HISTORY OF

REVIVAL

BY IRENE MCGOUGH

Copyright © 2009 Irene McGough Disciples of Jesus Ministry

www.discipleofjesussite.com
HISTORY OF REVIVALS.

The 18th Century Awakening:

Can we learn anything in 2007 from the

revivals of old?

Evangelicals feel frustrated because of all that has been going on in society
in recent years. English and American evangelicals in 1730 felt much the
same way. Years of political and social effort had not succeeded in bringing
reform. Amazingly though within a decade they experienced what is now
called "The Great Awakening," during which time their nations' political and
social cultures were radically impacted by Christian values. How was this
possible?

CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN THE REVIVAL

Prayer. Evangelicals in the 1700s learned that corporate prayer was a

prerequisite for outpourings of God's Spirit. The revivals in many
places were preceded by days of prayer and fasting. Jonathan
Edwards believed that corporate prayer was more effective than
just the combined prayers of individuals. Prior to Pentecost we can
see the evidence of this so look at this
verse. Act 1:14 These all continued
with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brother.

Can you see that they were united in prayer?

Leadership. God raised up leaders to guide the movement. Jonathan

Edwards was the theologian of the awakenings and his writings
were a powerful influence even until the end of the following
century. Jonathan Edwards was no stranger to revival. When he
was just twelve years old (in 1715) the church his father, Rev.
Timothy Edwards, pastored experienced a “remarkable stirring and
pouring out of the Spirit of God resulting in an unusual number of
 conversions (for these days) and many more awakened to the
condition of their souls.” He wrote in his History of the Work of
Redemption that whenever true Christianity seemed to be on the
verge of extinction, "God granted a revival and sent some angel or
prophet or raised up some eminent person to be an instrument of
their reformation." George Whitefield was a dramatic and
powerful orator, able to deeply move audiences with his sermons.
John Wesley was an administrative genius who established an
extremely effective small-group structure of "class meetings"
which kept the revival fires burning..

Doctrine. Revival preachers back then focused on the great

Reformation doctrines of justification by faith and the atonement.
They emphasized God's judgment and then his grace.

Emotionalism. The revivalists unashamedly appealed to people's

emotions. They felt that their listeners' problem was not a lack of
knowledge but a need to take action. They abandoned the formality
of notes and preached as the Holy Spirit led.. Harry S. Stout says,
Whitefield preached as though there were no tomorrow. A
contemporary reported, "Sometimes he exceedingly wept, stamped
loudly and passionately, and was frequently so overcome, that, for
a few seconds, you would suspect he never would recover; and
when he did, required some little time to compose himself." After
Whitefield preached at Northampton, Edwards' wife, Sarah, wrote,
"It is wonderful to see what a spell he casts over an audience by
proclaiming the simplest truths of the bible. I have seen upwards of
a thousand people hang on his words with breathless silence,
broken only by an occasional half suppressed sob." Edwards also
wept during Whitefield's sermon..

5. Music. They found that a powerful anointing came through Worship

music, because singing hymns in praise of the Lord stirred people’s
hearts.

6. Open-air meetings. Whitefield preached in open spaces where large

crowds could gather. Wesley took the message to jails, inns and ships, as
well as outdoors. They did not just gather in holy huddles behind closed
doors.

7. Persecution. At times these preachers faced fierce opposition from

hecklers, gangs of attackers and the press.
8. Testimonies. Reports of revival in other places often sparked new
outbreaks as lay people who had been there first shared firsthand
accounts of what the Holy Spirit was doing.

9. Holy Spirit. The 18th-century revivalists expected the Spirit to

manifest His presence in powerful, visible ways. Edwards believed
that the Spirit could be discerned, that he moved a congregation "by a
mighty invisible power," and he sometimes caused a "visible
commotion." This happened in the 18th-century awakenings. During a
lecture in 1741, for example, a Scottish minister asked, "Where is the
fruit of my poor labours among this people?" At this some of his
parishioners cried out, in the most public manner, of their lost and
undone condition, saying, they now saw hell open for them, and heard
the shrieks of the damned and expressed their agony not only in
words, but by clapping their hands, beating their breasts, terrible
shakings, frequent faintings and convulsions; the minister often calling
out to them, not to stifle or smother the convictions, but encouraged
them." At a communion service during the next year in Scotland
attended by some 30,000, "some of both sexes, and all ages, from the
stoutest man to the tenderest child," a participant, wrote about how the
people present "shake and tremble, and a few fall down as dead."

