Posts

Herrnhut, The Lord’s Watch

/in /by

David Christian cut down the first tree for the first house for the new community the would call “Herrnhut,” which means the “Lord’s Watch.” The small group now totaled 300. It wasn’t long before Herrnhut began growing and accepted refugees from other doctrinal persuasions. Now there were not only Moravians but also Lutherans, Calvinists, Catholics, Separatists, Reformed, and Anabaptists.

The vision of Count Zinzendorf was that of the restoration of the apostolic community. He worked to establish a community of saints that loved and supports one another through prayer, encouragement, and accountability. John Wesley (founder of the Methodist Denomination) was so enamored with the Moravians that he called Herrnhut the “closest thing to the New Jerusalem that could be.” In 1738, eleven years into the revival, Wesley visited “this happy place” and was so impressed that he commented in his journal: “I would gladly have spent my life here….Oh, when shall this Christianity cover the earth as water covers the sea?”

It wasn’t something that happened overnight. With all the different views and doctrines…trouble soon arose. Many disputes erupted within the other sects over doctrinal language and how the community would support itself. From the start the Herrnhut community showed few signs of spiritual power. Leslie K. Tara described in his book, A Prayer Meeting That Lasted 100 Years, what was happening: “By the beginning of 1727, the community of about 300 people was wracked by dissension and bickering, an unlikely site for revival.” To make matters worse, a new resident, John Kruger, attacked Zinzendorf and his beliefs – preaching that the Count was none other than “the Beast” mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Linda Jacobs writes: “He turned almost the entire community of Herrnhut against their benefactor.” With a pastor’s heart, the Count began going from house to house, counseling each family from the Scriptures. He was teaching and exhorting daily, creating what he called “Bands,” a small group of believers who had “a special affinity” to each other. Before long the small community was becoming one as more and more homes were opening day and night for prayer, fellowship, and teaching. Small groups began holding all-night prayer vigils, and it seemed almost weekly that the spiritual unity and the bonds of love were becoming perceptively stronger. The community pooled their finances for the sick and began distributing goods to the poor among them.

Now that dissension and bickering had vanished, many unbelievers who came to Herrnhut were converted, and on May 12, Zinzendorf covenanted all to pray and labor for revival. The fire of the Spirit on these precious saints was beginning to heat up. Services held at this time usually ended in weeping, deep repentance, and lying prostrate on the floor. By August 5th, anticipation was building to the point where many did not want to sleep for fear that they would miss something God was doing.

Birthing of the American Camp Meeting and the Cane Ridge Revival

/in /by

Pentecost to the Present: Book Two – Reformations and Awakenings, Jeff Oliver: “In 1796, James McGready (1763-1817), a Presbyterian pastor of three small churches in Kentucky, led his congregations to sign a covenant to pray every Saturday and Sunday morning and to devote the third Saturday of each month to prayer and fasting for revival. Three years later, McGready invited some other denominational ministers to join him at their annual Communion gathering at the Red River Church when the power of God came down. The following summer, they returned on the weekend of June 21-23, 1800, when the Presence of the Spirit became so intense the congregation was reduced to tears. On the third and final day of meetings, the Spirit again lingered. John McGee, one of the Methodist ministers started weeping and others soon followed. McGee then stood up and exhorted the crowd. Several women began shouting, and one in particular shouted above the others. McGee left the pulpit to go to her, but several warned him that the Presbyterians liked order. McGee described what happened as he headed toward the pulpit: ‘I turned to go back and was near falling; the Power of God was so strong upon me. I turned again and, losing sight of the fear of man, I went through the house shouting and exhorting with all possible ecstasy and energy, and the floor was soon covered by the slain.’

Oh God, Wilt Thou Not Give Me Scotland?!

/in /by

Excerpt from The Fire That Once Was: Welsh was now at the point where he would soon take his place as one of he great Reformed Scottish Revivalists. After four years at Kirkcudbright he now journeyed to a town “to which his name has ever after been most closely associated.” In 1600, he arrived at the country-town of Ayr. Welsh would spend less than five years in this town, from August 1600 to July 1605, but it was here that revival fires would blaze.

Ayr, locally called Ayrshire, had over the years gospel seeds planted in her by other Reformed ministers. Even Welsh’s late father-in-law, John Knox, had visited and preached there occasionally. But at this day and age the state of Ayr had deteriorated to a rude and barbarous cesspool. The sanitation of the area was no better. On his way to Ayr, traveling on the King’s Highway, Welsh’s senses were overwhelmed with the sight of mounds and mounds of offal (piles of decaying animal parts) and other filth accumulated on each side of the road. The people of Ayr were, as expected, crude, barbaric, immoral, and ignorant. Common people feared to venture out of doors as gangs of ruffians controlled the streets. Welsh saw all this and his spirit was stirred within him: What a nation so polluted with all abominations and murders as thou art? Thy iniquities are more than the sand of the sea, the cry of them is beyond the cry of Sodom.

On his arrival at Ayr, the aversion to him as a minister was so strong that he could find no one in the town who would let him and his wife have a house to live in. He would eventually find a Christian merchant by the name of Stewart, who offered him shelter under his roof.

Strengthened by the Lord and the power of His Might, in prayer always…the Glory of God was falling over the town and Welsh praying fervently and preaching frequently, was having an eternal effect on the masses. Welsh was soon holding two Sabbath services, preaching from nine to twelve in the morning, and from four to six in the afternoon, and in between visiting those who needed grounding in the Word of God. Welsh’s preaching was so moving that those in the congregation could not restrain themselves from weeping under the intense presence of God in the services. Sometimes he would not preach but instead ask those present to just pray for Divine Assistance , at which time the weight of the Glory of God would fall on the shoulders of all.

In 1604, because of the unsanitary conditions which were common in those days, a fearful plague began to spread over the country. The plague moved westward from city to city, and the 3000 people of Ayr became more and more alarmed as it approached their city. Welsh used this time to call the people to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, while at night he would spend hours praying for the mercy of God upon his congregation. Robert Murray McCheyne relates how one night during Welsh’s travailing before God this incident occurred: “He used to keep a blanket on his bed that he might wrap himself against the cold when he rose during the night to pray. One time his wife awakened and found him on the floor weeping. When she complained that he should be back in the bed, he said, “Oh woman, you do not understand. I have the souls of three thousand to answer for, and I know not how it is with many of them.”

Amazingly, the plague swept through all of Scotland but did not come near the town of Ayr. Soon the plague ended and hundreds of visitors would flock into Ayr, the City of God, and from far look into the Garden of Prayer where Welsh would spend many an hour in intercession. He was now renowned for his prolonged seasons of prayer. Borrowing from his late father-in-law, Welsh would cry out, “Oh God, wilt wilt Thou not give me Scotland! Oh God, wilt Thou not give me Scotland!”