Its' Not All Over (continued)
Taken from "FIRE UPON THE ALTAR" Chapter Twenty
by Gene Easley
As those teen-agers began telling what had happened to them that day, I quickly realized that it wasn't all over. Those same young people who before had seemed to have such a shallow interest in the things of God, now were standing declaring the goodness of God with an unction and power of the Holy Spirit that was literally shaking them. And it shook me too.
One
young man stood and gave a very simple testimony. It was anything but
profound, and he probably felt very inadequate to express himself. But his
words were the ones that God used to change my life. He simply said,
"I don't know exactly what I've got, but there is one thing I know.
If you don't have it, you had better get it before you leave this place
tonight." My heart fell to my stomach! I felt nauseated, because
there were two things I knew. One, I knew I did not have what he had. And
two, I knew I had better get it before I left that place that night!
After he said those words, it was as if I were sitting there alone.
I lost contact with what was happening around me. God was dealing with my
heart. I had a decision to make. I had been saved for nearly three years,
but I was being brought back to a place of decision--whether I was going
to serve God or not. God made it all so clear to me. On the one side I saw
the world and all it had to offer. On the other side I saw the spiritual
life and a life dedicated to God. I sat there literally feeling the powers
of sin pulling at my soul. The Devil was telling me how good the pleasures
of sin were and that I just could not live life forsaking those things. I
felt the old human nature as it was being pulled by those sensual desires.
Then the Spirit of God tugged at my heart, and I sensed His
presence. My heart was saying, "This is what I want." But the
battle was raging so strong in my heart. I wanted God. I wanted to follow
Him. But it seemed that the demands were so great! I felt it would be
impossible to do what God was requiring. I sat there frightened in my
soul, wanting God but feeling I could not make the grade.
Then, the Spirit of God spoke so clearly to me in just four words:
"I will strengthen you." It was all I needed to hear. Instantly,
I said "yes" to God. I knew then with His help I could do it.
The burden on my heart was lifted. I was again back in the service.
In a few minutes, our youth leader invited us all to come to the
altars of prayer. The Spirit was falling, and it was totally out of human
control. As I knelt down at the altar, one of the young men of the church
came over to me and said, "Gene, if you will just lift up your hands
and begin to praise the Lord, He will fill you right now with the Holy
Spirit." So, I just lifted my hands and began to praise the Lord,
and, in a matter of a few moments, I felt something begin to rise within
me. It seemed to begin way down inside and rise upward. And as it flowed
out of my mouth, I began to speak in a language that I had never heard
before. It was wonderful! I felt a new joy that I could never describe.
We had no youth service that night; we had no regular evening
worship service; we had no song service; we had no preaching. There wasn't
even an offering taken. All we did was stay around those altars and
worship God in Spirit and in truth. No one wanted to leave. We wanted to
receive as much as we possibly could from God. It was well past the
midnight hour, getting close to one in the morning, before the last of us
finally left.
The next morning people returned without any invitation. They were
back Monday night without any service being scheduled. People just wanted
to pray and receive more of God's Spirit. For about six months, there was
a service every night in that church. The first two weeks of that revival,
the pastor never got to preach. The Spirit would begin to fall, and
everyone would be back in the altars again. Many of the youth received
calls from God to preach the Gospel. Since that day they have gone
throughout the world proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.
Thank God, it's not all over! Thank God that in these last days He
is still pouring out His Spirit! May the church not sit back and let this
hour go by without receiving all that it needs from God! The rain of God's
Spirit is still being poured out in abundance to hungry hearts. We must
have His power to bring in this last days' harvest. It cannot be
accomplished by human power.
Let the church cry out, "Revive us again!" The outpouring is for all who will call upon His name. There is still fire upon the altar! There is still a cleansing, burning flame that will separate us unto God and send us out as flaming witnesses of His grace and power! May God grant it to us one more time. It's not all over!
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