10. Social action. A greater concern for the poor and downtrodden
often resulted from these revivals. Jonathan Edwards taught that it was
the Christian's duty to be charitable. Whitefield devoted a great deal of
his energy to an orphanage he founded in Georgia.

We can conclude that the 18th-century Christians experienced a deep

and powerful spiritual renewal which can be more effective in
transforming a culture than political action.

Revival leaders of that time often faced fierce opposition. On several

occasions rioters climbed into trees behind Whitefield's pulpit to
"shamefully expose" themselves or urinate in his direction. Wesley
often had rocks thrown at him, and was sometimes mobbed and beaten
by gangs incited by jealous parsons, or squires. Edwards was hounded
by liberal detractors in the press. His own church ejected him form its
pulpit, partly because of the high evangelical standards to which he
called its members. As a result, Edwards spent most of the last eight
years of his life exiled to a lonely mission church on the frontier.
Stories of revival helped spread revival. Edwards and the church in
Northampton were inspired and perhaps influenced by news of the
revival in Holland and Germany. News of the Great Awakening in
America deeply affected Christians in Cambuslang, Scotland and there
was a revival here in the area where I live, for Cambuslang adjoins
my the town of Rutherglen . Cambuslang at that time numbered
around 200 families, mainly farmers and miners. The area had been
without a minister for some years, but in 1731 William M'Culloch,
then aged forty took over the parish . He had grown up in Covenanter
country, surrounded by martyrs' graves, and longed for God to move
again upon the land. His labours almost ended in despair. The
congregation was in such poor spiritual health that he did not feel it
right to celebrate Communion for three years. A friend urged him to
devote himself to intercessory prayer for a deeper work of God's Holy
Spirit. News of the 'Great Awakening' in America gave impetus to
such prayer and to a closer study of the Bible. Then, a devastating
hurricane followed by months of famine in 1740 brought the people to
brokenness before God.
The next year George White-field arrived in Edinburgh,
preaching the gospel with such power that many cried aloud. Fourteen
from Cambuslang found their hearts "melted down and overboiling
with tears". Back home the thought of revival consumed them day and
night.
In February, 1742, M'Culloch sent the people home, charging them
to "fall on their knees before God, and with all possible earnestness, as
for life itself, to beg of Him His Holy Spirit to renew and change our
hearts and natures, and to take no comfort in any thing till we get it".
They were not kept waiting long. Within days a young woman
cned out in the church: "Christ says to me He will never leave me or
forsake me!" The effect was electric, with many weeping and others
crying aloud for joy, and M'Culloch needing three hours to counsel the
enquirers.
Now the Holy Spirit was really at work. Complete households fell
under conviction of sin. People would burst into tears in the street.
One young woman, noted for her timidity, preached under the
anointing of the Holy Spirit to a large crowd with compelling power. A
visiting minister wrote of how some that were previously notorious
sinners had now the meekness of the Lamb. On Tuesday, July 6, 1742,
White-field came to Cambuslang at midday and preached at two, six
and nine o'clock. For about an hour and a half there were scenes of
uncontrollable distress, like a field of battle. People were being
carried into the manse like wounded soldiers. "Such a commotion was
surely never heard of especially at eleven at night," he wrote to a
friend. "It far out-did all I ever saw in America."
All night in the fields could be heard the voices of prayer and praise.
News spread throughout the country and by the time of
Whitefield's next sermon in July the crowd numbered upwards of
20,000. Whitefield wrote to John Cennick "Such a universal stir I
never saw before. The motion fled as swiftly as lightning from one
end of the auditory to the other. You might have seen the thousands
bathed in tears; some at the same time wringing their hands, others
almost swooning and others crying out and mourning over a pierced
Saviour."
During these and other meetings men and women trembled and
wept and some fell down as dead. Joy as much a part of this work as
was sorrow over sin. Many believers found themselves so moved by a
sense of the Saviour's love as to be lifted almost into a state of rapture.
The phrase 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' occurs frequently in the
Cambuslang records and undoubtedly depicts the experience of many,
among both the new converts and the established Christians.
The results of the revival were considerable. M'Culloch himself,
limiting his estimate to his own parishioners, speaks of over five
hundred genuine conversions, but hints at hundreds more among the
many visitors. Within seven years it was estimated that church
attendance in the Glasgow area had risen to 35 percent of the
population. From Cambuslang the flames spread to other places, with
well-documented moves of the Holy Spirit at Kilsyth, Muthil,
Torryburn and Nigg.

