Is the Lord Among Us — Duncan Campbell

I asked permission from a minister if I could preach with my coat off. It was very, very warm and I felt it would help me if I could preach with my coat off. The dear man did not feel that he could grant that.

To do so would mean the lowering of the dignity of the pulpit, the lowering of the dignity of the pulpit. I don't think Mr. Rose is greatly concerned about the dignity of the pulpit. And he has given me permission just to preach to you in my shirt sleeves.

Moses, Amalek, and the Question of God's Presence

Now you turn with me to the book of Exodus, chapter 17. And we shall read from verse 5. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

And he called the name of the place Matah and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not? Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek.

And Moses and Aaron and Ar went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon.

And Aaron and her stayed up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side, and his hands were steady. I want you to note that in passing. His hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

And Joshua discomforted Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua. For I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

And Moses built an altar and called the name of it Jehovah Nisi. For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Amen. And God will add his blessing to that reading from his word.

Shall we bow in a word of prayer? Our gracious God and loving Father, we now linger before thy presence. Thou hast given us law to understand that it is a good thing to draw near to God. O Father, can we do with, we acknowledge in thy presence how vain and foolish mere human efforts are apart from the touch of thy gracious hand.

O God, thus now, speaker and hearers alike, God, into a living consciousness of thy presence. Lord, again we tell thee that it is thy presence that makes a feast. We commit ourselves to thee now, body, soul, and spirit.

O God, to take it all. For Jesus' sake. Amen. Now you turn with me to the portion which we read together. Verse 7. Is the Lord among us or not? Is the Lord among us or not? And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out, men, and go out, fight with Amalek.

Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. Is the Lord among us or not? Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill. The rod of God is the Lord. I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.

Spiritual Conflict and the Cost of Possessing God's Promises

Those of you who are familiar with this part of Old Testament story will remember that on the way to the promised land Israel had many encounters with the enemy. One of these was Amalek. Suggesting to me that the man who is out to possess his possessions in God will discover that there is no easy way to blessing, no easy way to secure my possessions in God.

I am sure it is true to say that the highest values in life must be fought for and won. No easy way. Oh, let me say it again. I feel that this is something we want to emphasize. In these days of, oh, shallow, shallow thinking with equal shallow experiences.

But I love that verse of scripture. It comes to my mind just now. They that know their God shall be strong and do. I love to think that it does not say they that know their God will hope to do exploits or will anticipate revival will come.

I am glad that it is clearly stated that they that know their God shall be strong and do. No question about it. It is the word of God. And I believe it. Perhaps I could better explain if I told you of a remarkable incident that happened during the revival that I spoke about last night.

Revival, Spiritual Opposition, and the Authority of Christ

It was, I think, in the second year of the movement. I am preaching in a certain church when a message was handed to me that people were gathering in a farmhouse and many were in great distress of soul.

Would some ministers come to pray with them a word, a message from the word of God. I insisted upon that. Give us the word. Give us the word. Well, I went along with several others, walked seven miles over the hill, seven and a half miles, and arrived to find the farmhouse crowded with men and women seeking God.

No, there were no Christians among them. Men and women touched by God the Holy Ghost under deep concern. We began to preach the word. I personally felt absolutely bound. And it was quite obvious to me that the devil was there to frustrate the purposes of God.

Brother, do you believe in the devil? I do. Oh, I do. He was there. And he was there in such a way that he bound me. My dear people, I've got to acknowledge that. To be honest, I felt absolutely helpless.

What would I not give just to run away from that meeting? I had left a wonderful God in the midst of the presence of God, but here I am, just a worm, nothing at all, without a word, without a message, without any sense of God.

I'm standing now where I just couldn't preach. And I saw a deacon standing in front of me. I felt that this man was in touch with God. I referred to him last night as a man that fell in a trance. I just looked at him and said, Kenneth, I believe that you're nearer to God.

Oh, I've had to say this on more than one occasion. Kenneth, I believe you're nearer to God at this moment than I am. You know, Kenneth, that the devil's in this meeting. He looked at me and said, yes, he is, but God is also here.

God is also here. I want you to know, perhaps this will shock you, but this is how he began his prayer. God, excuse me for a little, I want to address the devil. What a prayer. I want to address the devil.

