Revival on the Isle of Lewis — Duncan Campbell

This is Vader Zupke greeting you, our beloved friends in the Lord. The tape you're about to hear was given by Duncan Camel himself in Viroqua, Wisconsin in May of 1968. Duncan Camel is from Edinburgh, Scotland, and came to Viroqua with Dr. Leonard Ravenhill, who is also from England and who closes in prayer following this message on the Hebrides revival.

We pray that God will use this report of his faithfulness in the Hebrides to stir our own hearts to go to God in prayer and ask him for an outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon us in our day.

Revival as a Sovereign Work of God

There are two things that I'd like to say in speaking about the revival in the Hebrides. First, I'd like to make it perfectly clear that I did not bring revival to the Hebrides. It has grieved me beyond words to hear people talk and write about the man that brought revival to the Hebrides.

My dear people, I didn't do that. Revival was there before I ever set foot on the island. It began in a gracious awareness of God weeping through the parish of Barber. Then, I'd like to make it perfectly clear what I understand by revival.

When I speak of revival, I'm not thinking of high-pressure evangelism. I'm not thinking of crusades or of special efforts convened and organized by man. That is not in my mind at all. Revival is something altogether different from evangelism on its highest level.

Thank God for all that has been accomplished through evangelism. I represent a mission in Scotland that does much in the field of evangelism. We have at least about a hundred workers in our mission. And we thank God for all that has been accomplished through their efforts down through the years.

But when I think of their efforts, I'm not thinking of revival. I know that in this country you very often speak of having revival meetings. Now, that is something that I just can't understand. I think it would be better for you to speak of your efforts as evangelistic meetings or evangelistic efforts.

Because that is not revival. That is not revival. Revival is a moving of God in the community, and suddenly the community becoming God-conscious before a word is said by any man representing any special effort.

Now, I'm sure you'll be interested to know how this gracious movement began on the island of Louis. Now, the island of Louis is a very prosperous island. An island of 37 ,000 inhabitants. I say a prosperous island.

Perhaps more prosperous than many other parts of rural Scotland. The trade industry there is booming, and men are making fortune. I might also say that the island of Louis produces more graduates from our universities in Scotland and in England than in any other part of Great Britain on an average basis.

They produce more graduates, as a matter of fact, more ministers and doctors come from the island of Louis than from any other part of Scotland on an average basis. The captain, as a matter of fact, the captain of one of the queens is from the parish where the revival broke out.

Now, that gives you a slight faint idea of the island into which God came in November of 49. This is how it began. Two old women, one of them 84 years of age and the other 82, one of them stone blind, were greatly burdened because of the appalling state of their own parish.

It was true that not a single young person attended public worship. Not a single young man or young woman went to the church, spent their days perhaps reading or walking, but the church was left out of the picture.

And those two women were greatly concerned and they made it a special matter of prayer. And this is the verse that grips, and I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. That is God's promise.

We believe that God is a covenant-keeping God that must be true to his covenant engagement. He has made a promise and he must fulfill the promise. These were the thoughts uppermost in their minds. Now, I believe that the prayers of those two women moved the presbytery of Louis to do something.

And the presbytery met every minister in the presbytery representing the island of Louis met in the town of Stornoway to discuss and to consider the situation of the island, spiritually. And about the presbytery meeting they passed a resolution calling upon all their faithful people to view with deep concern the terrible drift away from God and the barrenness, spiritually, of the whole parish.

That resolution was read in all the churches on the following Sabbath and printed in two of the local papers in the county. Now I'm not prepared to say what impression that made upon the people in general nor upon the ministers in particular but of this I am certain that it was taken to heart in the parish of Varro and particularly by the two old women that I've already referred to.

They were so burdened that both of them decided to spend so much time in prayer twice a week. On Tuesday they got on their knees at ten o 'clock in the evening and remained on their knees until three or four o 'clock in the morning with these two old women in a very humble cottage.

One night one of the sisters had a vision. Now remember that in revival God works in wonderful ways. Vision came to one of them and in the vision she saw the church of her father crowded with young people packed to the door and a strange minister standing in the pulpit.

