Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt
“I’m not doing anything. This is a sovereign act of the Spirit ofGod,” I retorted.People advised me to stop it, and I replied that I didn’t start it.They said the children would have religious mania, and that wasn’tright. They quizzed me, “Are they better children? Do they dotheir homework better? Do they wash the dishes for their parents?Are they more obedient?”“I don’t know,” I’d reply. “All I do know is that it is God who isdoing this.”This went on for a considerable time. The Holy Spirit wonderfullymoved upon my daughter, Rachel. Able to discern the differencebetween hypocrisy and reality (and besides, I knew mychild), I knew Rachel wasn’t acting. There was one little five orsix-year-old girl who, at first, did put on an act. She felt left outwhen she saw the other children down on the floor, so she triedto imitate them. Then, God moved on her, and she was no longerpretending.Brother Archie, who was co-pastoring with me, objected. “Areyou sure this is from God?” he asked me. “Do you think Godwould visit children? Do you really believe it is God when thechildren lay prostrate on the floor with their limbs moving andkicking, and with their eyes shut, they’re shouting ‘Jesus! Jesus!’?This is upsetting the adults,” he complained. “This should notcontinue, as it is interfering with the meetings. The adults are notinvolved in it — only the children. It must stop!”Archie suggested that a responsible adult, a parent or someoneelse, should sit beside each child in every meeting. The moment achild would begin to tremble or begin to move off his or herseat, the adult would hold him on the seat. At the next meeting,however, the adults could not keep the children on their seatsand so, it continued. There they were, kicking their legs and shouting,“Jesus!”The next suggestion was to carry the children out of the meetingand put them in the hall at the back. It was winter and our meetingroom was heated, but the hall in the back had no heat. Theadults carried the children out and deposited them in the almostfreezing hall, thinking the cold would bring them to their senses,122
ut it didn’t. After our meeting was over, we went back into thehall, and it was steaming. The children had generated their ownheat, and they were still calling out to Jesus.At one point it appeared that God was going to include the adults.We had gathered around a big circular platform up front when,suddenly, God moved upon the people. I’m not certain how itbegan, but somehow I was like the third one down in a rugbyscrum. There were people all over the floor and the platform,three layers deep, and they were all crying and weeping to God.I can still remember someone’s hot tears falling on the back ofmy neck.There were only a few occasions when the Spirit touched theadults. My mother and her close friend were completely againstwhat was happening with the children, fearing they would endup in a mental institution. Nevertheless, one night my motherwent down under the power of God. She lay there on the floor.And her friend, who had been critical, was even more criticalwhen she saw her companion on the floor.I made this observation: you don’t necessarily have to be cooperativeto be involved in a visitation. God can give light to people,but if they don’t walk in that light, the light can condemn themand turn to darkness. Eventually the adults put such pressure onthe children they quenched the Spirit, and the visitation was over.Big doors swing on little hinges.What does it really matter if children do or don’t participate in amove of God? After all, some suggest, isn’t it more important forthe adults to be involved?An evangelist once visited a church in England and preached forthree weeks. The people’s lack of response to his ministry dismayedhim. On the last night of his meetings, the disheartenedman was so discouraged he didn’t go to the door to shake handswith the departing people but just watched as they filed out.As he stood by the platform with two of the elders, he said sadly,“Well, that’s it. Three weeks of meetings, and not one soul saved,apart from this lad here.” He pointed to a 9-year-old boy. Theboy was David Livingston. And in the spiritual womb of that boy123
- Page 79 and 80: Our little home in NottinghamshireT
- Page 81 and 82: as if I was violently in love. The
- Page 83 and 84: I would go out in the mornings and
- Page 85 and 86: 6 The “Conchee”At the beginning
- Page 87 and 88: evening, he got up from the platfor
- Page 89 and 90: Miriam. Toward the end of the meal,
- Page 91 and 92: one or two. To further humiliate me
- Page 93 and 94: Living by a proceeding Word from Go
- Page 95 and 96: kept the door locked between our qu
- Page 97 and 98: moved my food quickly, and she foll
- Page 99 and 100: 7 The BlackoutA few of the stories
- Page 101 and 102: wife, preventing her from committin
- Page 103 and 104: He resists the proud…and He does
- Page 105 and 106: What then is the answer? The only w
- Page 107 and 108: nary pan, you are losing pressure.