Kenneth began to address the devil, and this is what he said. Devil, you're in this meeting. You've come to frustrate the purposes of God. Devil, I now take upon myself, on the ground of Christ's victory on Calvary, when Jesus was manifest to destroy your work, in his name, take upon myself to bind you.

Now, you've heard people talk about binding the devil. My dear people, he saw it happening. He went on to say, devil be gone, devil be gone. By the blood of the Lamb, get out of this meeting. And at that moment, now I see right at that moment, five men who were standing in the kitchen of the farmhouse fell on their knees in the kitchen.

They were gloriously saved before four o 'clock in the morning. They that know their God. I believe, dear people, that we all have our Amulek. And I believe that he's here in this meeting. He may be in your own personal life.

He may be in the midst to frustrate the purposes of God. Regarding yourself, this meeting. But I believe the devil can be defeated. He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. And I believe that Jesus is here just to do that.

How he came home to me in my room tonight. They that know their God. My dear people, how I felt. My God, am I there. Am I fit to stand before the people tonight. I cry for heaven's anointing. The unction that comes from on high.

Knowing the Enemy and Examining Our Spiritual Condition

But I say that one of the main essentials in the strategy of war, to know your enemy. To know your enemy. In other words, to know the devil. And some of us can say that we know him. Was it not Paul who said we are not ignorant of his divinity.

And I believe, dear people, that blessing and victory in this meeting will largely depend on how we react to the challenge. The challenge in this meeting. That in every engagement with the enemy, it is deeds and not words or much activity that measures the value of my life, my relationship.

So dear people, you can be orthodox in sentiment, wonder yourself of yourself. I fundamentally make this discovery that they were sound asleep. I feel that it might be helpful this evening if we faced ourselves with unqualified honesty.

Am I rightly related? Yes God, I believe the Bible from cover to cover. Of course I do. Brother, have you this conscience, and I believe it is a conscience, that as you linger before his presence now, it was this conscience, that you are rightly of God to meet the enemy tonight.

You will have noticed how Moses reacted to the challenge. He faced the enemy. Order mongers or not. You listening, Moses? Are you listening, brother? You have unbelief that this can't meet it. Top of the hill, the rod of God in my hand.

But notice that he began with men. Notice that? Joshua, get among the people. And Jude, suggesting to me that the first requisite for the service of God upon the part of any man. Now that's simple, isn't it?

Yes, brother, but it's profound. Is what you are in the presence of God. Reputation is what you are in the presence of men. But I'm considering this evening what we are in the presence of God. They were to be men, chosen men.

Christian Character, Holiness, and Distinctive Living

Oh, my dear people, Christian character is something distinctive. Not to be different. We've got to act like them. Some time ago, an evangelist in England had a young woman come to him at the end of his service, seeking the Savior.

Seeking the Savior. And according to the report that the evangelist gave, she professed to accept Jesus as her Savior. And then she turned to the evangelist and said, I don't suppose you will have any objection to me wearing a miniskirt now that I am a Christian.

No objection to me wearing a miniskirt. The evangelist looked at her and said, My dear woman, no, I have no objection to you wearing a miniskirt if you've decided just to be a mini-Christian. You've decided a mini-Christian.

My dear people, there are far too many mini-Christians. Burning to the world. No standard. Please, my dear people, don't suppose me for saying this. I'm amazed at Christian people so willing, so ready to show so much of their body.

My dear people, we've got to face the type of life in the midst of the world. Two sisters in a certain village in the highlands of Scotland bitterly opposed evangelism, that stressed holiness, that stressed separation.

They were opposed. They were regular in church. They were teaching in the Sunday school. They were bitter. Father and mother were lovely Christians. But you can find very ungodly children in the midst of a godly environment.

You know that. And here they were. However, one evening one of the sisters met an uncle. In course of conversation he faced the sister and asked her this question. Will you do the first thing I ask you to do?

She looked at him and said, Well, uncle, I know you would never ask an impossibility. I will. Well, will you attend the meeting tonight addressed by those two young men? And of course, having made a promise, she felt that she had to fulfill it.