And she was so impressed by the vision that she sent for the parish minister. And of course he, knowing the two sisters knowing that they were two women who knew God in a wonderful way he responded to their invitation and called at the cottage.

That morning one of the sisters said to the minister you must do something about it. And I would suggest that you call your office bearers together and that you spend with us at least two nights in prayer in the week.

Tuesday and Friday if you gather your elders together you can meet in a barn, a farming community, you can meet in a barn and as you pray there we'll pray here. And the minister being a God-fearing man a well-paid man of course in Lewis you couldn't possibly have anybody else.

They wouldn't have a man that couldn't give a clear testimony after his conversion, how he came to know God. But that was true of that part of God's vineyard notwithstanding the appalling situation that prevailed at that time.

Well that was what happened. The minister called his office bearers together and seven of them met in a barn to pray on Tuesday and on Friday and the two old women got on their knees and prayed with them.

Well that continued for some weeks indeed I believe almost a month and a half until one night. Now this is what I'm anxious that you'll get a hold of. One night they're kneeling there in the barn praying, pleading this promise I will pour water on him that his thirsty floods upon the dry ground when one young man, a deacon in the church got up and read Psalm 24 Who shall ascend the hill of God?

Who shall stand in this holy place? He that has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul into vanity nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive the blessing, not our blessing but the blessing of the Lord.

And then that young man closed his Bible and looking down at the minister and the other office bearers he said this, a very crude word but perhaps not so crude in our Gaelic language he said it seems to me so much humbug to be praying as we are praying to be waiting as we are waiting if we ourselves are not rightly related to God and then he lifted his two hands I'm telling you just as the minister told me what happened he lifted his two hands and prayed God are my hands clean?

Is my heart pure? But he got no thirst. That young man first of all fell on his knees and then fell into a trance now don't ask me to explain this because I cannot fell into a trance and is now lying on the floor of the bar but in the words of the minister at that moment he and his other office bearers were gripped by the conviction that a God sent revival must ever be related to holiness must ever be related to godliness.

Are my hands clean? Is my heart pure? The man that God will trust in his revival that was the conviction when that happened in the bar the power of God swept into the parish and an awareness of God gripped the community such as hadn't been known for over a hundred years an awareness of God.

That's revival that's revival. And on the following day the looms were silent. Little work was done on the farm as men and women gave themselves to thinking on eternal things gripped by eternal reality.

Duncan Campbell Arrives in the Hebrides

Now I wasn't on the island when that happened but again one of the sisters sent for the minister and said to him I think you ought to invite someone to the parish. I cannot give a name but God must have someone in his mind because we saw a strange man in the porch and that man must be somewhere.

Well the minister that week was going to the Strathpepper convention one of our great conventions in Scotland and at that convention he met a young man who was a student with him in college knowing that this young man was a God-fearing man a man with a message.

He invited him to the island. So won't you come for ten days a ten day special effort. We've had so many of them during the past number of years but we feel that something is happening in the parish and we would like you to attend.

This minister said no. I don't feel that I'm the man. But quite recently there's been a very remarkable move in Partick in Glasgow under the ministry of a man by the name of Campbell so I would suggest that you send for him now.

At that time I was in a college in Edinburgh. It wasn't very easy for me to leave but it was decided that I should go for ten days for ten days to the parish of Barber to conduct a series of meetings in the parish church there.

Well the day came when I arrived perhaps I ought to tell you to begin with a letter was sent to the minister to say that it was impossible for me to go at that time as I was involved in a holiday convention somewhere else at that time and wasn't free to go but I would put Lewis on my program for the following year.

And the minister got that letter. He went to the old ladies and told the story and the blind sister said that is what man is saying but God has said otherwise and the man whoever he is is going to be here within ten days.

Here were women who knew God who were in touch with the eternal the secret of the Lord was them that fear him and they knew the secret. Well to make a long story short I was on the island within ten days.

I shall never forget the night that I arrived at the pier across the Minchin the middle steamer found myself standing in the presence of the minister whom I had never seen and two of his elders that I never knew.

And as I stood there one of the elders came over to me and said Mr. Campbell I would like to ask you a question before you leave the pier. Are you walking with God? And I immediately realized that I was in the presence of men who fear God.

