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"Disappointed
in Islam, 'Muslims in Iran are Coming to Faith in Christ in the Thousands,'
--Report by Joel News International"
February 25, 2005
The world revival news service,
Joel News International, is reporting on the exceptional growth of an
underground Christian church in Iran. Says one Iranian pastor, "In the 1980's,
we rejoiced over two or three new believers each month. In the 1990's, we were
impressed when we heard about a group of new believers. Today, we are just
somewhat surprised to discover an entire new underground church."
Aimee Herd reporting
More...
Joel News International
http://www.joelnews.org
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February 25, 2005
"WHAT GOD CAN DO WHEN PEOPLE PRAY IN FAITH"
EXCERPT FROM "BRIGHT AND SHINING
REVIVAL" by Kathie Walters
by Kathie Walters
Good News Ministries
kathiewalters@mindspring.com
http://www.goodnews.netministries.org/goodnews.html
 THE
FIRST STIRRING
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 virtually empty. The young people had just about disappeared
and it seemed that many churches were about to close their doors. No one at the
meeting dreamed that this would be the preliminary 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 center of the revival.
THE BARN
They agreed to meet in a small barn by the side of the road to pray. They were
given the revelation that God was a covenant- keeping God who had made covenant
promises! "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 II 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."
(KJV)
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 several months they prayed and waited on God -- three nights, three times a
week they wrestled and prayed until 4- or 5am. Finally, one night, a 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. By five o-clock revival had come! The barn
was suddenly filled with the glory of God, and the power that was let loose that
filled that little barn, shook the whole community.
THE PRAYING SISTERS
Around the same time in a little cottage in the village of Barvas, two elderly sisters
-- 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 also had been
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."
One night, knowing that the others had gathered together to pray in the barn, they
had gathered around their little peat fire to spend the night in prayer. Peggy suddenly
had a vision of the church, crowded again with young people. She sent for the 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.
GOD'S CHOICE
On the same night the presence of God visited the barn, the glory swept into
the little 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 accommodation for the
convention. Within two weeks he was in Barvas!
DUNCAN CAMPBELL COMES TO BARVAS
Duncan Campbell crossed the Minch in the Loch Seaforth. He was planning to stay
for 10 days in Barvas. Little did he 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
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. At about 3am God swept in, and a dozen or so were laid out prostrate
on the floor, and lay there 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.
THE SECOND STIRRING
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 hardened sinners began to weep and confess their sins.
THE POLICE STATION
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 Barvas 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.
GOD VISITS ARNOL
Arnol was a small community which came within the path of the spiritual tornado.
Because of the spiritual indifference, it was reckoned that hardly a young person
darkened the doors of any house of God; the Sundays being given to drinking and
poaching, etc.
News of the revival spread and an opposition
meeting was held. Although the church was crowded, it was because many people came
from various parts of the island -- there were very few actually from Arnol. The
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. In the middle of
his prayer he stopped and raised his right hand to heaven and continued, "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 honor is at stake; and I now challenge You to fulfill
Your covenant engagement and do what You promised to do."
THE PRAYER OF FAITH
Here is a man praying the prayer of faith that heaven must answer. There are those
in Arnol today who will verify the fact that while the brother prayed, the dishes
on the dresser rattled as God turned loose His mighty power. Then 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 drinking house,
usually crowded with drinking men of the village, was closed. Fourteen 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! Among those converted the following night was a young boy
of 16, named Donald Macphail***(see end note). Donald 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."
THE POWER OF PRAYER - BERNERA
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 Savior 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 convicting
power of the Spirit. Fisherman out in their boats; men behind their looms; men at
the pit bank; a merchant out in his truck; school teachers examining their papers
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!
So great was the supernatural moving of God
that most of the homes did not escape the conviction of the Spirit, and the routine
of business was stopped, that the island might seek the face of God like Nineveh
of Bible days. The town was changed, lives and homes transformed, and even the fishing
fleet, as it sailed out into the bay, took with it a Presenter, to lead them in
prayer and worship singing.
by Kathie Walters
Good News Ministries
kathiewalters@mindspring.com
http://www.goodnews.netministries.org/goodnews.html
Supernatural Manifestations of God, etc continue . . . from "Bright and Shining
Revival" by Kathie Walters
http://www.elijahshopper.com/detail.aspx?ID=515
*** Donald Macphail will be joining us in the Hebrides and praying for our group
in June. Info for this trip is on my website.
www.goodnews.netministries.org/kathie.htm
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"Kathie,
in her book, takes us far into the past and reminds us that God doesn't need
flawless vessels through which to reveal Himself, only willing ones. This book
is a must read for every believer -- those walking in faith and those needing
to. I recommend it highly." - Iverna Tompkins
"Kathie
Walters has an amazing ability in her writings to ignite a fresh fire in your
heart. The fire of the Lord was lit in Ireland through a bold and godly group of
men and women, as they gave themselves wholeheartedly to prayer and ministry.
Kings and rulers were won because of them and the fires were lit through their
lives." - Suzanne Hinn
"I
am confident that the life of these Celtic saints of old are relevant to us
today. They fearlessly took their stand against all the hordes of hell, and laid
claim to what they believed was God's territory." - Gwen Shaw, Founder,
End-Time Handmaidens & Servants
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