And she was at the meeting that night. Well, listen, that's remarkable. Mary is at the meeting. Another brother was preaching that night. And he had as his text, he, being often reproved and hardened at his heart, shall suddenly be destroyed and massed without remedy.

And he made reference to young people brought up in Christian homes and said that they were resisting more light in a day than another would resist in ten years. Often reproved. At the close of the meeting, this young woman sat in her seat.

We made no appeal. We never did. She just sat. And I went down along with her uncle and he spoke and said, Mary, can we do anything to help you? Crying bitterly, until I don't think you can help. I want to ask you this question.

How is that young man, she was referring to an Irish brother, how is it that that young man is so different to the average minister of today? He has a concern for our souls. Oh, brother, have you a concern?

A concern for our souls. And he hath transmitted that concern into my heart. Boys, I tell you, that got me. In the Holy Ghost, a transmitter. Oh, brother, may I ask, that true relative to your life, in the midst of your character, when he, the spirit of truth, is come unto you, I'm quoting now from the Gaelic, when he is come unto you, and of judgment, in other words, immediately you become a transmitter.

Are you born again, brother? Are you born again? Transmitter. There's something about your life that cries aloud. I'm not sure whether I told you already. If I did, it's worth telling again. But I received a letter from a communist, an atheist of the deepest dye, a man that did a lot of harm among the young people of the parish.

He owes a letter inviting me to meet him, call up his home. He agreed. And in course of conversation with him, he faced me with this question. Can you prove to me logically that there is a God? Prove to me logically that there is a God.

I looked at the dear man and said, brother, I wouldn't attempt to do it. You do not discover God by logic. I quoted that. But I said, if you wish to meet the God that I believe in, the God who is real to me, spend half a day in the village of Arno.

I still see that proud communist bowing his head. I still see the tears streaming from his eyes. He said this. Did you say half a day? Half an hour, did he? I met little Donald MacPhail yesterday. My dear people, little Donald MacPhail, a boy of 16 years of age.

Donald MacPhail. He met God. A concern was transmitted to him that led him to Jesus. What a man. Brother, sister, is it transmitter? Do men see Jesus? Is he so different? Brother, God in his mercy has saved you.

I'm not saying you ought to be. I say you are a transmitter. Man, chosen, if you know me, I'm sure, has challenged the very existence of God. Is that not true today in America? Oh, is it not true? Humanism, materialism, communism, I believe are out today to defy the very existence of God.

I believe that. With his pale Galilean, he is master of all things. That's the language of the humanists as represented in the Atheist. It seems to me that God is saying tonight, out man, and I, with his no pale Galilean, he's the lion of the tribe of Judah.

The conquering state, my Jesus, when I met him. My dear people, all things but excellency of this, suggesting that only by giving our breath, be one. That reminds me of a verse that I read some time ago.

Give me men to match my mountains. Give me men to match my plains. In their vision, men with empires in their brains. Give me men to pray for nations, like Elijah on his knees. In hours to catch the heavenly breeze.

Men of Faith, Holiness, and Public Witness

Give me men of faith and vision, stripped of everything I believe that God. Such men, men of faith, men suggesting that only giving, is that not suggested? Joshua, choose them, choose them. I don't want anybody.

I want men that I can count on. Men of character, men of honesty, men of stability. And certainly today, men who have pure heart. In other words, I say and I see at the risk of repetition, that the crying weed of the Christian church today, I care not what denomination you belong to.

You may be a Presbyterian, or a Baptist. I believe the cry for a demonstration of holiness. Hear the Lord, speak often once an hour. Hearken and heard in a book of remembrance of Christ. If the recording ends, see tonight.

Since I came to America, a holy people, a God-fearing people. I sometimes in that connection, think of the good scenario. I find this truth clearly to light here. You remember, we saw a man half dead by the roadside.

Lifted him and brought him to an inn. Said to the host, now here, congregation, that a special evangelist was coming to a certain district. And the clerk of presbytery had written to every congregation, asking for their assistance.

A young man left the church and is now standing in the room, telling what the minister had said and the appeal that was made. And an old lady, 80 years of age, she's sitting in a chair. And I happened to be in the room just at that moment.