And I said to him well I think I can say this that I fear God that I fear God. And he put his hand on my shoulder and said that will do. In other words I think we can trust you. The minister turned to me and said now we know Mr. Campbell that you are very tired.

You have been travelling all day by train to begin with and then by steamer and I am sure you are ready for your supper and ready for your bed. But I wonder if you would be prepared to address a meeting in the parish church at nine o 'clock tonight on our way home.

It will be a short meeting and then we will make for the manse and you will get your supper and bed and rest until tomorrow evening. Well it will interest you to know that I never got that supper never got it.

I got to the church, we got to the church about quarter to nine and to find about three hundred people gathered. I would say about three hundred people. And I gave an address I don't know if any of you have read my book God's Answer you will find the address that I gave on that great night in that book it's a fast sermon in the book nothing really happened during the service.

It was a good meeting a sense of God a consciousness of his spirit moving but nothing beyond that. And so I pronounced the benediction and we are leaving the church. I would say about a quarter to eleven a two hours meeting, of course that was nothing.

The First Night of Conviction and Mercy

Just as I'm walking down the aisle along with this young deacon who read the psalm in the barn. He suddenly stood in the aisle and looking up toward the heavens. He said God you can't fail us. God you can't fail us.

You promised to pour water on the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. God you can't fail us. I'm standing beside him realizing that I'm by the side of a man who appears to know God better than I do.

My dear people we've got to be honest. We've got to be honest. And I felt that here was a young man who knew God in a way that perhaps I didn't know him. He could speak to me in that way. Could I speak to him in that way.

He's now on his knees in the aisle and is still praying and then falls into a trance again. And just then the door opened. It's now eleven o 'clock the door of the church opened and the local blacksmith comes back into the church and says Mr. Campbell something wonderful has happened.

Oh we were praying that God would pour water on the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground and listen he's done it, he's done it. When I went to the door of the church I saw a congregation of approximately six hundred people.

Six hundred people, where did they come from? What had happened? I believe that, that very night God swept in a Pentecostal power the power of the Holy Ghost. And what happened in the early days of the apostles was happening now in the parish of Barber over a hundred young people were at a dance in the parish hall.

They weren't thinking of God or eternity. God was not in all their thoughts. They were there to have a good night when suddenly the power of God fell upon the dance the music ceased and in a matter of minutes the hall was empty.

They fled from the hall as a man fleeing from a plague and they made for the church. They're now standing outside. Oh yes. They saw light in the church that was the house of God. They were going to it and they went.

Men and women that had gone to bed rose, dressed and made for the church. Nothing in the nature of publicity no mention of a special effort except an information from the pulpit and Sabbath that a certain man was going to conduct a series of meetings in the parish covering ten days.

But God took the situation in hand. Oh he became his own publicity agent. And a hunger must pass. Groups of people 600 of them now are at the church standing outside. This dear man. The blacksmith turned to me and said I think we should sing a psalm.

Of course in Louis they don't sing hymns until after the benediction. You can sing to your heart's content then but not until the benediction is pronounced. You sing the psalms of David. Oh how they sing them.

So he gave us Psalm 102 when Zion's bondage God turned back those men that dreamed where we filled with laughter was our mouth, our tongues with melody. And they sang. And they sang. And they sang verse after verse.

Oh what sings, what sings. And then the doors were opened and the congregation flocked back into the church. And now the church is crowded. A church to seat over 800 people is now packed to capacity. It's now going on for midnight when I managed to make my way through the crowd along the aisle to the pulpit I found a young woman a graduate of Aberdeen University a teacher in the grammar school was lying prostrate on the floor of the pulpit praying oh God is there mercy for me.

Oh God is there mercy for me. She was one of those of the dance that is now lying on the floor of the pulpit crying to God for mercy. That meeting continued until four o 'clock in the morning. I couldn't tell you how many were saved that night.

But of this I am sure and certain that at least five young men who were saved in that church that night after day. Minister in the church of Scotland having gone through university and college they are now ministers because they were born again in that meeting at four o 'clock we decided to make for the mass.