In mid-November 1741 Rev. Nicholas Gilman of Durham,

N.H. began reading aloud daily to his parishioners from Edwards'
revival had begun in Gilman's church. Whitefield's Journals had a
similar effect. Ministers . were responsible for first sharing the news,
but it was the lay people who took the message and ran to their
neighbors. They realised the impotance of taking the message of the
gospel out there and sharing it with others.Unlike awakenings in
previous centuries, the 18th-century awakening moved forward
primarily because laymen took the call to evangelise seriously, not
ministers. Even Edwards, the awakening's first great leader, said the
momentum came from below, especially young people, whose "lay
testifyings" produced a "great noise" that was heard throughout the
region..

True Biblical Revival always re-establishes the Supremacy and Glory of

Christ as the primary focus of the Church, “Will You not revive us again,
that Your people may rejoice in You?”(Ps 85:6).

Sources : Gerald McDermott, National & International

Report, Dec. 14, 1992.
 Revival Library

http://www.jesus.org.uk/ja/ Revival Fires.

Welsh Revival
This took place in1904, during which approximately 100,000 people in
Wales joined the movement. Internationally, Evangelical Christians took
this event to be a sign that a fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel chap
2:23–29 was about to take place. Joseph Smale, the pastor of the First
Baptist Church in Los Angeles, went to Wales in order to witness the
revival. When he returned to Los Angeles, he attempted to ignite a similar
event in his own congregation. His attempts were short-lived, and he
eventually left First Baptist Church to found First New Testament
Church, where he continued his efforts. During this time, other small-
scale revivals were taking place in Minesota, North Carolina and Texas
.By 1905, reports of people speaking in tongeues, supernatural healings
and physical demonstrations of emotion", with significant lifestyle
changes accompanying these revivals. As news spread, evangelicals
across the United States began to pray for similar revivals in their own
congregations.

Notes from the Welsh Revival

This is revival! (quote from Rev, Owen Murphy), "When men in the
streets are afraid to open their mouths and utter godless words lest the
judgment of God should fall; when sinners, overawed by the presence of
God, tremble in the street and cry for mercy; when, without special
meetings and sensational advertising the Holy Ghost sweeps across cities
and towns in supernatural power and holds men in the grip of terrifying
conviction; when every shop becomes a pulpit; every heart an alter; every
home a sanctuary and people walk softly before God - this is revival!

The Welsh Revival of 1904, continues Rev. Murphy, "Was like a mighty
tornado. The Spirit of God swept across the land until mountains and
valleys, cities and villages were filled with the mighty manifestations of
God. Churches were crowded and meetings went on day and night.
Prayer, singing and testimonies would sweep over congregations in
torrents and hundreds turned to Christ. Never in the history of Wales had
such indescribable scenes been witnessed."
Dr Campbell Morgan, after witnessing the scenes of revival in Wales,
returned to Westminster Chapel in London and declared, "Here is revival
that comes from heaven; there is no preaching, no order, no hymn-books,
no choirs, no organs, no collections and finally no advertising! Now think
of that for a moment! There were organs - but they were silent. There
were ministers - but there was no preaching - they were among the people
praising God! Yet the Welsh revival is a revival of preaching, for
everybody is preaching. No order and yet it moves from day to day,
county to county with matchless precision, with the order of an attacking
force. No song-books, but- ah me, I nearly wept over the singing! When
the Welsh sing they abandon themselves to the singing. No choir did I
say? It was all choir..... Wales is ablaze for God, already 50,000 converts
have been recorded and the great awakening shows no signs of waning. It
is sweeping over hundreds of villages and cities, emptying saloons,
theaters and dance halls, and filling the churches night after night with
praying multitudes. Go where you will; into the bank; the store; the
trains. Everywhere men are talking about God.

Azusa Street
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic revival meeting that took place
in Los Angeles and was led by William J Seymour and this was what
birthed the Pentecostal Church. William J Seymour was an African
American Preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14th 2006 at the
African Methodist Episcopal Church and continued until roughly 1915.
The revival was characterized by estatic spiritual experiences
accompanied by speaking in tongues, dramatic worship services, and
inter-racial mingling.

