The Spirit at Work in Believers, Part 6

~~~~~~~~~In The Last Days, I Shall Pour My Spirit Out on Men and Women and They Will Prophesy

Acts 2 - the account of that first Pentecost two thousand years ago following Jesus' ascension to heaven - the startling outpouring and indwelling of The Holy Spirit on worshipers at Jerusalem recalls God's promise from Joel that He would bathe believers - men, women, sons and daughters, in His Holy Spirit and empower them to prophesy and carry out God's will. When believers became moved by the Spirit, lives were changed and people were saved.

Our last story also comes from Laurie Kehler's book, This Outside Life - Finding God in the Heart of Nature, chapter 5, "Wind". She ends the chapter with a story from 1949 in The Hebrides. She describes The Hebridean islands as a "remote, wild, and wooly place" located off the northwest coast of Scotland. She says that they are "battered by the bitter North Atlantic weather," causing those who live in the islands to be of resilient character and not easily impressed. Yet, she talks about two senior citizens - sisters - who had "soft hearts." They had lived in their community during their lives and were at that time in their 80s - one of them blind, and had seen their community change and not for the better. The youth were drinking and partying as a lifestyle. The once Christian community was living outside of who they were - the sisters remarking that they had even abandoned the practice of regarding the sabbath day. Compared to today, Laurie notes, the 1949 era community seems kind of not so bad, maybe even typical. "But," she adds, "that doesn't mean it didn't concern God." 

Being stirred and moved by He who is in them, the sisters began praying in earnest. These elderly women would get down on their 80+ year-old knees twice a week from 10pm to 2am and pray for God to restore the people in the community. Just two old women who in the scheme of things were powerless. Yet they believed and trusted God to act.

And act He did. He poured out His Spirit upon that community in an awesome way. Laurie says that "people who had never darkened the doors of a church" were now compelled to come at all hours. These revived believers would worship hours at a time (and we balk when our service goes over 90 minutes!). The church would be filled to the rafters with persons at three o'clock in the morning, and those who couldn't fit into the small building worshiped outside. She says that even people gathered "in the fields or walking along the road" were overcome by the presence of God. Even those who were unable to travel to church were bathed with the Holy Spirit. (Like in the camp in the wilderness as recorded in Numbers 11:16-29, when God poured out His Spirit and anointed the leadership) The work of the Spirit in the community was true revival, restoration, and sanctification. Their lifestyles changed willingly, they repented and returned to the God who saves, and the results were in closing of the bars and changed habits, behaviors, and commitment to God's purpose. Some members of the community even became missionaries or 'ambassadors' of God's grace throughout the world.

Laurie tells that the minister who was called to preach when the Spirit was changing hearts and minds confessed that he had nothing to do with bringing revival to the island, that God the Holy Spirit was the One moving in the community. He reports, that "he knew it was God's work, not his. He states, 'The Spirit of God was moving in such a way that I couldn't preach. I just stood and gazed upon the wondrous movings of God.'"

The people of the Hebrides were not clergy people, they were not Bible scholars, no – they were teenagers, they were young adults, they were middle-aged adults, they were elderly people living from day to day. Just regular people. But upon being filled and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, they willingly surrendered to the awesome work He had purposed to do in their lives, and in the lives of countless others around the world because of the obedience of the Hebridean people to the Spirit’s call.

Can God the Holy Spirit move in our lives like He did in the lives of first century Christians? Like He did in the lives of the Ten Boom sisters? Like He did in the wealthy businessman’s life? Like He does in the lives of the pastors and Christians under trials and persecution? Like He did in the lives of the wayward community in The Hebrides?

As He has in the lives of persons in our own worship community?

His promise is to lavish the Father’s children with love and spiritual riches beyond our ability to comprehend, yet He will not force His way. Now seriously, pause and think.

 But what if many, if not most, within a worship community like ours were to invite the Spirit into their hearts and humble themselves like Jesus did in willing surrender to the Spirit’s ministry, what if? Can you just imagine what He could do in such a community as that?