I first came to Dallas, came over from Ft. Worth to work for Borich again and is our foreman now. He used to be a wild fellow, has a wife and two older children, but used to drink and smoked all the time and cursed and was very wicked when I first knew him. But you should see him now.

Perhaps you have already heard of the Apostolic faith before now. The devil has invented a new name for it however and the people are laughed at and made fun of as the “Holy Rollers” because when they first commenced holding meetings under tents a few years ago they taught and preached that God would heal the sick and cause the people to talk in unknown tongues today just the same as he did in Christ’s time or rather just after Christ’s ascention. It was the Holy Ghost that came in and took control of a man’s tongue and filled him with power and Christ taught that he had to first ascend to the Father before the Comforter, as he called the Holy Ghost, would be sent to the apostles. The word says that “they were in accord constantly praising God” when they were filled with the Holy Ghost and were caused to speak languages unknown to themselves. That is just what you must do today to receive it and it is nothing to hear different people praying and praising God in all kinds of strange languages at all of their meetings.

But what I started to say was that the power of the Spirit would overcome sinners sometimes and they would speak in unknown tongues. Sometimes they would fall down and roll on the ground, hence the term “Holy Rollers.”

Mr. Pickett became an Apostolic about two years ago after he and his wife had been drawing straws to see which place they would go to have the most fun, the picture show or the tent “theatre.” He had even went so far before as to say that those people should be run out of town (the Pentecostals). But he went to church one time too many for the devil and his lost condition was pictured so clearly in his mind that he couldn’t resist, despite the protest of his wife, and he went down to the altar at church and stayed on his knees from 9:30 to 12:00 and got all of his sins forgiven, received the Holy Ghost, talked in unknown tongues, and went away a new man. He was “born again” with all desire for tobacco, booze, and every other worldly desire swept clean and he has been that way ever since. He can pray one of the most powerful prayers ever uttered, and not because of large vocabulary or skillful use of language, but because the Holy Ghost prays through him according to the will of God.

Well, when Mr. Pickett got to telling me about his religion and church and I knew that was just what my heart had desired for so long and I finally attended one of their cottage meetings held at his house (of which they have at several different houses six nights in the week). Ethel was with me and we got interested and the following Sunday I went out to their church, Ethel had to stay at home on account of her mother being sick. His home was a low box house with a flat roof and sawdust for a floor with a row of small windows clear around the top of the walls and plain benches to sit on but God was certainly there and I got terribly worked up and went to the altar with Mr. Pickett and partook of the sacraments. Then I went another Sunday and always went to the altar seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Last Sunday week I went by myself in the morning and felt the Holy Spirit but weakened before I prayed through and I gave up praying after being on my knees for quite a while. That night I made another try and failed but Ethyl received the Holy Ghost and talked a little in an unknown tongue. I was too busy praying and being prayed for that I didn’t know what she was doing but I know that she is very happy and is getting happier every day. I didn’t give up and we went out last night and went to the altar both times but failed to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, I still had hopes and intended to keep trying. A lady (Mrs. Sherrell) invited us out to a prayer meeting last night telling Ethel that her husband would surely receive the baptism if I came out there, so we went there last night. They had a nice little crowd. Mr. Pickett was present and after singing a few hymns and listening to a few readings about the importance of all Christians receiving the Holy Ghost we all got down on our knees and began to pray and to praise the Lord with uplifted hands and faces. I wrestled and tusseled with the Holy Spirit and about despaired of receiving it and finally Mr. Pickett came over to my side and told all of the Christians to get together in one accord and pray me through. Let me tell you when a few are gathered together in the name of the Lord something is going to happen and they hadn’t been around me for more than a few seconds before I arose to my feet and began to praise God in different languages. I started off with the words “glory to God” but as soon as the Holy Spirit came in I lost control of my tongue and the praises from my heart were uttered in just the words and language that God chose-I talked for more than half an hour and spoke at least four or five different languages. I myself and others recognized Chinese and Hebrew, and I want to tell you that was the happiest moment of my life and I have felt as light as a feather ever since. I am just as sure of my salvation as I am that I am writing this letter and I am going to pray for you all and sincerely trust that you will believe what I am telling you as you always have believed me.

I know that there is only one true and living God with whom all things are possible and that he sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins and that all, absolutely all, that is required of anyone is to believe that Jesus Christ died and paid the price for our sins and be saved. Then work out your salvation or “live” it and, keep the commandments. Even though your sins be as scarlet, he will make you whiter than snow. Remember Mary Magdalene.

Now my eyes are getting heavy and I must go to bed. We shall attend another meeting tomorrow night. I will try to write you again soon and tell you all I know-but I am all overcome now with my wonderful experience. You should thank God that you are poor for in that condition you are more able to live for Him for you haven’t much between you. Nothing must come between us and God if we want eternal life. We must forsake all. The things of this world look as cheap as dirt to me now. I would have a fortune just long enough to give it away is all and thank God Ethel is “in the same boat.” “ The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”

People who think that a Christian life means to deprive yourself of all pleasures don’t know a thing about it. I am far happier doing the will of God and have absolutely no desire for shows or style or society or any of the worldly pleasures that I...