I should tell you of an incident when
it was my privilege to witness the devil
being bound.
May I ask, do you believe that it's
possible for us to bind the devil?
I believe with all my heart that it
is.
I saw it happening.
I was asked to address a meeting in
a farmhouse.
It was during a time of glorious spiritual
quickening.
It was impossible for me to go just
then, but between one and two o'clock
in the morning I and several others made
our way over the hill to this farm.
We had to walk a little over seven
miles.
When we got there we found the farmhouse
crowded, packed to capacity except for the scullery,
or perhaps I should say the kitchen, you
perhaps would understand that better.
I began to preach and felt a measure
of wonderful liberty.
There was a sense of God in the
meeting.
It was easy to preach.
It was easy to talk about Jesus.
Then the kitchen door opened and several men
came in.
It was obvious to me that they were
not there to worship God.
Why?
Their very faces expressed demon possession.
Demon possession.
And at that moment I found myself completely
fettered and bound as a preacher.
Absolutely bound.
And I knew that the binding had to
do with the men that came in.
Oh, they were there to frustrate the purposes
of God, letting loose satanic power in the
midst of this meeting.
Thus I already said I felt completely fettered.
However, there was a young man standing in
front of me.
The place was so crowded that they couldn't
sit, and he along with others was standing.
Somehow I felt that that young man was
in touch with God, and that he was
conscious of the change that had come over
the meeting.
His bowed and his praying.
I spoke to him right in the midst
of my address, and said, the devils in
this meeting, satanic power has been let loose,
and I want you to deal with it.
Because, my dear people, I knew that this
young man was in touch with God, and
in a place that I couldn't stand in.
Oh, my dear people, we've got to be
honest.
I called upon him to pray, and he
must have prayed for perhaps 20 minutes or
half an hour, and then he stopped.
And then looking up toward the heavens, he
cried, God, will you excuse me for a
minute?
I want to address the devil.
And in addressing the devil, he said this,
devil, you're in this meeting, and you're here
to frustrate the purposes of God.
Devil, I now take upon myself on the
basis of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, to
order you out of this meeting.
And then he said this, devil, I put
the blood of the Lamb between you and
this meeting.
Be gone, devil, be gone.
At that moment, oh, my dear people, I
would to God that you saw it, the
power of God fell upon the meeting, and
men were gloriously saved, including those that were
in the kitchen.
My dear people, that's God at work.
That's God at work.
And I believe through the word of our
testimony and the blood of the Lamb, hell
can be defeated.
And the purposes of God let loose in
glorious revival time.
My dear people, I saw it happening.
And the God that did it there could
do it here.
Oh, he could do it here.
Oh, my dear people, help us to bind
the devil in this meeting.
Now turn with me for our reading to
the second book of Kings, and to a
very well-known portion of scripture, the third
chapter, and we shall read from verse 10.
And the king of Israel said, Alas, that
the Lord hath called these three kings together
to deliver them into the hand of Noah.
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a
prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire
of the Lord by him?
And one of the king of Israel's servants
answered and said, Here is Elisha, the son
of Shabbat, which poured water on the hands
of Elijah.
And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the Lord
is with him.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and
the king of Eden went down to it.
And Elisha said unto the king of Israel,
What have I to do with thee?
Get thee to the prophets of thy father
and to the prophets of thy mother.
And the king of Israel said unto him,
Nay, for the Lord hath called these three
kings together to deliver them into the hand
of Noah.
And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts
liveth, before whom I stand surely, were it
not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat,
the king of Judah, I would not look
toward thee, nor see thee.
But now bring me a minstrel.
And it came to pass when the minstrel
prayed, that the hand of the Lord came
upon him.
And he said, Thus saith the Lord, make
the valley full of ditches.
For thus saith the Lord, ye shall not
see wind, neither shall ye see rain.
Yet that valley shall be filled with water,
that ye may drink, both ye and your
cattle and your beasts.
And this is but a light thing in
the sight of the Lord.
He will deliver the Moabites also into your
hand.
And ye shall smite every fenced city, and
every choice city, and shall fell every good
tree, and stop all wells of water, and
mar every good piece of land with stones.
And it came to pass in the morning,
that, behold, there, and it came to pass
in the morning when the meat offering was
offered, that, behold, there came water by the
way of Eden, and the country was filled
with water.