Now of course you understand we make no appeal. You never need to make an appeal or an altar call in revival. Why the roadside becomes an altar. We just leave men and women to make their way to God themselves.

God can look after his own. Oh God can look after his own. And when God gives the situation in hand I tell you he does a thorough work. He does a thorough work. So we left them there. And just as I am leaving the church a young man came to me and said Mr. Campbell I would like you to go to the police station.

Police station. What's wrong. Oh it says there's nothing wrong. But there must be at least 400 people gathered round that police station just now. Now the sergeant there was a God fearing man. He was in a meeting.

But people knew that this was a home, a house that feared God. And then next to the police station the cottage in which the two old women lived. I believe that that has something to do with the magnet, the power that drew men.

There was a coachload at that meeting. A coachload had come over 12 miles to be there. Now go to any of them today. Ask them why, what happened. Who arranged the bus. They couldn't tell you. But they found themselves grouping together and someone saying oh what about going to Barber's.

And I don't know but I have a hunger in my heart to go there. I can't explain it. They couldn't explain it but God has the situation in hand. This is revival. Dear people this is a sovereign act of God.

This is a moulding of God's spirit. I believe in an answer to the prevailing prayer of men and women who believe that God was a covenant keeping God that must be true to his covenant engagement. And I went along.

I went along to that meeting and I'm walking along that country road. We had to walk about a mile. I heard someone praying by the roadside. I could hear this man crying to God for mercy. And I went over and there were four young men on their knees by the roadside.

Yes they were at the dance. But they're now there crying to God for mercy. One of them was under the influence of drink. He was a young man. He wasn't twenty years of age. But that night God saved him and he's today the parish minister of Ugin.

The parish minister of Ugin. University train, college train. A man of God converted in the revival with eleven of his office bearers. A wonderful congregation. Well he was saved that night. Now when I got to the police station I saw something that will live with me as long as I live.

I didn't preach, there was no need to preach. We didn't even sing. But people are crying to God for mercy. All the confessions that were made the confessions that were made. There was one old man crying out oh God, hell is too good for me.

Hell is too good for me. This is holy God's punishment. That was on the very first night of the mighty demonstration that shook the island. Oh let me say again that was in the beginning of the revival.

Revival Spreads Through the Parishes

The revival began in a prayer barge. Revival began in an awareness of God. Revival began when the Holy Ghost began to grip men. That was how it began. And of course after that we were at it night and day, churches crowded.

A messenger would come. I remember one night it was now after three o 'clock in the morning a messenger came to say that the churches were crowded in another parish fifteen miles away crowded at that hour in the morning.

And we went to this parish minister along with several other ministers. Oh I thank God for the ministers of Lewis how they responded to the call of God how they threw themselves into the effort and God blessed them for it.

We went and I found myself preaching in a large church a church that would seat a thousand and the Spirit of God was moving. Oh moving in a mighty way. I could see them falling on their knees. I could hear them crying to God for mercy.

And I could hear those outside praying. And that continued forth and so through hours. And then we are leaving the church when someone came to me to tell me that a very large number of people had gathered on a field.

They couldn't get into the church. They couldn't get into any of the churches. And they were gathered on a field along with the other ministers. I decided to go to the field and here I saw this enormous crowd standing there so gripped by a power that they could not explain.

But the interesting thing about that meeting was the sight that I saw the headmaster of a secondary school in the parish is lying on his face on the ground crying to God for mercy. Oh deeply convicted of his desperate need.

And on either side of them two young girls I say about 16 years of age last night. And father can save you tonight. It is true that when a man comes into a vital relationship with Jesus Christ his supreme desire is to win others.

Oh to win others. And they were there that night to win their master. And they won him. Oh God swept into his life. I believe in answer to the prayer of four young girls 16 years of age who had a burden.

Who had a burden. So that was how the revival began. And that is how it continued to begin with for five weeks. The first wave of the revival continued for five weeks and then there was a lull perhaps a lull of about a week.

Oh the churches are still crowded the people still seeking after God. Prayer meetings are being held all over the parishes. It was the custom there that those who found the saviour at night would be at the prayer meeting at midday.

