UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD

Each daily devotional below begins with an excerpt from a transcript of Duncan Campbell telling the story of how the 1949 Hebridean revival began. (1)

Day 15 A Sign Spoken Against

Duncan Campbell said:-

I think I ought to tell you a rather amusing incident… We weren’t in favour with all… There was a certain section of the church that bitterly opposed me. I was a mad Armenian and I was teaching strange doctrines when I was proclaiming that the baptism of the Holy Ghost was a definite subsequent experience of conversion. My dear people, I believe that… I want to say this in passing… It was because I believe the people of Lewis grasped this truth, that we know practically nothing of backsliding. Because of that gracious movement years ago; it is because they entered into the fullness; because of that, a stream of men and women went out into full-time Christian service… Well, we were singing at this meeting when I saw the door of a cottage opening and I saw an old woman coming out with a black shawl on her and she walked over and she got a hold of one of the elders a tall man, a strong man, a heavy man… and she said, “I wish you people would go home and let people sleep”. I can still see that dear man going over to her and taking her by the shoulders and shaking her and saying, “Woman get away home, you have been asleep long enough”.

Duncan Campbell said that there was a certain section of the church that bitterly opposed him. John Wesley experienced opposition to his ministry. In early days of John Wesley’s ministry, church after church excluded Wesley because he preached evangelical doctrines. This exclusion had already begun even before Aldersgate. He had begun to preach justification earlier in the year and it was justification by faith that was the doctrine that caused such offence. On 5 February 1738, at St John the Evangelist, Westminster, he preached on those strong words “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature.” “I was afterwards informed, many of the best in the parish were so offended that I was not to preach there anymore.”(2) He didn’t preach there again. On 26 February he preached three times – at St Lawrence Jewry, St Catherine Cree, and St John Wapping. “I believe it pleased God to bless the first sermon most,” he wrote, “because it gave most offence.”(3)

Charles Finney experienced opposition too. There was a man who accompanied his wife to hear Charles Finney, but he waited to see if he could ridicule him. In the middle of his sermon, Finney observed a person fall from a seat near the aisle, who cried out in a most terrific manner. The congregation were very much shocked and the outcry of the man was so great that I stopped preaching and stood still. After a few moments I requested the congregation to sit still while I went to speak with him. I found him to be (this man) of whom I have been speaking. The Spirit of the Lord had so powerfully convicted him that he was unable to sit on his seat. When I reached him, he had so far recovered his strength as to be on his knees, with his head on his wife’s lap. He was weeping aloud like a child confessing his sins, and accusing himself in a terrible manner. I said a few words to him. The Spirit of God had his attention so thoroughly, that I soon desisted from all efforts to make him attend to what I said. When I told the congregation who it was, they all knew him and his character; it produced tears and sobs in every part of the house. His loud weeping made it impossible (to carry on with the sermon). I can never forget the appearance of his wife, as she sat and held his face in her hands upon her lap. There appeared in her face a holy joy and triumph that words cannot express.’(4) The Holy Spirit continues to move in spite of opposition, bringing conviction and repentance. It was the case with John Wesley and George Whitfield as well. Some speak against it because of fear and others because of ignorance, opposing it because it does not come as they expect. Just as the Jews rejected the Messiah because he did not conform to their preconceived ideas, so people reject the manifestation of God.(5) When Simeon held Jesus as a baby in his arms and said that Jesus would be a sign spoken against, this prophecy was fulfilled many years later when Jesus first started his ministry in Nazareth. He was rejected and his audience tried to throw him over a cliff. Every true revival has been a sign spoken against uncovering the hidden thoughts of the heart.(6)

Lord Jesus you are unpredictable disruptive and unstoppable. May your kingdom come and may prevail over all opposition ! Come and have your way in my life today!

References

(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIZOSWvXaE

(2)Wesley, J. Journal, Volume 1, 5th February, 1738.

(3)Wesley, J. Journal, Volume 1, 126th February, 1738.

(4)Finney, C, Autobiography: p118. (Paraphrase.)

(5)Wallis, A. Rain From Heaven. Hodder and Stoughton (1979): p21

(6)Wallis, A. Rain From Heaven: pp19, 20. (Paraphrase.)