Amen.
And God will add his blessing.
I am not accustomed to this sireness.
I must put up with it.
Now you turn with me to the portion
of scripture which we read together, and to
verses 16 and 20.
In verse 16 we read, Make this valley
full of ditches.
Make this valley, this campground, full of
ditches.
Verse 20, And it came to pass in
the morning when the meat offering was offered,
that, behold, water came by the way of
Eden.
Make this valley full of ditches.
And water came, oh bless God for that
word, and water came by the way of
Eden.
Now those of you who are familiar with
this part of Old Testament story will remember
that three kings, the king of Judah, the
king of Israel, and of Eden, joined forces
in battle against Moab.
That's the background of the text.
Three armies fully equipped and ready for battle.
I believe that they were well led.
I believe that they had things wonderfully organized
for the fight that was coming.
But according to this passage, they were lacking
in one thing, the lack of which would
make victory impossible.
There was no water.
And of course without water they could not
possibly face the enemy.
Now that to me is a picture of,
would I say, the situation that confronts us
today.
And perhaps it confronts us in this meeting
and at this very hour.
There is the sense in which it is
true that we are rich and increased with
goods and have need of nothing.
I think that can be said of the
Christian church in America.
And yet in the truest sense of the
word, there is a poverty that is appalling.
But it would appear that blindness in part
is happened to Israel.
Poverty knows in material things.
Poverty regarding things of the world, not by
any means.
But oh my dear people, in the midst
of it all, a poverty spiritually that is
appalling.
I think I can say that without fear
of contradiction.
The stream of vital Christianity was never so
low in this generation than at this present
moment.
That at any rate is my assessment of
the situation.
Many fail to see that nothing can be
made a substitute for God.
Oh my dear people, let's get that clear.
We have tried this substitute and that substitute,
this gimmick and that gimmick.
But brother, oh let me say it again
at the risk of repetition.
You cannot substitute anything for the God of
revival.
Oh you cannot, you cannot.
But unfortunately many fail to see that, that
nothing can be made a substitute here.
It may help you to understand the truth
that I'm anxious to get across if I
told you something about the testimony of H.
I.
Person.
A great preacher of the world of a
past generation.
A most remarkable man.
Now listen to what he says in his
testimony.
I preached with all the logic and eloquence
at my command to a very large congregation.
Logic and eloquence.
No substitute for God.
And then he said this, that I saw
few if any genuine conversion.
And then according to his testimony a young
evangelist came to the city and was in
a fortnight the city became ablaze with God.
This young evangelist had no academic qualifications.
He was never inside a college.
Never inside a Bible school.
And H.
I.
Person just couldn't understand it.
Crowds, crowds filling his meetings.
Thoughts being saved.
Revival in the midst.
But he was out of it.
And then according to his testimony he put
his pride in his pocket.
Man it's good when you put your pride
in your pocket brother.
It's good to have that experience.
I remember the day when I was forced
to do it.
Put your pride in your pocket.
And I went to this young evangelist and
I faced him with a question.
Young man what is the secret of your
remarkable ministry?
And according to his testimony he waited a
second or two for the reply.
And this is the reply that he got.
There's only one secret.
It's the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
And H.
I.
Person went home a broken man.
Not a man that learned something.
And on his face in his study he
vowed to God that he wouldn't preach again
until he discovered the secret.
And this is what he said.
Oh bless God.
On the 15th of November I too found
the secret in the baptism of the Holy
Ghost that made God real to me.
And then he went on to say this
in his testimony.
I was a preacher in that congregation for
17 years.
But after this glorious experience I saw more
souls saved in 17 hours than I saw
during the 17 years of my ministry if
I saw any at all.
My dear people that to me oh let
me say it again.
That's the secret.
And I would to God that we would
discover it this afternoon.
And in desperation and with a sense of
frustration we threw ourselves on our faces before
God in this meeting and cried God I
can't let you go.
Except thou bless me.
So you see dear people that our supreme
need is for God.
Oh for God to come.
My he came to my soul this morning.
Came with that same conviction that came to
me at prairie.
Amen.
America and Canada is going to experience revival.
My dear people you cannot rid me of
that conviction.
It's almost a second nature to me.
God is coming.
I will pour water on him.
So my dear people it's not wonderful.
I'm flooded upon the dry ground.