Worship at 312, Azusa Street was frequent, and spontaneous, with

services going almost around the clock. Many denominations were
attracted to this new movement of the Spirit. .The Holy Spirit Himself
drew people to something that took them beyond religion and they started
to gain knowledge of the Holy Spirit as a person with whom they as
believers could have a relationship, which in turn would take them into a
deeper relationship with Jesus and equip them for service. An observer at
one of the services wrote these words:

“No instruments of music are used. None are needed. No choir- the
angels have been heard by some in the spirit. No collections are taken. No
bills have been posted to advertise the meetings. No church organization
is back of it. All who are in touch with God realize as soon as they enter
the meetings that the Holy Ghost is the leader.”

The Hebridean Revival 1948-1952

The Hebrides Islands are a small group of islands off the
West coast of Scotland. In 1949 -1952, God poured out His
Spirit in response to a handful of praying believers.

At a meeting of the Church of Scotland, in Stornaway, a

group of men discussed the awful condition of the church
in their communities. The worldly places were crowded
and the churches were almost empty. Barely any young
people went near the church and it seemed that many
churches were about to close their doors. No-one at the
meeting dreamed that this would be the start of an
amazing spiritual awakening.

Among the many people who were concerned about the

state of the church, was a small group of men from
Barvas, the district that was to become the centre of the
revival.. The men met in a barn and God gave them the
revelation that He was a covenant keeping God "If this is
true," they reasoned, "We can enter into this covenant and
if we keep our part then He must keep His. Has God given
us a covenant promise for revival?" Immediately the words
of 11 Chronicles 7:14, came to them, "If My people which
are called by My name shall humble themselves and pray
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then
will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their
land."

That same night they entered into a solemn covenant with

God to pray for the community and to humble themselves
in prayer until revival came. For months they prayed for
revival. One night young deacon arose from his knees and
began to read Psalm 24, "Who shall ascend into the hill of
the Lord? Or who shall stand in His Holy place? He that has
clean hands and a pure heart - he shall receive the
blessings of the Lord."
In response to this searching challenge from God they fell
upon their knees in confession and re-dedication and
began to pray even more earnestly. An hour later three of
them were laying prostrate on the floor - they were
exhausted. By five o-clock revival had come! The barn was
suddenly filled with the glory of God, and the power that
was let loose filled that little barn, shook the whole
community.

During those months two elderly ladies Peggy and

Christine Smith, were also praying. Peggy was almost
blind, and Christine was bent over with Arthritis. They
were 84 and 82 years old. They were also seeking God for
revival, and to them came the promise, "I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground."

Peggy had a vision of the church, crowded again with

young people. She sent for a minister, Rev. James Murray
Mackay, and told him what God had shown her, asking
him to encourage his elders and deacons to come
together for special times of waiting upon God..

On the same night when God’s presence visited the barn,

the glory swept into the cottage and God spoke to the two
women, revealing to them the name of the man God
wanted to use in the visitation the Rev. Duncan Campbell,
a Presbyterian minister and a great man of prayer. God
said, "In two weeks I shall send upon this community the
greatest spiritual awakening it has known."

A wire was sent to Duncan Campbell, who was ministering

in the Highland town of Skye, but it was discovered that he
was already booked for another meeting. He sent a reply,
"It is impossible for me to come at this time but keep
praying and I will come next year." When the reply came
back and was told to the sisters they answered, "That is
what man has said, but God has said that He will be here
in two weeks." In the meantime Duncan Campbell’s
meetings in Skye were cancelled, due to the fact that the
tourist board had monopolized the accomodation for the
convention. Within two weeks he was in Barvas!
Duncan Campbell was planning to stay for 10 days in
Barvas. He didn’t know what awaited him. As the ship
docked and Duncan stepped ashore, he was met by the
Rev. James MacKay and two of his elders. One of the
elders greeted him and asked, "Mr Campbell, are you
walking with God?" "Well at any rate I can say that I fear
God," was Duncan’s reply.

The first meeting was held in the old parish church. Many
people had gathered in a great expectancy but nothing
exceptional happened at that meeting.

Duncan Campbell appeared discouraged and so one of the

deacons went to him and said, "Don’t be discouraged, it is
coming. I hear the rumbling of heaven’s chariot wheels.
We will have another night of prayer and then we will see
what God is going to do!"

They went to a nearby cottage and about thirty knelt in

prayer and began to travail before the Lord. About three
o’clock in the morning the glory came and a dozen or so
were laid out prostrate on the floor, lying speechless.
Something had happened - God had moved into action as
He had promised. Revival had come and men and women
were about to find deliverance.

