From: B S TURNER Owner
What Being Awakened Really Is Part 1
I recently came across this testimony from an Amherst College student as he told his experience during what is called the Second Great Awakening of the early 1800's.
"The young man was enjoying his usual nap in church. He had a habit of sleeping through the sermon each week, and this day was no different. He was deep in slumber as usual. But something woke him up. It wasn't a loud noise that jarred him awake. "I seemed to be awakened by a silence," he says, "which pervaded the room, a deep solemn attention." Suddenly wide awake, he found himself gripped, along with the people around him, by what the speaker was saying. "What could this mean?" he thought to himself. There was a supernatural stillness except for the solemn voice of the speaker, urging any of his hearers who were without Christ to stop fighting the work of God. At the end of the meeting, the people left. "But," said the young man, "many of us carried away the arrow in our hearts. The happiest and hardiest trembled with the conviction, that, in very deed, God was in this place."
We really don’t mention this particular part of history very often even though it was an awesome event. “It wasn't called a Great Awakening just because one particular person woke up and started paying attention. It was called a Great Awakening because thousands upon thousands of people with no interest in Christ or his church--some who attended church but only out of habit, many others who weren't part of a church at all--woke up to the seriousness of their sin and the wonder of knowing the living God.”
Back up and look at this from a 60,000 foot view – what do you see?
That young man's experience of solemn stillness, a sense of God's presence, fearful trembling, and an arrow through the heart, has been the experience of countless others during times of widespread spiritual awakening.
There is a scripture in Alma that talks about being awaken. Read Chapter 5:38-41
38 And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you, that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him; that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.
39 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive, and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times;
40 Asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive,
41 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works;
Do we know what our duty is to God in this day and time? Has it changed from yesteryear? I will give you the answer – no.
However, at some point, we have reassigned our duties so that they may be easier for us to bear and to execute.
Alma 2:3 And so great were their afflictions, that every soul had cause to mourn; and they believed that it was the judgments of God sent upon them, because of their wickedness and their abominations; therefore they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty.
Just like the young man asleep in church – I think that many of us are that way today. Actually we all know some that do fall asleep in church but that is fodder for another day.
It is pretty easy for us to get comfortable and our services can be fairly predictable in format…has it become so predictable with themes and format that we are stifling what the Lord is trying to stir in us?
Let’s look at this again -
“There was a supernatural stillness except for the solemn voice of the speaker, urging any of his hearers who were without Christ to stop fighting the work of God.”
Stop fighting the work of God – I am sure that no one reading this would think that they are fighting the work of God. If we really look at what is being said I think that we have and possibly are still fighting the work of God.
How could that be? Pretty simple actually – as a people we think that we have a way – the way figured out as to what God wants us to do and how to do it. I am not so sure…especially when I read verse 39 in Alma 5.
39 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive, and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times;
I do believe that we are given scripture in an order and fashion as to what we need to do so that we are moved and more importantly that we are able to be awaked by a silence.
“It wasn't a loud noise that jarred him awake. "I seemed to be awakened by a silence," he says, "which pervaded the room, a deep solemn attention.”
Are we not looking and praying for “The Great Awakening Part 2?” I think that we are and we are all searching for a way to make that happen…when we really know in our hearts that we are not able by ourselves.
Only when we as a people are humble or humbled (not the favorable way) and ready will the Holy Spirit move across this land and will make the first awakening look like a gentle breeze.
More to come
Yours in Christ
Brian Turner
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