Oh it keeps coming back again and again.
I said to my wife before I left
you know dear why it is that I'm
going agreeing to go to America again this
year.
Because I can't get away from the conviction
that God is going to pour water on
the earth.
And floods upon the dry ground.
Now this is a very interesting and suggestive
text.
And as God may lead me I want
to direct your attention to several thoughts that
come to me from it.
First of all we have here the mere
futility of human effort.
The futility of my best endeavor.
Oh here you have it.
Here were armies fully equipped.
Here were armies conscious of the enemy.
Here as I already said armies well equipped
for the engagement.
But lacking in one thing.
The lack of which would make victory impossible.
But I would say that this must be
said in their favor.
They were prepared to face the situation.
Now I believe there are men and women
here who are facing the situation with honesty
and with sincerity.
And who in the face of God's crime.
God nothing but yourself can meet the need.
The desperate need of our congregations and our
communities.
Well they were prepared to face it.
And I believe that with sincerity and honesty
they were asking a way out.
And I believe, I believe that there are
pastors here and others here who with deep
conviction are asking the way out.
Because believing in God.
Believing in the God that we believe in.
We cannot believe that God is baffled.
That God is frustrated.
My dear people God has a way out.
Oh that we might find it.
Ask H.I. Pearson found it.
I found the secret.
On the 15th of November.
Here we have illustrated the truth.
That when man comes to an end of
himself.
Oh that's it.
When he comes to an end of himself
he has reached the beginning of God.
Oh friend let's take that to heart.
When I come to an end of myself.
At an end of all human resources.
Good and excellent as such resources may be.
At an end of it all.
I reach the beginning of God.
I heard a preacher say recently that the
tide must go out to the last inch
before it turns.
Before it turns.
And it seems to me dear people that
the tide, oh the tide has gone out.
And can I believe that it's reaching the
last inch.
And there's going to be a turning.
I believe that there's a turning already dear
people.
I believe that.
I believe that there's a turning in this
camp effort.
I believe that.
You may not but I do.
I do my dear people.
A short time ago standing here I felt
an awareness of God that indicated to me
that revival was about to break out.
That is true.
Oh that is true.
God hovering over.
But for reasons known to God and to
someone in this meeting.
God's hand has been held back.
Oh friend let's examine ourselves.
Am I hindering?
Oh my God am I hindering.
Now it is of interest to note how
on this occasion God stepped in.
You'll remember one of the kings of Israel's
servants answered here is Elisha the son of
Shaddai.
Here you have a link in the chain
of God's provision.
A young man in touch with God.
He was in touch with the prophet.
He knew that the prophet was there.
And with this message he went to the
king.
Kings don't you know that God is here?
Don't you know that the prophet is here?
And I believe they listened.
Now that brings to my mind another story.
I hope you're not tired of my stories
on the revival.
But they're wonderfully real to me.
I was motoring through a glen one early
morning.
Very early it was between four and five
o'clock.
I was on my way to visit a
minister whom I knew in college days in
Edinburgh.
And on my way to his man's, to
his home, I saw a young woman by
the roadside.
Now that was quite a common sight in
the parishes where God was moving in revival.
But this was a parish that wasn't touched
by any movement.
Here was a girl weeping by the roadside.
I felt it was my place to go
over to her and have a talk with
her.
Now I was on a motor bicycle with
a heavy coat on me.
At that time I had to wear a
clerical collar.
Just because I was a Presbyterian minister and
preaching in Presbyterian churches.
To leave the collar off in their estimation
was to lower the dignity of the pulpit.
Oh God have mercy on us.
The dignity of the pulpit.
I'm thankful to God that I got rid
of that.
Now I spoke to her and I said
to her, young woman you're a stranger to
me and I'm a stranger to you but
can I help you in any way?
I naturally thought she was in distress of
soul.
And through her tears, I say through her
tears, oh she was moved.
She said no man can help me.
And of course again I believe that she
was in distress of soul.
Only God could help her.
So I put my hand in my pocket
and took out my New Testament and began
to read certain portions that I thought might
be helpful.
And then she says this, you mentioned Jesus.
He's dearer to me than the sons of
men.
Like the apple tree among the trees of
the forest so is my beloved.
Quoting from the songs of Solomon.
