Are You Walking with God — E.A. Johnston

The Lewis Revival and the Question of Walking with God

There's a story about the Lewis revival in Scotland, which has always gripped me. Duncan Campbell was invited to the island to preach and his preaching engagement was for 10 days. While he was there Revival broke out and he stayed there for the next three years.

Experiencing scenes of glory and seeing hundreds of souls saved. But the incident which I'm referring to. Occurred as Duncan Campbell first stepped onto the island as he was greeted by one of the elders of the church who asked Mr. Campbell, are you walking with God and Duncan Campbell replied?

I can say that I fear God and I want to ask that question to us today friends. Are you walking with God? Because when the people of God walk with God then they will have the reality of God in their lives.

The Shunammite Woman Recognizes a Holy Man of God

How can I explain this? I believe we can see two instances of this in our Bibles in the ministry of the Prophet Elisha. The first is found in 2nd Kings chapter 4 and verse 9. Which tells of the Shunammite woman's description of Elijah.

It reads. And she said unto her husband. Behold now I perceive that this is a holy man of God which passes us by continually. This woman could sense the reality of God in the prophets life as he passed by their house each day.

The Reality of God in Families and Churches

We must be honest with ourselves. Can that be said of us? Can our teenagers see the reality of God in our lives. If they could how would that impact them? If our teenagers could find the reality of God in our churches today What would that do to them?

Pastors Who Live Near to God

I've had the privilege of known a lot of pastors from my years at Oldford Ministries where Stephen Alford trained thousands of men from all over the world. Some of these men were joke-telling back-slapping good old boys who like to laugh and have a good time.

Some were very proud men who were full of themselves. But the pastors who most reflected the reality of God were the pastors from Africa especially the Nigerian pastors who faced persecution on a daily basis.

Just talking to them you could sense the reality of God in their lives. They live very near to God. Theirs was not a comparable Christianity like we have here in America. Amos 3 3 declares can two walk together.

Holiness and the Free Flow of Spiritual Blessing

Except they'd be agreed. I think that it is the dividing line here. If there's something amiss in our personal lives that hinders the Spirit of God through us. Then the rivers of blessings cannot flow freely as a means of grace to others.

The Shunammite woman could sense something different about Elijah. She could tell that this man wasn't like the strutting Pharisees. There was the reality of God in him. The other incident in the ministry of Elisha did not occur during his life.

Elisha's Bones and the Power of God's Reality

But yet demonstrated the reality of God in his life. It is found in the 13th chapter of 2nd Kings in verses 20 and 21. Let me read this startling passage of scripture to us now friends. And Elisha died and they buried him and the bands the Moabites Invaded the land at the coming end of the year.

And it came to pass as they were burying a man that behold they spied a band of men and they cast the man into the Sepulchre of Elisha and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elijah. He revived and stood up on his feet.

David Brainerd, Andrew Bonar, and a Holy God

I Sensed this very thing as I stood at the grave of David Brainerd in Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton Massachusetts. And as I stood at Brainerd's grave, I sensed the awful reality of a holy God.

Andrew Bonar stood at Brainerd's grave 130 years before and he wrote in his diary. My heart was stirred within me. When others leave our company or their hearts stirred as well. Do we make others more?

A Witness That Makes Others Thirsty for Christ

Thirsty for Christ. Does our personal witness for Christ have such power from above that the dead are raised to life. Brother pastor is your preaching so full of the reality of God that your hearers No longer see you standing before them.

But instead they sense a holy God emerge and eternity open. Oh Dear friends. What are we missing by our mediocrity and ministry? God will give you as much of an experience of him as you desire. But what cost counts and what counts costs.

Paying the Price for a Deeper Experience of God

Are we willing to pay the price? Are we expandable. Are we willing to lose our reputations if necessary? To have a deeper experience of God I was at the local AT &T store this week to see about getting Wi-Fi.

Put in the place where I live. The young sales clerk tried to sell me a direct TV package. And he went on and on about all the different cable channels. I could watch. I Interrupted him and told him I didn't watch TV.

I hadn't watched it for years that television was something I did not want. You could see the look in his eyes as he realized he was talking to a crazy person. And he got rid of me as quickly as he could to him.

I was insane because I had no TV. Well, I got rid of my TV years ago and I spend the time I used to waste Watching that idiot box to be given to Bible study and prayer. I'm not saying that you have to give up your TV friend to have the reality of God in your life.

Taking Serious Measures to Walk with God

But if your TV watching is keeping you from experiencing the reality of God. Then what will you do about it? Some preachers had a know who lack authority and power in the pulpit. Love to sit for hours in front of their TV.

Watching their favorite ball game. But I know this for a fact friends. God gets serious with those who are willing to get serious with him. Are you walking with God? Is the reality of God in your life friend?

How bad do you want it? Let us pray.