And I heard all the young man had said about the appeal. And then I heard the old woman speaking. And this is what she said. Willie, you know that before my late husband died, he put so much money in the post office savings bank just to give me a decent burial.

Just to give me a decent burial. Willie, tomorrow morning you go to the post office and lift every penny. Send it to the clerk of presbytery. And you can bury me like a pauper. Bury me like a pauper. See, I'm behind you.

Here, congregation, your people, you and I have got to live to the world's conscience. Never avoid its faith. And to vindicate our God. You notice that more was needed. It wasn't sufficient to have men in the field.

The Rod of God and Dependence on Divine Presence

I love that there. Tomorrow, I will stand on the top of the hill. But I will stand with the rod of God in my hand. That suggests two things. Survival. Go into the valley. And desire and I can plan. And I can do all that is possible for a man to do.

But oh God, I need the bread. The consciousness of thy presence. And the word of the Lord came expressly. It tells us that he was caught and the miracle happened. Now I believe that we have a tooth here that we do well to take to heart.

I went to that dear old woman that I spoke about last night. I went to her and asked her if she could tell me a little of her own experience when God revealed to her that revival was coming. And I told you last night about it.

That revelation came to her. And she quietly and humbly said, this is just what happened. As I knelt in the presence of God, I found myself enveloped in a consciousness. Enveloped in a consciousness. In a consciousness of God.

That was in me a strong confidence. Now have you got that? Consciousness that brought. In other words, God became so real she could believe that God could do anything. He was the God of revival. Blood made clean.

A godly woman. You remember what he said of Barnabas. Full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost. Why these are great words. Suggesting of course that if he was full of faith and full of the Holy Ghost there was nothing else.

Nothing else. He couldn't be full of faith. Now I believe the Scriptures dear people. Full of faith. Full of the Holy Ghost. Remember God's estimate of him. He was a good man. In other words, he was a holy man.

God's Examination, Faith, and the Conquering Power of His Presence

I want to ask a simple question. Just a simple question. An imaginary one. I believe that God allows us to use our imagination. What would happen if God chose to send Gabriel to this meeting. And said, Gabriel, I want you to take a photograph of every heart, every life in that meeting.

It's imaginary. You understand that. I want you to take a photograph immediately at the end of the meeting. A picture of your heart. A picture of your life. To have it on sale. Now brother, think of it.

Think of it. You'd be happy your picture to be seen taking place yonder. Are you happy about that? Best about that? That all of him would have to do. Our sister tells us what they said. Moreover we saw the children of Anak.

We saw walled cities. Very high was what they saw. But you remember that it is written, Caleb still the people. No other voice. He saw the walled cities. He saw the children of Anak in the words. Their defense is departed from them.

And the Lord is with us. Them not. Giants. Yes. Walled cities. For this realization of God. My God becoming so real. God just threw worlds into space. The God of the universe. Can a devil stand before him?

My dear people. Get into grips with God. My dear people. That's what we need. More than anything else. A true conception of God. Is the God of revival. Is unto behold iniquity. So brother, tell me. Is your heart clean?

Are you rightly related to God? Simple questions. My dear people. We've got to face them. Here the top of the hill. But you will notice that he holds a rod in his hand. Now this to me suggests the supernatural in my preaching and in my witness.

Supernatural. We have received an anointing. Now may I ask what have we in this anointing? What have we? I would suggest that we have authority. He's come so real said old Peggy that God can do anything.

I'd rather get a right conception of Christ than that it cannot save. It's not heavy that it cannot hear. You have there principle. That's what makes the word that I preach pungent. Remember what happened at Pentecost?

Oh my dear people it happened again. I say again I believe that Pentecost can be repeated. My dear people that is surely what we want to see. In other words we want to see conviction. Simply believe you sir.

I can say in the presence of God that I've lost all faith in mass evangelism. All faith in it. Mass evangelism is the worst thing that's happened to Scotland in this generation. I'm exalted to say that.

As the more simply believe it. That is why I have practically no faith in what people term death bed repentance. Very little faith. Oh I thank God that he is merciful to the eleventh hour. I believe that.