And I immediately recognized that I was in
the presence of one of God's chosen ones
in that parish.
I then felt that I ought to divulge
my identity and told who I was.
And this is what she said, we had
the assurance this morning that you were coming.
Who was she referring to?
She was referring to two young girls 15
years of age.
Two young girls that were saved during the
first wave of the revival in Louis.
Visitors to this parish came to know the
Lord and came home to tell the story.
And the virgins because of the state of
the parish went to this young woman whom
they knew prayed and suggested that they should
pray as the men of Barthas prayed before
the revival broke out there.
Two nights a week.
Tuesdays and Fridays in a room praying that
God would visit them.
And they were praying for several months.
But on this morning, on the morning that
I met this young woman, they had the
assurance that revival was coming.
God has a wonderful way of revealing his
secret to those who love him.
The secret of the Lord is with them
that fear him.
Two young girls, oh young people take this
to heart.
Two young girls with a conviction and with
a vision.
I'm not ashamed to tell you that I
suggested to that young woman that we kneel
by the roadside.
That's an unheard of thing, an unwise thing
for a man to kneel beside a woman
so early in the morning beside the road.
But I did it because I felt that
God was in it.
And that young woman poured out her heart
in prayer.
Oh she kept saying, God I knew you
would not disappoint us.
I knew you would not disappoint us.
We were for three hours by the roadside.
By the roadside.
But when I got to the man, my
what a story I had to listen to.
That morning 14 young men gathered in front
of the parish hall to decide on the
amount of whiskey that was to be brought
to the parish on the Friday of that
week for a concert and dance.
14 of them are there gathered.
And one young man said, boys I feel
that we ought to increase the amount because
I have a strange conviction that this is
the last time that drink will come to
this parish.
A conviction.
And one of the other young men spoke
out and said, Angus you're surely not suggesting
that revival is coming to this godless parish.
A godless man giving expression to his conviction.
And this young man that spoke first spoke
again and said this, I don't know what's
going to happen but boys something has happened
in my heart.
And he fell on his knees on the
ground to be followed by the 14 who
was in and over all gloriously saved.
My dear people let me say again God
in the midst of revival.
My dear people is that not something you
want to see?
I was back in that parish after 15
years.
I hadn't been for 15 years and on
the Saturday of the Stornoway convention the minister
of the parish phoned me and asked if
I would address his Sunday morning service.
And of course being free to do so
having other speakers I agreed to address the
service.
And what a joy that filled my heart
when I saw that church crowded with people.
And they weren't there because Duncan Campbell was
going to preach because they didn't know that
I was coming.
Oh no they were there because the large
majority of them were converted following that demonstration
of God in front of the village hall.
Revival broke out and swept the parish.
And here are some of them in front
of me in the vestry.
The minister took me there after the service
and this is what he said.
You see all those men in front of
you?
I said yes.
Do you know that all except one old
Angus here who is over 80 years the
rest of them were all saved that morning
in front of the village hall?
They're today my elders in this church.
My dear people that's the move that I
love to see.
That's the move that I love to see.
And then the minister said of course you
know already that I too was converted during
the second wave of the revival in the
parish of Barber.
So the minister and all except one here
were saved during the movings of God.
My dear people I felt that I ought
to tell you that story because it bears
oh it bears on this truth that the
answer is prayer and God.
Two young women oh thank God for women
that pray.
Two young women.
Of course that to me is normal Christianity.
I have very little faith in the Christian
profession of any person that hasn't a burden
to save souls, to lead souls to Christ
a minute or two after he's conscious of
the fact that God saved himself.
Yes the man who professes salvation and who
hasn't a burden to pray for souls or
to question his own experience of the ever
born again.
Oh my dear people I say that.
And I say it because I believe it's
true.
Well here you have it.
Not a king, not a ruler, but a
boy.
A young soldier.
But a young soldier in touch with God
and in touch with God's secret.
And I would love to believe that there's
someone in this meeting tonight, this afternoon, to
whom God is speaking and through whom revival
is going to sweep through this camp meeting.
I believe that God finds a man that
he can trust.
Oh my dear people it is that man
here.
You remember the story that is told about
D.L. Moody?
The world has yet to see what God
can do through a man fully yielded to
him.
And Moody said, God I'll be that man.
And you know that he became that man.
And we saw what God did through him.
Oh my God is that man here.