A Call To The Remnant

The extraordinary thing about these meetings is their unconventional character. There is no organization, no program, no presenter and no presiding elder! Everything is left to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Preaching, in the usual sense of the word, has, for the time being, been entirely discarded, and is superseded by singing, prayers and general testimony. (The Methodist Recorder)

There is a tumult of emotion, an overpowering influence and a conviction of sin that can only be attributed to Divine agency. Personal eloquence, magnetism, fervor or mental power do not account for it. (Newspaper report)

No one led but the Spirit Himself.One after another entered the hall, knelt down and in a few minutes and intense prayer was given, or an intense chorus or verse or hymn was sung, or a text of Scripture or a chapter read, but all in the most harmony and intensity. Mr Roberts himself is as simple and natural as a child;he comes into the meetings and in no way interferes with what is going on. He waits until there is a moment’s pause, and then speaks a few strong, simple words with no apparent , but an intensity which calls forth earnest responses from the congregation. He opens the Bible, but there is too much singing at the moment, and he quietly closes it, sits down out of sight and remains silent in prayer. He has a real belief in the leading of the Holy Spirit and knows how to wait on the Lord and for the Lord

The spontaneity of the work is glorious and the lack of organization is most refreshing. It is all so novel, and so contradictory to what we are accustomed to regard as essential There is no creaking of the machinery. The stir is caused by the blowing of the wind, the breath of heaven. ((Mrs M Baxter)

What you have just read is a few first hand accounts of what was happening in the Welsh of 1904. It was a revival that swept the world. Just a couple of years later you had the Azuza St revival. In the following decades it is reckoned that somewhere between 600-800 million souls were saved because of this kind of revival. I want you to notice some of the fundamental aspects of the Welsh revival. 1. No real organization. 2. A complete reliance upon the Holy Spirit for direction.3. No program.4. No worship leaders.5 No preaching, no pastors or elders direction.

This kind of meeting or meetings terrifies a modern evangelical system which is so reliant upon polished personalities and professional worship leaders and worship teams. Think about the fact that in most cases there was not even as much as a piano or organ at these meetings, let alone professional paid musicians. How far have we fallen brothers and sisters? Everything we do in our meetings today is so well programmed, so professional. And yet, can you honestly say that you have experience even a hint of the conviction and manifest presence of God that these people were experiencing?

Where is the glory of God? Where is His majesty? Where is His manifest presence that falls so heavy upon His people that they can barely lift their heads? Where a river of tears flows from convicted hearts. Where you speak in hushed tones lest you quench the Spirit of God. Where unconverted men and women come in and are confounded by something they have never encountered and that can only be explained by the fact that it is God’s presence itself they are encountering.

Brothers and sisters, the systems and traditions of men have caused us to have fallen so far from the mark. What we need is a revolution. When a ship is caught at sea in a mighty storm and it looks like it might founder, the sailors begin to cast everything over the side. Not that they want to lose their cargo or things of value, but in the end they rightly value their life more than any thing that has been brought aboard the ship. Can i suggest that the evangelical world is foundering and the cost, if they hold on to their traditions and systems, is the very life of God in their midst. What will be more important in the end? Life itself or all the things that we have added. Without life, there is not much point in stuff.

May the Lord Himself forgive us for allowing ourselves to have slowly cast Him of, rather than everything that hinders Him and His manifest presence among us. We desperately need another movement of God that our Welsh brothers and sisters experienced. I wonder if we will humble ourselves in His sight that He may fall upon us or if pride, pride in our one man system, pride in our preaching, pride in our personalities, pride in our professionalism will win the day. It remains to be seen. We must not wait to long to act for the gross darkness is approaching and the Lord Himself is coming back. What will He find upon His return? Will He find faith or will he find His orchard has been taken over and those who run it refuse to give what is rightfully the Lords?