A prayer meeting every day. Then at midday. At that time all workshops for two hours looms were silent for two hours workshops on the fields and men gathered for prayer. And it was then that you got to know those who had found the saviour on the previous night.

You didn't need to make an appeal. They made their way to the prayer meeting to praise God for his salvation. Well that continued. It continued for almost three years until the whole of the island was swept by the mighty power of God.

I couldn't tell you how many. I never checked the numbers. I was afraid to do that always remembering what David did. I left the records with God. But of this I know that at least 75 of those who were born again during the revival were born again before they came near a church before they heard any word from me or from any of the other ministers.

I can think just now of a certain village. It was a village of weavers. And there was a row of cottages by their own side. There were seven of them altogether and in every cottage a loom and a weaver.

One morning just as the men were being called for breakfast it was discovered that the seven of them were lying prostrate behind their looms lying on their faces behind their looms. And all of them in a trance.

Now I can't explain this but of this I am certain that this was of God. Because the seven men were paid that day. Now I should say six of them paid that day one of them on the following day. But they came to understand that something supernatural had taken possession of them and an awareness of God gripped them and a hunger possessed them.

And they are crying for God God for nothing and God swept in. I was listening to them recently I happened to be up in the Hebrides and what a joy it was to listen to them tell again of that wonderful experience when God swept into the seven houses my dear people that's revival I mean so different from our special ed so apart altogether.

From man's best endeavour.

God is in the throes and miraculously passed. Now perhaps I ought to now go on to some of the features that characterise this remarkable moment. Well already I have mentioned to you that men were found in trance.

Perhaps I ought to say this in the Louis revival we never saw anybody healed that wasn't a feature of it. We never heard anybody speaking in tongues in a strange language. Personally I never heard anybody speak in tongues.

Until a year or two ago and that was in England. We knew nothing whatsoever about such manifestations. Don't misunderstand me. I believe in everything mentioned in the word of God. But it wasn't God's plan or God's purpose that we should be visited in that way.

And we weren't. But we saw strange manifestations. Now I think just now of a certain island. Up until then God hadn't moved on this island one of the smaller islands perhaps an island of perhaps six hundred souls and I was asked to go to this island to officiate at a communion.

Now a communion in Louis is just like one of your conventions. It begins with a prayer meeting on Wednesday night and then on Thursday the fast day when schools are closed, shops are closed no worship is done.

It's just like another Sabbath on Thursday Friday again it's testimony day. When men give their testimony they ask the women to be silent. You never hear a woman give a testimony at such meetings but the men speak.

However. I'm glad to say that many of the dear women got glorious liberty during the revival and they're meeting for prayers and praying with the men today. That is a transformation that has taken place as a consequence of the revival.

Well I think I can say that it's because of this custom family worship. Now this man wasn't a Christian but a God-fearing man gathered in his house. I would say there would be about thirty of them including five ministers of the Church of God men who were burdened longing to see God moving and reviving.

We're praying and know that going was hard. At least I felt it hard. It came to about between twelve and one o 'clock in the morning when I turned again to this blacksmith that I've already referred to.

Oh, he was a prince in the party and I said to him John, I feel that God would have me call upon you to pray up. Until then he was silent and that dear man began. He must have prayed for about half an hour for about half an hour.

When he paused for a second or so and then looking up toward the heavens. He cried, God do you know that your honour is at stake? Do you know that your honour is at stake? You promised to pour water on the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground.

And God you're not doing my dear people. Could we pray like that? Ah, but here was a man who could. Here was a man who could. And then he went on to say there are five ministers in this meeting and I don't know where one of them stands in your presence.

Not even Mr. Campbell. Oh, he was an honest man. But if I know anything at all about my own kurkha, I think I can say. And I think that you know that I'm thirsty.

I'm thirsty to see the devil defeated in this place. I'm thirsty to see the community.

Gripped as you grip Barada. I'm longing for revival. And God you're not doing. I'm thirsty. And you promised to pour water on me. And then it paused. And then he cried God I now do take upon myself to challenge you to fulfill your covenant engagement.

And that was nearing two o 'clock in the morning. What happened? The house shook a jug on a sideboard fell on to the floor and broke. A minister beside me said and asked Prema. And I said yes Mardu. But I had my own thoughts.