As the group left the cottage they found men and women
seeking God. Lights were burning in the homes along the
road - no one seemed to be thinking about sleep. Three
men were found lying by the roadside in a torrent of
conviction, crying out for God to have mercy on them! The
Spirit of God was moving into action and soon the parish
of Barvas was to be stirred from end to end.

On the second night buses came from the four corners of

the island, crowding into the church. Seven men were
being driven to the meeting in a butchers truck when
suddenly the Spirit of God fell on them in great conviction
and all were saved before they reached the church
building! As the preacher preached his message,
tremendous conviction swept down.. Tears rolled down the
faces of the people and men and women cried out for
mercy from every corner of the church. So deep was their
distress that some of their cries could be heard outside in
the road. A young man beneath the pulpit cried out, "Oh
hell is too good for me."

The meeting closed when the people began to move out.

As the last person was leaving a young man began to pray
under a tremendous burden of intercession. He prayed for
three quarters of an hour and as he continued to pray
people kept gathering outside until there were twice as
many outside as there had been inside. When the young
man stopped praying the Elder gave out Psalm 132 and as
the great congregation sang the old hymn, the people
streamed back into the church again and the meeting
continued until 4am.

The moment the people took their seats, the Spirit, in

great conviction began to sweep through the church, and
even hardened sinners began to weep and confess their
sins.

As the meeting was closing someone excitedly hurried to the preacher,

"Come with me! There’s a crowd of people outside the police station;
they are weeping and in great distress. We don’t know what’s wrong with
them but they are calling for someone to come and pray with them."

The minister described the scene outside the police station; "I saw a sight
I never thought possible. Something I shall never forget. Under a starlit
sky, men and women were kneeling everywhere, by the roadside, outside
the cottages, even behind the peat stacks, crying for God to have mercy
on them."

Nearly 600 people, making their way to the church, suddenly experienced
the power of God falling upon them in great conviction, and like Paul on
the road to Damascus, fell to their knees in repentance.

Revival had come in power - for five weeks it swept across that one
parish. Duncan Campbell conducted four services every night; in one
church at 7pm, in another at 10pm and a third at midnight and then back
to the first one at 3am - then home between 5-6am - tired - but happy to
be in the midst of such a wonderful move of God.

After this, the revival began to spread to other towns and what had
happened in Barvis began to happen in other places.
Men and women throughout the island began to plead to God in desperate
intercession and prayer for revival. The Spirit’s power began to increase.

A little band of prayer warriors made their way to the farmhouse to plead
the promises of God. Just after midnight Duncan Campbell asked John,
the local blacksmith, to pray. John rose to his feet with his cap in hand
and prayed a prayer that will never be forgotten by those who were
present."Oh God, you made a promise to pour water on the dry ground,
and Lord it’s not happening." He paused again and then continued, "Lord,
I don’t know how the others here stand in your Presence; I don’t know
how these ministers stand, but Lord, if I know anything about my own
heart, I stand before you as an empty vessel, thirsting for thee and for a
manifestation of Thy power." He halted again and after a moment of tense
silence cried, "Oh God your honour is at stake; and I now challenge you
to fulfil your covenant engagement and do what you promised to do."

Here is a man praying the prayer of faith that heaven must answer. Wave
after wave of divine power swept throughout the room. Simultaneously
the Spirit of God swept through the village . People could not sleep and
houses were lit all night; people walked the streets in great conviction;
others knelt by their bedsides crying for pardon. As the men left the
prayer meeting the preacher walked into a house for a glass of milk and
found the lady of the house with seven others down upon their knees,
crying out for God.

Within 48 hours the pub, usually crowded with drinking men of the
village, was closed. 14 young men who had been drinking there were
gloriously converted. Those same men afterwards could be found three
times a week with others down upon their knees before God, praying for
their old associates and for the spread of revival. It was in this village that
within 48 hours, many young people had surrendered their lives to Christ,
and could also be found in the prayer meetings!

A young boy Donald McPhail became an outstanding prayer warrior and

was asked often to pray in the meetings. One day Duncan Campbell
found him in the barn with his Bible open. When interrupted he quietly
said, "Excuse me a little Mr Campbell, I’m having an audience with the
King."