Deathbed Repentance, Genuine Conversion, and the Work of Godly Sorrow

But are all seeking him at the eleventh hour. Let me elucidate this point. I think I must have mentioned more than once that I am an old soldier. I had my baptism of fire on Passchendaele Ridge during the first world war.

I was then in the infantry before I was transferred into the cavalry. And during the preparation for the final attack on Passchendaele Ridge were in the front line waiting for zero hour when seven men came to me said this to me Campbell we know that you pray we have just come to ask you to pray for us.

I thought this sincerity here we want you to pray for us. I began to pray for them and then I suggested that they pray for themselves and what prayer? Promising God there was one young man and he was saying God I'll never neglect the church again.

Oh take me out of this engagement. I'll never neglect the church again. And I would say they were sincere they appeared to me to be. And I would say that they were repenting appeared to me. And then in the midst of our praying the very light appeared in the sky suggesting that we had to stand to it.

And in a matter of minutes we were over the top and into this fearful engagement. In less minutes, less time than it takes me to tell the story four of the men were in eternity. They were caught in a machine gun barrage measured into eternity.

I say nothing about that. I leave that to God. But we were so fearfully cut up I refer to the Highland Brigade we were so fearfully cut up that it was necessary to withdraw us to reserve trenches. Being brought back I felt it my duty and my responsibility to call a prayer meeting.

I sent a messenger to the company in which the three men the three of the seven who came out of the engagement like myself without a scratch well in body and in mind I sent the messenger to say that I was going to have a prayer meeting in one of the reserve trenches.

The messenger arrived just after they had received their rum ration. They had purpose doing. Do you know what they said to him? Go back and tell Campbell to go to hell with this prayer meeting. Were they saved?

They were missing God and what could have been their deathbed. My brother and my sister no more saved than the devil. Fear is one thing but Godly sorrow worketh repentant not to be repented of. The sorrow of the world worketh death.

My dear people these are truths that we want to face. Fight against this gospel of simply believing. It's sending multitudes to hell. Those men will do that. Top of the hill in a place of vision and they'll recognize in a place brother, sister where you can implicit confidence in God.

Cleansing, Consecration, and the Recovering Power of Christ

At my best but an unprofitable servant oh just a word battlements of glory can turn and say a good man full of faith is not ashamed three things must be clean. Oh have you got that brother fiery glance has cast its sacred light through all and I by graces am brought at last cannot cleanse from every stain and my faith is vain.

It's a great word. With the word of God the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanses from all. Dear people I've got to believe that. I may not understand it. I may not fully realize it or experience it but I've got to accept it.

Oh I've got to accept it. If thou canst not cleanse from every stain and my faith is vain have you been to the blood the blood of Jesus going to hold the rod in my hand a place of vision sitting upon my ministry my hands must be empty hold the rod if I'm holding something else.

Partial consecration. Oh may God deliver us from hell dear people that often in the midst of our best moments every consecration is mingled with the destructive element of self-preservation. Surely this that when the Lord of women I mourn the sin that drove thee from me the blackest darkness came to my soul.

Now I renounce the cursed thing that brought of thee but I believe it comes from God as I said one night remember to my eyes rest to my eyelids till I find a place of my cry when God in His mercy said.

Victory at the Point of Defeat and the Gospel of Restoration

And I believe that I'm speaking tonight to some conscious of a need conscious of a need. My dear brother sister God is here to meet you at the point of your need and I believe that the Christ who is in you organized victory on the very ground of your defeat where you failed and He can organize victory.

The word of the Lord came to me my dear people I wouldn't be here tonight if God not speak by His wondrous love and mercy may soar high again. You know that that was written in a cell of a prison by a man who used to sing that unscriptural song.

The bird with the broken pin and never soared so high again. You've heard it a most unscriptural hymn. And there are such in almost every hymn book. This dear man in that cell came to know the recovering power of the blood of Jesus.

And yes but in an evil hour did something that dishonored God. He found himself not in the prison cell. He discovered the recovering power of that verse and requested that it might be added to that unscriptural hymn.

But the soul that comes to Jesus shame or pain by His wondrous love and mercy may soar high again. My dear people that's the gospel the Christ that I believe.