- Page 109 and 110: I would oblige him whenever he woul
- Page 111 and 112: Then we had an awful winter with a
- Page 113 and 114: forth fruit, and by our fruit we wo
- Page 115 and 116: 8 “The Glory Meetings”As the mo
- Page 117 and 118: One night while they were having a
- Page 119 and 120: “Your family can stay here a mont
- Page 121 and 122: “You’ve got your own wilderness
- Page 123 and 124: “Mister,” I remarked. “I don
- Page 125 and 126: She led me into the bedroom where t
- Page 127 and 128: This upset and offended Archie. “
- Page 129: 9 Forbid Them NotThe next move of G
- Page 133 and 134: orphanage — £150, China Inland M
- Page 135 and 136: Meanwhile, I continued ministering
- Page 137 and 138: “Oh, I wish I could believe that,
- Page 139 and 140: over backwards, defying the law of
- Page 141 and 142: It wasn’t two years. Sonya was de
- Page 143 and 144: Finally, after much deliberation, I
- Page 145 and 146: “I wish you had told me,” I sai
- Page 147 and 148: 10 Walking the LandIt started like
- Page 149 and 150: Brother Friday. I’ll leave Paddoc
- Page 151 and 152: In Dungannon, Ireland, as I walked
- Page 153 and 154: A hard lesson in SwedenThe truth ma
- Page 155 and 156: Andrew was upset about our move.
- Page 157 and 158: I saw that I am sometimes guilty of
- Page 159 and 160: ut on Christmas night, they returne
- Page 161 and 162: ience. It seemed, at the time, as i
- Page 163 and 164: through his whole life like a hot k
- Page 165 and 166: Stevie, what was the story Uncle Ar
- Page 167 and 168: 11 The Proceeding WordA party of pe
- Page 169 and 170: I was ministering in Portsmouth and
- Page 171 and 172: same string. The three of us moved
- Page 173 and 174: airport. I wondered if anyone would
- Page 175 and 176: and praising God, while Sister Wall
- Page 177 and 178: piano to a dead cat — or if, perc
- Page 179 and 180: Just then, rain began to fall softl
ut it didn’t. After our meet<strong>in</strong>g was over, we went back <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong>hall, and it was steam<strong>in</strong>g. The children had generated <strong>the</strong>ir ownheat, and <strong>the</strong>y were still call<strong>in</strong>g out to Jesus.At one po<strong>in</strong>t it appeared that God was go<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong> adults.We had ga<strong>the</strong>red around a big circular platform up front when,suddenly, God moved upon <strong>the</strong> people. I’m not certa<strong>in</strong> how itbegan, but somehow I was like <strong>the</strong> third one down <strong>in</strong> a rugbyscrum. There were people all over <strong>the</strong> floor and <strong>the</strong> platform,three layers deep, and <strong>the</strong>y were all cry<strong>in</strong>g and weep<strong>in</strong>g to God.I can still remember someone’s hot tears fall<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> back ofmy neck.There were only a few occasions when <strong>the</strong> Spirit touched <strong>the</strong>adults. My mo<strong>the</strong>r and her close friend were completely aga<strong>in</strong>stwhat was happen<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> children, fear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>y would endup <strong>in</strong> a mental <strong>in</strong>stitution. Never<strong>the</strong>less, one night my mo<strong>the</strong>rwent down under <strong>the</strong> power of God. She lay <strong>the</strong>re on <strong>the</strong> floor.And her friend, who had been critical, was even more criticalwhen she saw her companion on <strong>the</strong> floor.I made this observation: you don’t necessarily have to be cooperativeto be <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> a visitation. God can give light to people,but if <strong>the</strong>y don’t walk <strong>in</strong> that light, <strong>the</strong> light can condemn <strong>the</strong>mand turn to darkness. Eventually <strong>the</strong> adults put such pressure on<strong>the</strong> children <strong>the</strong>y quenched <strong>the</strong> Spirit, and <strong>the</strong> visitation was over.Big doors sw<strong>in</strong>g on little h<strong>in</strong>ges.What does it really matter if children do or don’t participate <strong>in</strong> amove of God? After all, some suggest, isn’t it more important for<strong>the</strong> adults to be <strong>in</strong>volved?An evangelist once visited a church <strong>in</strong> England and preached forthree weeks. The people’s lack of response to his m<strong>in</strong>istry dismayedhim. On <strong>the</strong> last night of his meet<strong>in</strong>gs, <strong>the</strong> disheartenedman was so discouraged he didn’t go to <strong>the</strong> door to shake handswith <strong>the</strong> depart<strong>in</strong>g people but just watched as <strong>the</strong>y filed out.As he stood by <strong>the</strong> platform with two of <strong>the</strong> elders, he said sadly,“Well, that’s it. Three weeks of meet<strong>in</strong>gs, and not one soul saved,apart from this lad here.” He po<strong>in</strong>ted to a 9-year-old boy. Theboy was David Liv<strong>in</strong>gston. And <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> spiritual womb of that boy123
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