Some of the most vivid outpouring came when Donald was asked to pray.
In the police station one night in Barvas, he simply stood up, clasped his
hands together and uttered one word - "Father." Everyone melted into
tears as the presence of God filled the station. In Callenish, he prayed
until the power of God laid hold of those who were dead in sins,
transforming them into the living stones in the temple of God. One of the
most outstanding anointings of prayer happened when he was in Bernera,
a small island off the coast of Lewis. Duncan Campbell was assisting at a
communion service; the atmosphere was heavy and the preaching
difficult, so he sent to Barvas for some men to come and assist in prayer.
They prayed, but the spiritual bondage persisted, so much so that half-
way through the sermon, Duncan stopped preaching. Just then he noticed
Donald, visibly moved under a deep burden for souls. He thought, "This
boy is in touch with God, and living nearer to the Saviour than I am." He
said, "Donald, will you lead us in prayer?" The young lad rose to his feet
and made reference to the fourth chapter of Revelation which he had been
reading that morning. "Oh God I seem to be gazing through an open door.
I see the Lamb in the midst of the Throne, with the keys of death and hell
at His girdle." He began to sob, then lifting his eyes toward heaven, cried,
"Oh God there is power, let it loose!" The Spirit of God swept into the
building and the heavens were opened. The church resembled a
battlefield. On one side many were prostrated over the seats weeping and
sighing; on the other side some were affected by throwing their arms up
in the air in a rigid posture for an hour. God had come!

Outside, startling things were taking place. The Spirit of God was
sweeping over the homes and area surrounding the village, and many
people came under the conviction of the Spirit. People in their places of
were gripped by the power of God and by 10 o’clock the roads were
streaming with people from every direction, making their way to the
church.

As the preacher came out of the church the Holy Spirit swept in among
the people in the road like a wind. They gripped each other in fear. In
agony of soul they trembled; many wept and some fell to the ground
under great conviction of sin. Several men were found laying by the side
of the road in such distress that they could not even speak - yet they had
not been anywhere near the church!

A major manifestation of this revival was the great conviction of sin that
came upon the people.

Even the most hardened sinners of the district have literally been found
lying helpless by the roadside, stricken with conviction as in the great
Welsh revival of 1904.

Adapted from "Bright and Shining Revival"- Kathie Walters

Modern moves of the Spirit
The Toronto Blessing and Brownsville
Laughing Phenomena is this genuinely the
church in renewal? Is God at work in this?

It appears to me that there is much confusion throughout the church

relating to the Toronto blessing and the so called “Holy Laughter”
Movement from Brownsville. So I would like to try and be as
objective as possible as I look from the outside at what is and has
been happening in Toronto and Brownsville. Maybe I should start by
saying that my church has strong links with Toronto Airport
Christian Fellowship so maybe stating I am on the outside looking in
is not 100% true.

I was probably nearly as sceptical as the next person when I heard

of the goings on in Toronto back in the mid- 1990’s. Church was
orderly and giving due respect to an Almighty God. Oh, yes I was
Charismatic in thinking, I believed the gifts of the Spirit were for
today, I had heard something about past Revivals and would state
that I longed to see Revival in the Church, but I was very wary of the
Toronto Blessing and Brownsville, I had heard too many Christians
criticizing the goings on. Anyhow about four to five years ago a
friend from the Independent Pentecostal Church I was then part of,
infact, my husband was at that time acting as Pastor of that small
church asked me to go along with her one Saturday night to Glasgow
Elim for a Renewal Service. My husband stayed at home to prepare
his sermon for the following morning. For a couple of months I went
along every Saturday night with friends, I found the Spirit was
revealing lots to me, then one night my husband decided to come
along too. At that time my husband referred to himself as Pentecostal
with a small ‘p’. oh yes he had, had an experience of the Spirit some
years back, infact it was after that he enrolled in Bible School, That
first night, had Raymond running out to the car park for a few
minutes, he had never seen church quite like this. He came back in
for he felt the Holy Spirit drawing him in. I had been baptised in the
Spirit, some years before hand, but we lacked the knowledge that
there was a much closer place to be in our relationship with God.
Back then I couldn’t say that my prime object in life was seeking
after God. Oh, yes I had got to the stage where I wanted to serve
Him, to tell others about Jesus, even pray for healing at times, and
although I saw healing in the atonement I believed God might heal
them as I prayed, I knew nothing much of taking authority in Jesus
Name over circumstances. I thought I knew who I was in Christ, but
I saw myself as a forgiven sinner, a worm and no woman, yet I
believed that if I was truly walking in righteousness there was victory
in Jesus, and believe that positionally all things could be under my
feet, but so often I would swallow Satan’s lies that I wasn’t good
enough to claim the victory in Christ.. However, God was turning
both of us around, doing a new thing in us and we found we were
attending this church every Saturday and Sunday night. As
mentioned beforehand Raymond had been pastoring the other
fellowship, but he was really holding the fort until someone else was
free to fulfil the position, so almost two years ago we felt it was time
to move on and we became members of Glasgow Elim.