But my mind went back to the act chapter four when the pray the place was shaken and John Smith stopped praying. At twenty minutes past noon I pronounced the benediction and left the church. The house.

What did I see? The whole community alive. Men carrying chairs women carrying stools and asking if the room the church is on the revival boat. And oh what a sweeping revival. I don't believe there was a single house in the village that wasn't shaken by God.

I went into another farmhouse. I was thirsty. I was tired. I was needing something to drink. And I went in to ask for a drink of milk. And I found nine women in the kitchen crying to God for mercy. Nine of them the power of God swept.

And here is a little boy oh he's kneeling by a pizza and he's crying to God for mercy. One of the elders goes over to him and prays over him. And little Donald McPhail the Evan Roberts of Lillie came to know the Saviour.

And I believe more souls were brought to Christ through that young lad's prayers than through the preaching of all the ministers on the island. He enjoyed God was the boy that prayed. I gazed upon an open door.

Now that night did you know that the drinking house was closed. The drinking house was closed. That's a way back 1952 and it's never been open since I was back some time ago. And an old man an old elder pointed at this house this biggish house with its windows boarded up.

He says Mr. Campbell do you see that house over there. And I say well he says that was the drinking house of the past. Do you know that last week at our prayer meeting fourteen of the men who drank there were plain obese.

My dear people that's revival. That's God working miracles supernatural beyond human explanation of God. And I am fully persuaded. Dear people I am fully persuaded that unless we see something like that happening the average man will stagger back from our efforts our conferences, conventions and crusades will stagger back disappointed, disillusioned and despairing.

But oh if something happens that demonstrates God and the communists will hide it head in shame, oh I remember one night I saw seven communists up. Until then they would sit in your face talk about religion, the jokes of the masses agitated men so many of them in that age agitated men wouldn't go near a church.

Conversion of the Communists and the Village Revival

But dear old Peggy had a vision one night and I think I ought to tell you this I hope I'm not keeping you too long. It will not be very long now. She had a vision and in the vision she saw seven men from this particular community from this centre of activity born again and becoming pillars in the church of our past.

She sent for them and told me that God had revealed to her that he was going to move in this particular village. Oh yes there were communists there there were godless men there. But what was that to God when God began to work, he would deal with that.

So she went on talking like this. But I said Peggy I know leading us to go to that village. You know that there's no church there. And the schoolmaster is one of those men and he would never dream of giving me the schoolhouse for a meeting.

And I know leading us to go. You know what he said to me Mr Campbell if you were living as near to God as you ought to be he would reveal his features to you all. And I took it from the Lord. Oh my dear people it's good to take the word of rebuke.

It's good to see yourself as other people. That was how I felt. And I said Peggy would you mind if I call for the parish minister and together we'll spend the morning with you in prayer. Oh I'll be happy.

She said I'll be happy. So we came and we knelt with her and she began to pray and in her prayer she said this Lord you remember what you told me this morning when we had that conversation together. Oh how near she was to God.

And she said I'm just after telling Mr Campbell about it but he's not prepared to take it. You give him wisdom because the man badly needs it. That was what she said. The man badly needs it. And of course she was taking truth.

Of course I needed it. I needed to be taught and I was at the feet of a woman that knew God in an intimate way and I was prepared to leave. So I said Peggy when will I go to that village, you'll go tomorrow.

What time, seven o 'clock. When am I to hold the meeting. You'll go to the village and lead the gathering of the people to God and he'll do it. And I went to the village and when I arrived I found a crowd round a seven room bungalow.

I found five ministers waiting for me and the house was so crowded that we couldn't get in. Indeed we couldn't get near and I stood on a hillock in front of the main door. I gave up my tent at times as this ignorant Lord winked at but now commanded men everywhere to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained.

I preached for about ten minutes when one of the ministers came to me and said Mr. Campbell, you remember what you spoke about at five o 'clock this morning out in the field in that wonderful meeting when you tried to help those that were seeking God.

I happened to speak from John 10 and 27. I speak, hear my voice, I know that they follow me, I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish never shall any man pluck from the mouth of my hand.