UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD

On Monday we visited the house that shook in Arnol, in the 1949 revival. Amazingly we were all (100 of us) invited into the front room by the owners, who told the story.

On the following day, on the Tuesday we heard testimonies from some of those who remembered the revival, including Donald John Smith, whose father John Smith was a blacksmith. He was the man who  prayed and  the house shook. Colin and Mary Peckham relate the story in their book “Sounds from heaven”(1)  It was an extended prayer meeting.   “The meeting was making heavy weather and prayers were not flowing freely. It was a hard battle as one after another attempted to break through in prayer. Some time after midnight Duncan Campbell asked John Smith, the blacksmith to pray. He had not prayed all night. He rose and prayed for some time and then said: ‘Lord, I do not know how Mr Campbell, or any of these other men stand with you, but if I know my own heart, I know that I’m thirsty. You have promised to pour water on him that is thirsty. If you don’t do it, how can I ever believe You again. Your honour is at stake. You are a covenant keeping God. Fulfil your covenant engagement.’ it was a prayer from a man who was walking with God. At that moment the house shook. Someone next to Mr Campbell said to him, ‘Mr Campbell, an earthquake.’ The next day they were to discover that no other house shook. It was a mighty moment that Donald McPhail remembers, for he was sitting on the crowd of stairs beside two unsaved neighbours, Christina Campbell and Donald McLeod. They had been dozing, but in a moment they were wide awake under deep conviction of sin. They began to cry for mercy. In fact Christina wept and cried aloud for help. Both were saved that very night.’   

The testimony of  Christina Campbell and Donald McLeod, suddenly waking from sleep in Arnol when the house  shook, reminds us of the importance of both loving God and fearing him. 

The Fear of the Lord 

Yesterday, Connie Taylor, spoke to the 100+ Firestarters on ‘The Fear of God.’ A couple of days ago she spoke on ‘The Burning heart of God.’  There needs to be an appropriate response to Jesus the living word, our bridegroom ,king and judge .The appropriate response to a bridegroom is to love Him. The appropriate response to a judge is to fear Him and the appropriate response to a king is to obey him .God said that our hearts were wellsprings of life…to be guarded. We are to keep our hearts with all diligence for it is from our hearts that the springs of life flow.

Throughout the Old Testament we have a revelation of a jealous God for the affections of his people. God’s chosen people are taught that they should fear and obey Him and love Him passionately so that they would be a Holy people … so what is it going to take to keep his people on the highway of holiness? Again and again it is clear from the Old Testament narrative that the Lord’s chosen people need ‘the fear of the Lord’. In her teaching she showed that ‘the fear of the Lord’ is highlighted not just in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament. 

Her message started by focussing  on answering the question “What are some of the promises of the fear of the Lord, in the bible?” The first one she highlighted was Psalm 25:14 which says that the friendship of the Lord is with those that fear him. Who wants to be a friend of God? Who wants to know God’s secrets. “The secrets of the Lord are with those that fear Him.” There are a number of promises:-

Psalm 34:9,10. Those who fear the Lord …lack no good thing.

Proverbs 14:26. In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life.

Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life turning a man from the snares of death

Proverbs 22:4 Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth honour and life.

Psalm 2:11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling

‘The fear of the Lord’ is clearly also in the New Testament. 

In Acts 9:31 tells us Luke’s description of the early church. The churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria had peace and were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.  They were multiplied. Paul says in 2 Cor 5;11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. Peter says in 1 Peter 1:13-19 Just as he who called you is holy, ‘Be holy in all you do’   For it is written be Holy as I am holy . Since you call on a father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear”. 

She also asked the question  “What is the fear of the Lord.” 

Firstly, the fear of the Lord’ is the hatred of evil Proverbs 8:13. 

Secondly ‘the fear of the Lord’ is having a deep respect, reverence and awe, of who God is.

Listen to the full message below.

Revival deeply impacted the community here in Barvas in 1949. The love of God and the fear of God were both characteristics of that revival. 

References

Peckham, C and M, Christian Focus,  p113