What was happening in this church? The, then Senior Pastor

Kevin Peat had paid a visit to Toronto back in the 1990’s, himself a
little sceptical. After all, like me he was from a Brethren background,
but the Holy Spirit changed all that. He came back from Toronto and
renewal started in the Glasgow Elim Church, so you might ask what
was happening in the Glasgow Church? Well, the presence of God
was and is very strong within the church and there is a very strong
revelation of the Father’s Heart of God within the Church. You may
ask if people were falling down, having outbursts of laughing,
groaning, tears, twitching or manifesting the Spirit in some other
way? Yes they were and still are at times, but God is increasing our
hunger for Him. We are becoming a House of Prayer with at least one
prayer meeting on every day and although we go into intercession for
others much of the prayers are about seeking the face of God. The
church is very involved in reaching out to the community. We are a
church that makes the druggies and the homeless welcome, infact we
see people coming to the Lord every week. Eight children were saved
a couple of Sundays back. So this is a church that welcomed the
Toronto Blessing, or to be more correct welcomed all that the Holy
Spirit had for it. I’m not claiming that we have arrived, far from it,
but right now the church like many churches throughout the world is
positioning itself with a new hunger for God, people desire to come
closer to Jesus and they come by way of the cross of Jesus and yes
there is lot’s of repentance stage by stage along the way before we can
move on.
 Yes, I have been slain in the Spirit, too many times to count, have
even shaken with the Spirit, moved like a pretzel with the Spirit, wept
at times and experienced the so called laughing phenonemen. So I do
see the Holy Spirit at work in those things? My answer is most
definitely. Are their imperfections within the Toronto blessing? I
would be putting my head in the sand if I tried to say there wasn’t
after all there are people involved, but I personally believe that any
problems that have arisen have happened because people have
sought experience instead of seeking Jesus. As for Toronto Airport
Fellowship they have sent people out to other corners of the world ,
the pastors and leaders travel and minister to others. I have met the
Senior Pastor and he is a man who loves God. Many people in the
church worldwide are unaware of the way their Heavenly Father
loves them, they are not orphans, they are adopted into His family.
We are His children and He loves us so much, He desires to bless us
and not to harm us, that does not mean that we won’t go through
tough times, we may do but Father God is by our side. Also, many
have a poor understanding that they are part of the cherished bride
of Christ. Jesus loves us with a passion. He is constantly interceding
for us with the Father. He pours out His Spirit on us and draws us
towards
Himself.

Psa 63:1 O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

Psa 63:2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Psa 63:3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Psa 63:4 Thus I will bless You while I live;

 I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Psa 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and

fatness,

And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

Psa 63:6 When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches.

Psa 63:7 Because You have been my help,

Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

Psa 63:8 My soul follows close behind You;

Your right hand upholds me. ……………

I know a greater peace in my spirit than I have ever

known. I know God as my healer and my provider.

Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Does my faith always arise to the occasion, nope,

have I got it all of pat no, I am a work in progress, but I
know I am growing up in Him. It’s taking a while I got
saved at the age of seven and I still have a long way to
go. This one thing I Know I love Jesus Christ and He
loves me.

Look above at Revival History. During these and

other meetings men and women trembled and wept
and some fell down as dead. Joy as much a part of
this work as was sorrow over sin. Many believers
found themselves so moved by a sense of the
Saviour's love as to be lifted almost into a state of
rapture. The phrase 'joy unspeakable and full of
glory' occurs frequently in the Cambuslang records
and undoubtedly depicts the experience of many,
among both the new converts and the established
Christians.

There is unspeakable joy in Jesus and it can bring

laughter at times for we can be overwhelmed with
joy in Him.

Act 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they
were assembled together was shaken; and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of
God with boldness.

Act 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and
with the Holy Spirit.

Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit.

All scriptures taken from NKJV..

Copyright © 2009 Irene McGough Disciples of Jesus Ministry

www.discipleofjesussite.com